"A Conscious Decision": Intersectional Identity Formation and Understanding of Asian/Asian American Pacific Islander...

Sexual and gender diverse (SGD) Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) emerging adults must navigate the intersections of sexual, gender, and racial/ethnic identities while contending with cultural expectations and systemic marginalization. Yet little research has examined how AAPI SGD youth understand and relate to their intersectional identities. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 AAPI SGD emerging adults (ages 18-24) recruited nationally and analyzed transcripts using a two-phase approach that combined inductive thematic analysis with intersectionality-informed deductive analysis. Three interrelated themes emerged: Intersectional Identity Understanding and Cohesion, Identity Connection and Pride, and Influence of Social Systems. Participants described experiences of cultural erasure and the denial of SGD identities within AAPI communities, alongside invisibility in LGBTQ+ spaces, resulting in intersectional invisibility that constrained authentic self-expression. At the same time, youth reported selective cultural connections, nonlinear journeys toward SGD pride, and conscious efforts to integrate their identities. These findings highlight identity formation as a dynamic and effortful process shaped by both resilience and systemic oppression. Culturally responsive interventions and community supports are needed to counter cultural erasure, affirm political consciousness, and foster healthy integration of intersecting identities during this formative developmental period.