“Love, Study, Struggle”: Fugitive Pedagogy in An Asian American Studies Classroom

• In Event: Reimagining Pedagogy: Teacher Agency, Spiritual Inclusion, and Community-Centered Education

Abstract

By drawing upon the theoretical framework of Fred Moten and Stefano‬‭ Harney’s conceptualization of the fugitive and fugitivity, this paper identifies and elaborates on key pedagogical insights to embody the principles of love, study, and struggle, cited by Robin D.G. Kelley elsewhere. How does fugitivity—which might be understood to be a refusal to conform to‬‭ established norms and expectations—find its way into an Asian American Studies classroom? How can it offer a new kind of pedagogical vision with which to engage students in a world where Ethnic Studies classes are viewed strictly as GEs? By foregrounding the stories and perspectives of minoritized communities who loosely fall into the rubric of “AAPI,” this paper explores how teaching “Asian American Studies” in alternative ways might challenge dominant narratives even within the field and maybe—just maybe—appeal to students’ intellectual and political curiosity. Grounded in classroom observations, student reflections, and curriculum design, this paper finds that fugitivity emerges most powerfully through relational pedagogy, student-led inquiry, and counter-canonical approaches to course material. Ultimately, this paper argues that fugitive pedagogy in Asian American Studies not only challenges dominant disciplinary frameworks but also reanimates the classroom as a site of collective inquiry, joy, and dissent. In doing so, it repositions the study of Ethnic Studies as not merely academic—but as a deeply humanizing and liberatory endeavor.

Author

• Lawrence Lan, San Jose State University