Embracing Shame With Self-Compassion in Racialized Asian American Youth

Shame significantly influences identity formation, often undermining one’s sense of self. Since the exacerbation of racial discrimination against Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic, Asian American youth have struggled with increased incidents of anti-Asian hate and significant psychological impacts. This paper explores the intersection of racial discrimination and identity formation among Asian American youth, focusing on how experiences of shame influence their sense of self. It examines the historical context of Asian American identity struggles, using contemporary literature, particularly Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese. Building on Donald Capps’s theories on shame and self-identity, the paper examines the relationship between shame and the challenges of selfhood. It further considers how embracing shame can empower individuals to reclaim their authentic selves, drawing on Jesus’s experiences with shame in his childhood and on the cross. Ultimately, it explores ways Asian American youth might embrace their experience of shame and vulnerability to promote their self-identity.