Fluid vs. settled: Dual identity construction among Chinese Immigrant Young Gay Men in Canada

Abstract

Sexual minorities (i.e., lesbian, gay, bisexual) in North America coming from an East Asian background might confront a challenge in integrating their cultural and sexual identities. Prior studies focusing on this population tend to assume a conflict between these two identities on the basis of a premise that homosexuality is hardly accepted within Chinese culture. However, as a result of globalization, contemporary immigrant gay men nowadays enjoy a time-space compression and a multi-way traffic between global spaces, made possible by the Internet, telephones, and airplanes. These shifts may translate into the ways how Chinese immigrant gay men define and negotiate their dual identities. In response to this backdrop, the lens of hybridity originating in the post-colonial discourse provides an alternative approach to capturing an in-between, liminal space where the ongoing, dialectical, and iterative process of translation and negotiation occurs. At the same time, emergence of scientific evidence has informed the common understanding of human beings’ sexual orientation, thereby legitimizing the essentialist discourse (i.e., “born to be gay”). In light of these circumstances, this study collected qualitative data to explore the complexity in the ways Chinese immigrant young gay men construct their cultural and sexual identities over the course of migration.

In this constructivist grounded theory study, 18 Chinese immigrant gay men aged between 18 and 28 participated in a semi-structured individual interview to narrate their lived experiences related to their identities. In addition, a mapping activity was used to allow the participants to reflect on and visualize their construction of dual identities. Eligible participants were those who moved to Canada when they were 12 years old or older. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed through a constant comparative method where the transcripts were first coded line-by-line to generate initial codes and categories, followed by a focused coding process to identify relevant themes. Memoing, audit trails, and peer consultations were used to ensure study rigor. Several themes in relation to identity construction emerged from the data. First, many participants noted that their cultural identity has been constantly moving and strategically adjusting to the context they engaged in. Located in an “in-between” position, their cultural identity is flexible and agentic in the sense that they demonstrated autonomy in defining who they are and choosing certain norms to follow. Meanwhile, many participants shared a view that their sexual identity began with an uncertain and fluid status while becoming stable and fixed. Compared to their cultural identity, they appeared more settled in their sexual orientation. Given both cultural hybridity and innate quality of sexuality, nearly all participants did not find being a gay man and being Chinese as incompatible. This study contributes to the knowledge base around the dual identity among contemporary Chinese immigrant gay men. A simplistic view of identity conflict should be challenged. Helping professionals who work with this population should begin with a genuine understanding of these men’s lived experiences and to uncover resources and agency inherent in their identity.