Borderland Teaching of Chinese American Teachers With Mexican American Students

• In Event: Teaching Across Borders: Experiences of International Teachers and Teacher Educators

Abstract

Mexican American students represent one of the largest growing ethnic groups in U.S. K-12 public schools, and remain largely underperforming. Chinese American teachers have a long history of presence in the U.S. teaching force, yet are underrepresented in educational research. Drawing from Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) and Borderlands Theory (BT), a qualitative case study methodology was used to examine three Chinese American teachers working with eleven Mexican American students in three ethnically diverse secondary schools in the Pacific Northwest. Findings suggested the teachers' hybrid identities inform borderland teaching (a hybrid of CRT & BT) to promote school performance for and create “kinships” with the students. The study concluded with claims about the significance of borderland teaching regarding teacher education.

Author

• Lin Wu, Western Oregon University