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The Dynamic Relationship between Cultural and Institutional Narratives in Maxine Hong Kingston's Literary Narratives: an Imagined Community Perspective

Author(s)

Meilin Du*

Affiliation(s)

School of Minzu University of China, Beijing, China *Corresponding Author

Abstract

This study explores the dynamic interplay between institutional identity and cultural identity in the literary works of Maxine Hong Kingston, a prominent figure in American Chinese literature, through the lens of Benedict Anderson's theory of Imagined Communities. It examines how Kingston's narratives negotiate the tension between state-produced institutional narratives such as legal citizenship and immigration policies, and the reconstruction of cultural identity through fragmented storytelling, mythic revisionism, and intertextual dialogues. The findings demonstrate that Kingston's narratives transcend the oppression-resistance binary, reconceptualizing identity formation as an iterative process of creative synthesis within "third spaces." By integrating literary theory, cultural studies, and legal perspectives, this interdisciplinary research not only expands Anderson's theory by incorporating immigrant experiential knowledge but also provides a critical paradigm for understanding identity politics in transnational contexts, where institutional power and cultural agency remain in constant flux.

Keywords

Imagined Communities; Maxine Hong Kingston; Cultural Identity; Institutional Identity; Diasporic Literature; Third Space

References

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