Identity and Agency: BIPOC TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) Professionals in Digitally Mediated Dialogues

• In Event: Reimagining Dialogue: A Qualitative Methodological Shift in Unraveling the Intersections of Identity, Language, and Power

Abstract

The notion of being a BIPOC TESOL professional encompasses diverse implications, varying according to individual racialization and classification. This position calls for acts of resistance, reinterpretation, agentive investment, and strategic action. In this chapter, we adopt a dialogic approach to explore the identity development of four BIPOC TESOL professionals, navigating their complex and dynamic identities within the context of societal structures. Through digitally mediated dialogues, we investigate the impact of multidimensional identities on our personal and professional lives.

Identity negotiation and performance occur within spaces marked by tension, power, and identity construction. Hence, we explore our professional identity development as performance acts rooted in agentive investment through dialogic interaction. To frame our exploration, we draw on intersectionality from the lens of Critical Race Theory (CRT), which reveals how various social and political identities intersect to shape unique experiences in sociocultural domains (Crenshaw, 2017). However, we address the limitations of rigid intersectionality by adopting "thick intersectionalities" (TI) to examine the multi-dimensional identities of BIPOC TESOL professionals (Yep & Lescure, 2019). TI emphasizes identity development as an ever-evolving process resisting essentialism, while also recognizing the embodied nature of identities within specific sociopolitical and historical contexts.

Digitally-Mediated Dialogue: A Method of Exploration

To capture the nuanced and diverse experiences of BIPOC TESOL professionals, we employ digitally mediated dialogue as a participatory research action tool. This method involves using recorded dialogues to foster authentic expression and mutual recognition of identities aligned with values. Digitally mediated dialogue enables participants to negotiate representation in diverse settings, facilitating the exploration of identity, language, and power dynamics.

Intersecting Voices: Unveiling the Complexity of BIPOC TESOL Professionals

Identifying as BIPOC intentionally challenges structural oppression and fosters dialogue. We acknowledge both similarities and differences in our complex experiences, recognizing the systemic oppression we face. We reflect on incidents, such as Derek’s exclusion from a barbershop, to explore language and identity in relation to race. We adopt the concept of "trans-identity" to describe our hybrid and evolving identities and explore how language influences self-representation.

Embracing a narrative of resistance, we view our lives as conscious efforts in social interactions. We draw inspiration from Goffman's theatrical metaphor (1949), seeing identity as an ongoing project with various strategies like acculturation or resistance. Through digitally mediated dialogue, we reflect on our alternate identities and their context-appropriateness, recognizing the fluidity and multifaceted nature of our identities.

Digitally mediated dialogue provides a space for alternate portrayals of ourselves and the agentic roles we enact. BIPOC professionals face struggles and disruptions, including language discrimination and othering. TESOL's focus on whiteness and "standard" English creates challenges, leading to identity performances to be seen and heard. Our dialogue shows how identities are shaped by others' perceptions and reflects ourselves back to us.

References:

Crenshaw, K. W. (2017). On intersectionality: Essential writings. The New Press.

Goffman, E. (1949). Presentation of self in everyday life. American Journal of Sociology, 55,
6-7.

Yep, G. A., & Lescure, R. (2019). A thick intersectional approach to microaggressions.
Southern Communication Journal, 84(2), 113-126.

Authors

• Derek Baylor, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Shuzhan Li, Ithaca College