Male of Color Refugee Teachers on Being Un/Desirable Bodies of Difference in K–12 and Teacher Education

• In Event: Perspectives on Teachers, Students, and Schooling Processes

Abstract

This study draws on racial formation theory and theories of racialized masculinities to explore the overarching theme of how two early-career male of color teachers from refugee backgrounds have navigated various gendered and racialized expectations in predominantly White-feminized professional spaces. Gendered forms of racialization impact male of color teachers in particular ways because their mere presence unsettles feminized spaces of Whiteness that echo racialized anxieties from prior sociohistorical moments wherein White moral panic led to the scrutiny and surveillance of racialized bodies of difference. The findings discuss how the two narrative profiles inform how male of color teacher identities are constructed, contested, and transformed under different sociopolitical circumstances with implications for practice and theory.

Author

• Rachel Endo, University of Washington Tacoma