Fostering Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy: Exploring Asian American Experiences through Teacher Focus Group Discussions with Picturebooks

• In Event: Teaching for Justice with Picture Books

Abstract

Our study explores how elementary teachers use picturebooks featuring Asian American representation to facilitate discussions on identity, migration, and resilience. Grounded in AsianCrit and Hammond’s Culture Tree, we examined teachers’ perceptions and interpretations of Watercress and A Different Pond, highlighting both challenges and opportunities in implementing culturally sustaining pedagogy. By fostering cross-cultural understanding through literature, this work aligns with LRA’s theme of engaging across differences to promote collective action in literacy education.

Authors

• Amy Leigh Tondreau, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

• Shuling Yang, University of Maryland, Baltimore County