Understanding Racial Literacy in Korean American Adolescents Through AsianCrit

• In Event: Saturday Roundtable Session 3:05 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Sensemaking: Multiple Perspectives and Multiple Contexts (Table 38)

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a six-month qualitative study that investigates how six Korean American adolescents respond to issues of race and racism represented in Asian American literature and multimodal texts in an out-of-school discussion group. Employing Asian Critical Race Theory as a lens, the study also examines how these responses challenge or reinforce the dominant narrative. Key themes identified include students’ acknowledging their community's role in perpetuating racism, rationalizing racism, and questioning existing school curricula. The research contributes to a deeper understanding of Korean American youths’ understanding of race and racism, and their early steps toward developing racial literacy and critical thinking skills.

Author

• Ji Hyun Hong, Emory University