Navigating Curriculum of American Exceptionalism: An Asian American Child's Story

• In Event: AERA Virtual Poster Session 4
  In Poster Session: Evaluating Social Studies Teaching and Learning

Abstract

How do elementary students make sense of the dominant narrative of US benevolence and innocence in world affairs? Particularly, how do children whose family histories are deeply shaped by US actions overseas respond to the dominant narrative? Should schools teach the dominant narrative to instill patriotism in children? What kind of patriotism are we concerned here? Or should schools teach the dominant narrative because counterstories are too difficult? To whom are the counterstories difficult? Whose emotional well-being are we concerned here? This article explores these questions through a parent-research in which I as a parent-researcher investigated how my child as a child-participant navigates conflicting accounts of US involvement in the world told at home and school.

Author

• Sohyun An, Kennesaw State University