Asian-born immigrants are among the fastest-growing aging populations in the U.S. Despite this growth, older immigrants remain an under-researched population in the field of aging. This research explores how first-generation immigrants in Chicago construct narratives of successful aging within the context of their transnational life experiences. The study examines three central questions: (1) How does migration influence elders' perceptions of their life course and expectations of successful aging? (2) What cultural logics and categories do they employ to navigate the challenges of aging in the U.S.? (3) How does the timing of migration shape their life narratives?
By addressing these questions, the study aims to expand scholarship on successful aging and aging in place. Community-dwelling older adults aged 62 and above (n = 100) were recruited, and their conceptualizations of successful aging were evaluated using the Successful Aging Inventory. This is followed by semi-structured interviews with 20 elders, exploring life events, migration challenges, and current experiences. Regression analysis is applied to analyze the survey data. A grounded theory approach combined with an intersectional life-course analytical lens is used to analyze the qualitative data, emphasizing the interplay of identity, structural forces, and agency. 
Results reveal older immigrants adapt to transnational settings by reconstructing cultural norms of aging, and structure the narratives of wellbeing in current life in relation to the past challenges. The findings challenge the essentialist assumptions about older adults as passive and static agents that hold onto the ethnic traditions. This study shed light on the strategies that aging immigrants used to anchor themselves emotionally and symbolically in a transnational context, which will not only provide a broader conceptualization of successful aging by putting the subjectivity of immigrant elders at the forefront of the analysis but also expand the scholarship to be inclusive of the large ethnic-Chinese immigrant population.