"Are They Talking to Me?" Second-Generation Asian Americans' Encounters With Teacher Preparation for Inclusive Education

• In Event: Marginality and Solidarity: Centering Race and Justice in Teacher Education

Abstract

Inclusive teacher education practices are less mindful of how minoritized teacher candidates experience their programmatic focus or how their experiences can expand curriculum and practice. Asian Americans comprise an expanding portion of students of color while their locations in race theory are complicated by elusive racial identities. Yet there is little research on Asian American teachers’ knowledges. This paper describes how second-generation Asian American teacher candidates come to know themselves as educators within a program whose mission is defined by the core principles of equity and social justice. We organized our findings along three dimensions: reflexive practices, curriculum-making for authentic learning, and “becoming” alongside peers. Our materially grounded analyses illuminated participants’ experiences with authenticity, epistemic privileging, and bravery during their journeys.

Authors

• Indu Viswanathan, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Adam Kuranishi, Manhasset Public Schools

• Srikala Naraian, Teachers College, Columbia University