Digital Storytelling as a Research Method

Digital storytelling techniques were used in this project to expand on traditionally extractionary qualitative research and empower storytellers. Story maps are a form of digital storytelling that emphasize space–especially fascinating for interracial narratives. The format requires storytellers to first determine what locations are connected to their stories, then figure out a narrative. Like with traditional digital storytelling videos, storytellers create their own maps. But story maps emphasize spatial thinking, contrasting the way interracial narratives have inherent restrictions on space. Through these narratives, distance is re-explored as flexible rather than rigid. 

Five storytellers were found, all through personal relationships. Each had a different background: a Korean-American, Chinese-Filipino-American, Pakistani-American, Filipino-American, and one Chinese transracial adoptee who was adopted into a White family. While not interracial, the transracial adoptee was a good friend and in personal conversations, I found her experiences were quite similar to my own. Digital storytelling does not need to be exclusionary, and the story fits into the archive on the diversity of the Asian American community. The other storytellers were all part-Asian and part-White. Half the storytellers had a White father and Asian mother, but the Pakistani-American storyteller, Filipino-American storyteller, and myself have Asian fathers and White mothers.

Four facilitation sessions were hosted throughout, both in-person (at the library in reserved rooms) as well as online (over Webex). The very first session featured two storytellers at the same time, but the rest were individual sessions. They were introduced to Knightlab, an open source software developed by Northwestern University. They were also introduced to digital storytelling themes and techniques, primarily the idea of ownership and authority over one’s story. They were also introduced to the idea of using images from family archives and how digital storytelling works. 

After the sessions, the storytellers were responsible for creating the stories themselves, though they had my full support and I could help them whenever they needed. But with the reality of being college students and an emphasis that this project was not mandatory, many of my storytellers were unfortunately not able to complete their story maps.

REFLEXIVE RESEARCH

Self-discovery is a key aspect of digital storytelling. The reflective process of creating a story map forces storytellers to explore aspects of their identity they may not have considered before. In the maps and reflections, the storytellers have expressed that this project has inspired revelational conversations with families and made them rethink what it means to be interracial. I myself have a greater understanding of my identity through facilitating this project–in particular, I have been comforted to see that many of my experiences are shared among others. 

PRESERVATION

Story maps are an archive themselves. Digital storytelling traditionally uses images from family archives, something my storytellers were able to do as well. In the process of creating my own map, I found many images that brought new stories to the forefront of my life–some memories I had forgotten, some new stories I had never heard before. I learned the specific part of China my family is from, and the family farm on my mother’s side had been in the family for over a hundred years. My storytellers had similar experiences, discovering pieces of family history that were previously unknown. This is the sort of knowledge that gets lost between generations but story maps are a way to preserve not only the narratives of interracial Asian Americans but those of their parents and even grandparents. In using images from family archives, the project goes farther to give a second life not only to their stories but to their faces as well. Some storytellers were able to preserve physical images and upload them, as well as choosing from the countless digital images that get lost through the flood of media. The story maps tell interracial narratives, but they also preserve generations of stories.

Results

The most common theme in all of the stories was a feeling of distance from their Asian half. As something I experienced myself and a common theme of the qualitative interracial research that does exist, this alone adds little to the discourse on interracial Asian American identity. However, the stories were enlightening to the ways in which interracial Asian Americans relieve this tension. In each of the stories, exposure to a diverse community was vital to feeling more connected to Asian identity as well as embracing interracial identity. Building relationships with other interracial people brings relief to previously isolating experiences. But diversity overall–not just interracial people or Asian Americans–is just as important.