Intersectionality can be a bridge that integrates us, and it can simultaneously be a wall that divides us. In contrast, liminality is a state of betweenness and flux that allows for many possibilities. Combining the lens of “liminality” with that of “intersectionality” might deepen our appreciation of the limitless diversity around AND within each of us. In the process, it might also help us see how affinity can be enhanced in tandem with diversity.
From a CNN feature on a Wasian identity meet-up:
‘For some, it was a powerful and positive experience to see themselves represented and to connect with others.
“It felt very validating — I felt very visible for the first time in my life,” said Annabelle Oaklie, a stand-up and improv comedian who attended the New York meetup. Born in Texas to a white father and Korean mother, she says there were only a few other Wasians at school, and she and her siblings didn’t look like their cousins from either side of the family.’
The Wasian experience has felt different to some whose intersectionality does not come from a white + East or SE Asian mix:
‘“Black Asians and Hispanic Asians are never acknowledged in the mainstream the way that white mixed Asians are — and this meeting has highlighted just how out of touch the sentiment around mixed Asian identity is,” said singer-songwriter Mad Tsai, who is of Taiwanese and Chinese Peruvian descent, in a viral TikTok that has racked up more than 1 million views.
“We need to acknowledge the elephant in the room, that Wasian privilege does exist. It’s an extension of white privilege,” he added. “I would like to reiterate that Wasians are 100% part of the Asian community, and should be celebrated like the rest of us. But where’s the support for Blasians and Hispasians?”
‘Actor and writer Quentin Nguyen-duy attended the New York Wasian meet-up and identifies as Wasian, but he agreed emphatically that there’s an imbalance in representation. He pointed out that much of the appreciation of Wasians feels like fetishization, rooted in colorism and Eurocentric beauty standards – pervasive both in broader America, and even within the Asian American and multiracial communities.
“The proximity to whiteness is inarguably why Wasians have so much more visibility in pop culture than other mixed Asian groups,” said Nguyen-duy, who also creates social media content and comedy skits that address his mixed-Asian identity.’
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On the topic of intersectionality:
Here’s a link to the wikipedia entry on intersectionality. As someone who was raised in a home that celebrated mixing, I was a bit shocked and disappointed to see the term framed in what feels to me like an identity-flattening fashion.
While I have no doubt that the layers of oppression that come with intersectional sorting are real, I also feel that we should celebrate and promote intersectionality as a source of growth and vitality – irrespective of those layers of oppression.
I realize that the point of the politicized usage of the term is to raise awareness that the ways we mix affect the status society at large assigns to us and that this can constrain our prospects in society and even our internal options for self-construction.
Still, we can accelerate progress toward breaking down these biases by remembering that the sociological phenomenon of intersectional bias is only part of the process through which we construct selves.
We cannot change how some people view us, and their views do have a real impact on how we view ourselves.
In addition, though, we can make choice as to how we frame our own identities based on our affinities, separations and liminality.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intersectionality
Here’s a link to the CNN article:
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/26/style/wasian-meetup-celebrities-controversy-intl-hnk-dst
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As a child of mixed heritage who many would no longer recognize as a child of mixed heritage, I believe we do need to address valid concerns of intersectional bias. Still, I am even more interested in building and expanding upon a trend like Wasian popularity. Could this trend open more of us up to appreciating the richness, beauty and potential of all forms of intersectional diversity?
To be intersectional is to also be liminal.
Agency (主体性) + Purpose (志) + Growth (成長) + Connection (繋がり) + Contribution (貢献) = Meaning (意義)
In the space between you and me awaits all that will ever be.
人と人の間に全てのもと
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Explore・Define・Iterate・Transform
Context ・ Intention ・ Action ・ Outcome
© Dana Cogan, 2026, all rights reserved.