Not Good Enough: An Autoethnography of a Chinese National Teacher in an International School

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 5:25 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Identity and Professional Development in Education (Table 1)

Abstract

This critical autoethnography describes, reflects, and analyzes my experience as a Chinese female and locally hired teacher working in an international school in China. Through a raciolinguistic lens, this autoethnography reveals that Whiteness and English-speaking have been normalized and legitimized as the narrow ideal image of international schoolteachers. It critiques the structural inequalities that marginalize non-White, non-native English-speaking teachers, in international school policies, recruitment, compensation, and career advancement. By sharing personal narratives and reflections, this work aims to amplify underrepresented voices and challenge the prevailing raciolinguistic ideologies.

Author

• Chunhua Huang, University of Utah