Research Interests & Questions

My research interests stem from my own experiences growing up in different cultural contexts and have developed into two strands:

• How does cognitive development inform our identity formation when processing different cultural information?

• How do we develop integrative skills that allow us to navigate and internalize different cultural beliefs, values, and practices in a well-adjusted (rather than maladaptive) way?

To explore these two interests, I use both quantitative (e.g., Structural Equation Modeling) and qualitative methods (e.g., Reflexive Thematic Analysis) to answer specific questions. Below is a list of current research projects and papers that I’m involved in, organized by topics:

• Biculturalism

  • How does bicultural identity integration moderate the effect of model minority stereotype threat for Asian American students? (Under review, Poster from SRA 2024)

  • How do parental ethnic socialization and school cultural socialization influence bicultural development? (Analysis complete, Pre-registration)

  • How can we theorize identity development for multiracial youth, borrowing theoretical framework from bicultural identity development work? (In-press)

• Cognitive development and identity development

  • How do ethnic-racial identity development and cognitive flexibility work together to protect Colombian adolescents from maladjustment associated with discrimination? (Under Review, Pre-registration)

• Ethnic-racial identity and socialization

  • How does the age of arrival moderate the relationship between ethnic-racial identity development and adjustment for immigrant adolescents? (Under review, Poster from ISSBD 2024)

  • How do teachers’ understanding, self-efficacy, and practices of cultural sustaining practices change as a function of identity-based intervention? (Paper)

Given my interest in supporting Asian and immigrant communities, I’ve also been involved in other research projects as a form of advocacy effort:

• What are the challenges faced by Asian immigrant students and families, and how can we support them in the U.S. school system? (Educator Brief)

• How do implicit and explicit biases predict support for the #StopAAPIHate movement? (Paper)

• What were international students' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how can educators support them in U.S. higher education? (Paper, Chapter, Chapter)

• How do international student affairs professionals develop their careers in U.S. higher education? (Paper)