Reflecting on Whiteness Interrupted as International Teacher Educators in the United States: Collaborative Self-Study

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 3:35 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 4
  In Roundtable Session: Teacher Education and Educators (Table 9)

Abstract

The experiences of South Asian or Asian teaching assistants and teacher educators in predominantly white spaces are understudied. While some studies have highlighted the challenges faced by these individuals, there remains a gap in reflexive approaches that widely explore their vulnerabilities. This study, a collaborative self-study, bridges this gap by connecting the book Whiteness Interrupted with critical reflections to better understand these experiences. We used intersectional theoretical approaches to examine how reading critical works like Whiteness Interrupted helps minorities navigate their identities in predominantly white spaces. Our findings suggest that linking critical reading with personal experience deepens our understanding of privilege and intersectional identities, which, in turn, informs our teaching practices.

Authors

• Yangyang Zhu, Purdue University

• Muna Sapkota, Purdue University