This panel critically examines the methodological, ethical, and epistemological challenges of conducting qualitative fieldwork in Vietnam and China—two rapidly transforming socialist states with complex socio-political landscapes. Researchers working in these contexts must navigate state-imposed constraints, linguistic and cultural barriers, and shifting dynamics of trust and access. These challenges raise crucial questions about power, representation, and the production of knowledge in cross-cultural fieldwork.

Bringing together four graduate researchers with extensive field experience in China and Vietnam and building on core literature surrounding researcher positionality and reflexivity (Rose, 1997; Valentine, 2007), this panel explores how researcher identity and positionality shape methodological choices and engagement with local communities. One presentation examines the complexities of ethnic minority Hmong migration experiences in urban Kunming. Another investigates intergenerational shifts in childhood mobility and play in Kunming, shedding light on social transformations in urban China. In Vietnam, one study explores how ethnic minority cinnamon cultivators in Yên Bái Province navigate global commodity chains, while the other pivots to the rubber supply chain and impacts of emerging sustainability initiatives on small-scale producers. Altogether our discussion will tease out fieldwork lessons that are uniquely shaped by our differing researcher identities.

By engaging with themes of identity, access, and the negotiation of research constraints, this panel contributes to broader discussions on decolonizing methodologies, knowledge production, and the ethics of cross-cultural fieldwork. In dialogue with the CAG 2025 theme of Confluence, we explore how diverse perspectives converge to shape contemporary human geography and the evolving landscapes of China and Vietnam.