Negotiating Success and Mobility: An Intersectional Approach to Second-Generation Indian American Graduate Students' Experiences

This study contributes to the evolving discourse on intergenerational social mobility by examining how second-generation Indian American graduate students negotiate their academic and career aspirations within a complex intersectional framework. Moving beyond traditional measures of social mobility based solely on income or occupational status, my paper explores the subjective experiences and cultural negotiations involved in the pursuit of upward mobility.

Through in-depth qualitative interviews with eight second-generation Indian American graduate students in a major U.S. city, I introduce the concept of the "integrated success paradigm." This paradigm captures the nuanced process by which these students reconcile their own disciplinary interests, often outside STEM fields, with the STEM based success frameworks imposed by their immigrant parents. This negotiation process illuminates the complex interplay between race, class, gender, and cultural expectations in shaping perceptions and experiences of social mobility. The findings revealed a multifaceted approach to social mobility through the discovery of discipline switching – a process where respondents either fully transitioned away from STEM or carved out middle grounds, demonstrating upward mobility is not linear. My findings are situated within Jennifer Lee and Min Zhou's "Success Frames" theoretical framework . The study contributes by highlighting the importance of process over outcomes and focusing on cultural trade-offs and concessions made in pursuing non-traditional paths by the second generation.

By examining the experiences of second-generation Indian American graduate students, this study provides fresh insights into how intergenerational social mobility is perceived, pursued, and achieved within the context of highly successful immigrant families. It challenges monolithic representations of Asian American success and offers a nuanced perspective on the cultural and personal negotiations involved in social mobility.This research is currently being extended to New York, further enriching our understanding of how place and urban environment intersect with other factors in shaping social mobility experiences.