ABSTRACT
This chapter starts with a short introductory vignette of one participant, Ness (an Asian American pansexual non-binary individual), who was enrolled at a large public historically white institution in the Southeast. Ness’ story begins this chapter because Ness spoke about numerous influences that informed their journey. For example, Ness described professional associations, student organizations, and courses that all allowed them to understand what it meant to be a queer Asian American non-binary person. This chapter then articulates the several experiences that Queer Students of Color had during college that allowed them to ask and answer questions related to identity. In particular, participants commented on how academic environments (e.g., classrooms) challenged them to reflect on the intersections of their identities. Furthermore, extracurricular experiences (e.g., student organizations and cultural resource centers) played a significant role in their exploration. Participants also referenced social/romantic relationships, together with off-campus involvement/study aboard experiences, as being formative to their identity exploration.
