Stop Assuming: Aspiring Multicultural Women Scholars Speak About Stereotypes, Mentorship, and the Neoliberal University

• In Event: 72.065 - Roundtable Session 30
  In Roundtable Session: 72.065-1 - Rethinking Multicultural Doctoral Experiences

Abstract

This proposal discusses the challenges faced by two female doctoral students -- one mixed-race white and Latina, and one Asian international student -- who are aspiring to become scholars at a large, public, southern university. Using multicultural and postcolonial feminist standpoints, this autoethnographic self-study analyzes our observations of obstacles and barriers encountered along our journey. We find that being female is a shared systemic disadvantage within an increasingly neoliberal university climate. Further, unique challenges created by incongruent racial and/or cultural identities between professors hindered our search in finding empowering mentoring relationships. We provide coping strategies and program suggestions for doctoral students and programs facing similar advising challenges, and seek further critical and creative suggestions from audiences and scholars.

Authors

• Stacia Cedillo, The University of Texas - Austin

• Wei-Ling Sun, The University of Texas - Austin