Date of Award
3-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Selected Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership for Diverse Learning Communities
Department
Education
School
School of Education and Human Services
Abstract
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese American undergraduate students have navigated complex intersections of intergenerational expectations, racialized experiences, and evolving career aspirations within higher education. This qualitative case study explores how Chinese American undergraduate students at a predominantly white institution (PWI) choose their educational and career goals in a post-COVID climate. Guided by the Asian American Intergenerational Model of the Psychology of Working (AAIM), this study examines the influence of familial expectations, personal interests, institutional supports and barriers, and experiences of racism on students’ career decision-making processes. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, a focus group, observations, Career Family Trees spanning three generations, and field notes. Participants included ten Chinese American undergraduate students enrolled at Mountain Bay University, a private PWI located in New York State. Findings highlight the enduring roles of filial piety and parental expectations, alongside students’ growing desire for autonomy and alignment with their personal values. The results also reveal how anti-Asian racism during and after the COVID-19 pandemic shaped students’ identity development, advocacy orientations, and reconsideration of traditional career pathways. Additionally, institutional resources such as student organizations and peer networks played a critical role in mediating challenges related to belonging and career exploration. This study contributes to the limited literature focusing specifically on Chinese American undergraduates by centering their voices and contextualizing career decision-making within a post-pandemic, racialized environment. Implications are discussed for career counseling practice, higher education policy, and institutional support structures that promote culturally responsive student development.
Related Pillar(s)
Study
Recommended Citation
Martinez, Rebecca Yin-Chow, "Rooted and Rising: A Case Study of Chinese American Undergraduates' Career Pathways at a PWI Post-Covid" (2026). Theses & Dissertations. 239.
https://digitalcommons.molloy.edu/etd/239
