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Dominican University of California

A Qualitative Heuristic Art Therapy Study of Biracial Vietnamese-European Americans and Identity Formation

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

<p>This qualitative study explored the experiences of individuals who are biracial Vietnamese-European American and living in the United States. The purpose of the current study was to answer two research questions: (1) What is the experience of being biracial Vietnamese-European American and living in the United States? (2) How does the process of creating a collage help individuals communicate more about their experience of being biracial Vietnamese-European American and living in the United States? The researcher conducted semi- structured interviews with ten individuals who are biracial Vietnamese-European American and who participated in the art-based research process of creating a collage. All interviews took place in-person, and each began with the art process followed by a semi-structured interview. A phenomenological analysis of the data gathered revealed five distinct themes regarding the experience of being biracial Vietnamese-European American and living in the United States: (1) enduring discrimination and racism (2) ascribing to a dominant race/culture, (3) exploration and integration of non-dominant race/culture, (4) perspectives on Vietnam, and (5) a duty to help others. The study also indicated the power of collage as a means to visually aid in the understanding of participants’ identities and sense of self. Results imply the benefits of art therapy through the use of collage as well as a clearer understanding of the experiences of biracial Vietnamese-European Americans who are living in the United States.</p>

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy
Level thesis:degree_level
Master's Thesis
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Art Therapy
Year dc:date.available
2010

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Orth, Erica Doreen
Contributors dc:contributor
  • Laury Rappaport, PhD, ATR-BC
  • Deann Acton, LMFT, ATR-BC

Subjects

dc:subject × 5

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:scholar.dominican.edu:art-therapy-print-theses-1167

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Dominican University of California
Base URL
scholar.dominican.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Orth, Erica Doreen. A Qualitative Heuristic Art Therapy Study of Biracial Vietnamese-European Americans and Identity Formation. Master's Thesis thesis, 2010. https://scholar.dominican.edu/art-therapy-print-theses/168