Migrant youth identity work in transnational new mediascape
What is it about?
This paper argues that transnational new media space is an important devel- opmental context for migrant youth who have multiple social networks across geographical and cultural locations. Particularly, this paper examines Korean migrant adolescents’ sense of self and belonging in relation to the three intertwined identity categories – nationality, race, and ethnicity; and the role of new media in youth’s identity negotiation and representation. Findings suggest that despite the complexity of youths’ identity as seen in their shiſting meaning of being Korean across national, ethno-cultural, and racial contexts, youths actively reconstructed and shared a wide range of their identity constructs drawing on the resources and linguistic tools in transnational new media.
Why is it important?
This study explored a new important context of youth identity development in the transnational era through the lens of new media literacy. It also examined the intersectionality of migrant youth identity constructs - nationality, race, and ethnicity.