Voicing the Voiceless: Invisibilization of U.S. K–12 Oceania Students

• In Event: Accepting Educational Responsibility: The Importance of Indigenous Research and Praxis 1

Abstract

Due to the continuous effects of colonial rule in the South Pacific and the negative ramifications of aggregating Oceania students into the greater model minority myth, Oceania students continue to be overlooked in policy considerations at the federal, state, and local levels, and in the development of campus services and programs in the K-12 education system. This study uplifts and elevates the experiences and voices of three Oceania male students in Oakland, California. Qualitative analysis retrieved using the Talanoa methodology shows that student and staff connection, church influence, and family economic and educational hardships to be themes. Implications from this study can inform the leadership decisions of the experience of students to better make informed recommendations that would benefit Oceania students.

Author

• Wesley Hingano, San Francisco State University