Gender/Race Intersection Creates Privilege and Invisibility for an Asian American Man in Elementary School

• In Event: Navigating the Intersections of Asian/Asian American Identities and Differential Experiences

Abstract

This study explores the discourses surrounding men elementary teachers through feminist Collective Memory Work methods with a group of elementary-teaching men (the term men is a deliberate choice for gender research). Through collective analysis the ten participant-researchers (all men current or former elementary teachers) identified a number of intersectionalities, including race and gender, which is illuminated here in the experiences of an Asian American man teacher. This work provides significant insight into the intersectionality of gender and race in the work lives of men and women educators which can be used to promote a more equitable work and learning environment as part of feminism’s “movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression” (hooks, 2000, p. 1).

Author

• Christopher Michael Hansen, University of Tennessee - Chattanooga