This dissertation examines, through the lenses of three second generation Vietnamese-American men, the socio-cultural contexts within which the Asian-American identity is constructed, knowledge is constructed, and the critical awareness of power dynamics are shaped. These are the contexts and structures within which Asian Americans participate in higher educational and gain career experiences, and, thus, are of relevance to teachers and educators whose students include Asian Americans. The dissertation, accordingly, makes a contribution to the knowledge that American teachers, administrators, and policy makers should be familiar with when planning their courses, pedagogical practices, and classroom curricula. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three second generation Vietnamese American men who grew up in different regions of the United States (i.e., on the West Coast, on the East Coast, and in the Midwest) and, thus, grew up in different socio-cultural environments and economic classes and gained different life experiences. Today, they are graduate students studying at a research intensive university. As different dimensions of individual identity are related to the societal and institutional contexts within which identities are shaped, knowledge constructed, and life chances determined. Special attention was given to the issues of masculinity and the diverse ways in which their power literacy (i.e., the ability to read power dynamics in social contexts) was developed. The intention of this study is to help educators better understand their students' experiential world, that is, social, cultural, and political aspects of the individual experiences that are deeply ingrained in how we perceive "being literate". [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]