Coalitional Resistance: Cultivating Equitable and Sustainable Education Systems for Women Faculty of Color

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 9
  In Roundtable Session: Black Women, Intersectionality, and Affirmation of Identities

Abstract

This paper draws from the authors’ experiences in academia and the Asian American Feminist Coalitional Resistance (AAFCR) theoretical framework to present counternarratives that challenge white, patriarchal academic norms. We reimagine more equitable, sustainable higher education systems that cultivate Women Faculty of Color’s (WFOC) success and professional growth. We reclaim our stories and voices as tools of resistance which transform wisdom gained from marginalization to opportunities for community empowerment. Through individual and coalitional forms of resistance, we challenge three dominant narratives we have faced: deficit positioning; invisibility and deference; and Asian American women aren’t leaders. We advocate for systemic supports for WFOC including focused affinity mentoring spaces, tenure and promotion processes that value mentoring and active listening by academic administration.

Authors

• Betina Hsieh, California State University - Long Beach

• Huong Tran Nguyen, California State University - Long Beach