Social Media As a Site of Transnational Engagement: Second-Generation South Asians on Reddit

This study examines whether social media usage among second-generation South Asians constitutes a form of cross -cultural engagement, focusing on the subreddit "American Born Confused Desis." Employing digital ethnography and content analysis of the top 80 popular posts on the subreddit, followed by thematic analysis, the research explores how this group negotiates identity and cultural connections through online interactions. The findings reveal that a significant portion of posts reflected a hyphenated experience, mixing elements of both South Asian and American cultures. Prominent themes emerged, including diaspora representation, racism, and food. Most interestingly, discussions on racism revealed shifting boundaries of racial solidarity and identity, with users alternating between alignment with broader "people of color" narratives and specific South Asian perspectives. Food-related posts predominantly aligned with South Asian identity, often critiquing cultural appropriation by mainstream American culture. Additionally, generational clashes with parents were frequently discussed, particularly regarding cultural expectations and taboos, highlighting the complex negotiation of hybrid identities. The study contributes to scholarship on social media, cross-cultural engagement, and second-generation immigrant experiences by highlighting how second generation South Asians engage with history, politics, and cultural practices of their parents’ nations. It demonstrates how communicative social media provides agency for identity negotiation, offering unfiltered insights into the perspectives of second-generation South Asians. The utility of social media like Reddit lies in the ease with which points of reference can be co-constructed by the second generation themselves. This research highlights the complex, context-dependent nature of identity formation in multiple cultural contexts among second-generation immigrants, revealing how social media platforms like Reddit serve as sites for negotiating hybrid identities and cultural boundaries.