Cross-Cultural Intimate Relationships: The Asian Emotional Landscape in Contemporary Queer Literature

Abstract

Against the backdrop of deepening global cultural integration, cross-cultural intimacy has emerged as a central narrative thread in North American English queer literature. For the Asian queer community, emotional expression embodies unique and intricate traits, shaped by the interplay of race, culture, and gender identity-each layer weaving into the next to forge a complex emotional tapestry. Taking contemporary North American English queer literature as its focus, this article centers on the authentic emotional experiences of Asian queer individuals in cross-cultural intimate bonds, systematically teasing out their emotional articulations, real-world predicaments, and viable paths toward reconciliation. Drawing upon the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 Asian Census, its 2023 official population projections, and empirical insights from the UCLA Williams Institute’s 2021 Special Survey on Asian Pacific Islander Queer Populations, this study delves into how racial, cultural, and gender dynamics exert a profound influence on the emotional formation of Asian queer people. Beyond mere analysis, it further offers a vivid portrayal of the diverse emotional landscape inhabited by Asian queer individuals in contemporary queer literature, illuminating the profound significance that literary narratives bear for their identity formation and emotional expression. In doing so, it seeks to serve as an empirical reference for related fields, including queer literary studies and cross-cultural research.