A Collaborative Self-Study: Examining Intersectional Experiences in Immigrant Mothering and Teaching in Higher Education

• In Event: Exploring Issues of Diversity and Social Justice Through Self-Study

Abstract

This collaborative self-study examined how positions as immigrant mothers with young children and teacher educators interplayed with each other. This study explored ways in which the intersectional experiences influenced three Korean immigrant teacher educators’ teaching pedagogy and practices. We found that we as immigrant mothers had challenges pertaining to parental involvement and maintaining heritage language of our own children and that we had tensions when advocating for diversity as well as experiencing role-model pressure as teacher educators. With our efforts to overcome these challenges, the interactions between the different positions contributed to benefitting our students as our teaching became more critical, and deepened.

Authors

• Jinhee Kim, Kennesaw State University

• Su-Jeong Wee, Purdue University Northwest

• Kyoung Jin Kim, Wheelock College