Inclusive Entrepreneurship

Asian American Women Entrepreneurs’ Engagement in the U.S. Racial Reality

Lead Researcher:

Hsin-I Cheng
Department of Communication

Research Overview

This study explores how first-generation Asian American professional immigrant women engage with and navigate the racial realities of the United States.

Core Research Questions:

How do Asian American professional immigrant women experience and respond to the U.S. racial reality?

Methodology

Using a snowball sampling approach, 68 in-depth interviews were conducted between July 2022 and April 2024 via Zoom. Each interview lasted 90–120 minutes.

The study follows Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) (Cohen et al.), engaging in an iterative cycle of:

Reading and re-reading transcripts
Exploratory coding
Developing and connecting emergent themes
Repeating the process for other cases
Identifying cross-case patterns

Key Findings: Asian American Women Entrepreneurs’ Engagement in the U.S. Racial Reality
Data analysis is in its final stage.

Future Implications:

Policy Impact: Findings could inform workplace policies that foster cultures of belonging for Asian immigrant women professionals.
Practical Resource: Following publication, a dedicated website will be developed as a resource hub for recent Asian professional immigrant women.

Support & Acknowledgements

The Ciocca Center grant provided support to offer small tokens of appreciation to participants for their contributions to this research.