With a population of over 24 million, Asian Americans are the most misunderstood and oversimplified racial and ethnic group in the United States. In higher education, Asian American college students are a rapidly growing population, yet their challenges in navigating their Asian American identity in college environments and surroundings have often gone unnoticed. Existing racial, structural, and systemic racial inequities in higher education have constrained Asian American students. One of the biggest educational issues facing Asian American college students today involves misunderstandings about their Asian American identity. This research sought to examine how Asian American students make sense of the ways that race and racism impact their experiences and identities. To assess and address this reality, I used Asian Critical Theory (AsianCrit) as a tool to understand the racial and racialized experience of Asian American students in higher education. In conducting my research, I used a qualitative research design (semi-structured interviews, affinity group reflection sessions) to investigate and uncover changes in Asian American students' perceptions, understanding, and knowledge of their own identities as they developed critical awareness of those identities and critical understanding of race and racialization. By using a Participatory Action Research methodology and a photovoice intervention tool, I studied how student participants viewed, defined, and experienced progress in self-empowerment and the development of their own identities.The methodology produced findings that highlighted the diverse and complex nature of Asian American identity and ways in which they are misrepresented and oversimplified by others. Results showed that students' empowerment and positive identity awareness became enhanced as they engaged in making choices about their photovoice project, gained meaning from their projects, and participated in collaborative critical reflection with their peers and the researcher. The findings also suggested a future research path for Asian American student identity development that is focused on photovoice methodology, amplifying student voices, encouraging student narratives, and critical reflection. The implications of these findings validated pre-existing literature on the value of support for Asian American students and the importance of an accurate understanding of their diverse identities and experiences in higher education. Such support and accuracy in understanding will enhance the Asian American student experience, encourage Asian American students to participate more actively in the culture of higher education institutions. The resulting interactions will have mutual benefits for Asian American students, students who are not Asian American, and higher education professionals. [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://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]