Recent Asian Immigrant Women Scholars in Stem Fields: A Study of Gender and Environment Impacts on their Career Pathways

Abstract

This study used phenomenological narrative methodology to get insights into lived experiences of 10 Asian immigrant woman scholars in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in US institutions of higher learning. A feminist research approach overall guided the study. The concepts and theories of intersectionality, cultures of the academy, mindset, and mind tools framed the examination of the impacts of gender and work–family–community environments on the career pipeline of this group of women. The data were from two sources: (1) 48 documents on the participants and their institutions and (2) in-depth semi-structured interviews with these 10 participants. The findings show that gender and environment impacted the Asian women scholars’ career pipeline and advancement differently. On the negative side, barriers separately or jointly rooted in gender-based, racial, and hierarchical biases at stages of their career pipeline, from professional education to faculty appointment and leadership, challenged them. On the positive side, other gender-based and environmental agents and interventions supported them to overcome obstacles to their upward career mobility. This chapter has implications for how higher education institutions can improve their gender-based and environmental policies and praxis and facilitate the advancement of Asian immigrant women in STEM. It also has implications for how Asian women can prepare themselves to be successful in academic STEM careers.

Citation

Nguyen, D.T. (2024), "Recent Asian Immigrant Women Scholars in Stem Fields: A Study of Gender and Environment Impacts on their Career Pathways", Demos, V.(V). and Segal, M.T. (Ed.) People, Spaces and Places in Gendered Environments (Advances in Gender Research, Vol. 34), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 57-76. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1529-212620240000034004