Shocked, Disappointed, and Feeling Left Out: Asian American Parents' and Caregivers' Responses to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Antiracism Work at an Independent School

• In Event: Fairmont Roundtable Session Nine
  In Roundtable Session: Increasing Visibility and Equity: Narratives of Teachers Striving for Change (Table 1)

Abstract

In the spring of 2020, students at independent schools across the U.S. created “Blackat” Instagram accounts, where Black students testified to the injustices they experienced at their elite institutions. In response, many independent schools engaged in intensified diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism (DEIA) work. We conducted research with one such school, and this presentation explores the following question: How do Asian American (AsAm) parents and caregivers perceive the benefits, limitations, and possibilities of DEIA work, particularly in an independent all-girls school environment? We emphasize that AsAm voices are often not foregrounded in independent schools’ recent DEIA work, and centering these voices is critical in a moment of historic intensification of anti-Asian prejudice in the U.S.

Authors

• Katherine Clonan-Roy, Cleveland State University
  Presenting Author

• Charlotte E Jacobs, University of Pennsylvania
  Presenting Author

• Kelsey M. Jones, Williams College
  Presenting Author