“Hao, Nobody Calls on You If You Are Not Quiet!” The Silenced (In)visible Child in a Dual Language Classroom

• In Event: The Possibilities of Communal Learning Spaces: Fostering a Sense of Belonging for Asian American Young Children

Abstract

1. Objective:
In the field of early childhood, Asian American children, especially children from Southeast Asian ethnic groups, are rarely the focus of research - their experiences are often undervalued and ignored. For this reason, I conducted this ethnographic case study to trace the complex educational trajectory and multi-layered lived and learning experiences of Hao Nguyen, a first-generation Vietnamese emergent bilingual child with disabilities, through multiple schooling and learning spaces.

2. Theoretical Framework:
Using the critical frameworks of Intersectionality (Crenshaw, 2017) and Funds of Identity (Esteban-Guitart & Moll, 2014), this study examines Hao’s schooling experiences entangled within multiple oppressive systems and investigates the potential of communal spaces in relation to the development and restoration of Hao’s funds of identity.

3.Methods & Data Sources:
In this ethnographic case study (Dyson & Genishi, 2005), I explore Hao's schooling experiences in a dual language program and his learning experiences in different communal spaces including martial arts class, multigenerational singing club, lion dance club, and pagoda-based religious study group. The data on which this study is based draws on a larger ethnographic field work in a Vietnamese-English immersive dual language program at an elementary public school. Observational data were collected two days a week for a period of nine months during the 2022-2023 school year. I also conducted multiple interviews with Hao’s teachers (homeroom teacher, dual language teacher, and special education teacher) and Hao’s parents throughout the school year to gather these adults' perspectives on Hao (three interviews, 30-60 minutes for each interview). All preliminary findings were based on observational and interview data.

4. Findings:
The preliminary findings reveal how Hao’s schooling experiences are heavily impacted by multiple oppressive systems that strictly prescribe sets of standards and expectations for this young bilingual child. It causes him to be heard and seen solely as a stutterer-troublemaker while not being heard and seen as a curious learner with funds of knowledge even in a Vietnamese classroom where his language and cultural practices were assumed to be centered and valued. Despite his eagerness to learn and passion to participate, Hao's actions and behaviors were often perceived negatively by his teachers. These actions and behaviors were often measured based on the stereotypical assumptions of the model minority narrative that frame Asian American bilingual children as "obedient", "quiet", and "disciplined".

Following Hao’s engagement with multiple communal spaces, this study also provides evidence showing how Hao negotiates and performs multiple dimensions of his identity and how communal spaces become Hao’s sanctuary, allowing his intersectional identity to flourish and nurturing his sense of belonging.

6. Scholarly Significance:
Urging educators to take a holistic view to understand the experiences of Asian American immigrant bilingual children, this study aims to help educators dive deeper into the identity negotiation process of a Vietnamese young bilingual child to both understand his struggles and recognize his social agency. In addition, it highlights the great potential of communal spaces and how teachers can learn from these spaces and leverage multiple funds of identity to create a more inclusive learning environment for our students.

Author

• Alisha Nguyen, Lesley University