Experiences of BIPOC Expatriate International School Educators in China: A Critical Hermeneutic Phenomenology

• In Event: Navigating the Margins: Race, Power, Gender, and Transformation in International Education

Abstract

Purpose: My study examined the lived experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) expatriate international school educators in China and their encounters with discrimination due to their race, ethnicity, or nationality. Problematizing the lack of racial and ethnic diversity amongst international school educators, which limits what students experience in international schools, this study sheds light on the lived experiences of six BIPOC expatriate international school educators in China.
Perspectives: Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Critical Systems Theory (CST) served as dual theories to frame this study. A critical aspect of CRT is the importance of hearing the voice of those members in society affected by the imbalance of power due to racism (Ladson-Billings, 1998; Sleeter, 2016). CST, which critiques institutions and networks of interconnected entities, seeks to emancipate those who are oppressed within unjust structures and systems (Watson & Watson, 2011). The critique of the international school ecosystem that came through the stories of the participants in my study thus made CRT and CST appropriate lenses through which to view the purpose and problem of this study.
Methods: From May to June 2023, I conducted semi-structured interviews with six BIPOC expatriate international school educators. The research site of this study was China, and I used a Critical Hermeneutic Phenomenological (CHP) approach for this qualitative study to understand the experiences of each participant. In line with critical phenomenological studies (Salamon, 2018; van Manen, 2014) using a hermeneutic rather than descriptive approach (Laverty, 2003; Lopez & Willis, 2004), I sought to understand and interpret the phenomenon from the perspective of the participants as well my own experience as a White, Western educator who has worked in the international school sector in China for the past 15 years.
Findings: Participants in my study expressed needing to seriously consider how aspects of their identity related to race, ethnicity, and nationality may affect others’ perceptions of them within the international school ecosystem. International school organizations and school communities require the participants to exert significant effort to navigate complex relationships with recruiters, parents, students, and their mostly White expatriate school leaders and colleagues. Participants felt like racism and discrimination occur but are unsure how to pinpoint or prove it. Participants stated they have to work harder than their White colleagues to get or keep jobs, and they frequently expressed needing to prove their professional competence and quality. They often felt/feel their ability to get the positions they want is out of reach due to their race, ethnicity, or nationality. Nevertheless, they make their own choices to be in the international school industry in China and they interpret(ed) their experiences in different ways.
Significance: Previous studies have shown the lack of pathway programs for BIPOC educators in the Global North (Ahmad & Boser, 2014; Kozleski & Proffitt, 2020; Ryan et al., 2009), from which most international school educators hail (Bunnell & Atkinson, 2020; COBIS, 2020; Slough-Kuss, 2014; Torres & Duffy, 2019) in an industry with roots in colonialism (Allen, 2001; Burke, 2017).

Author

• Lucas J. Roberts, Xi'an Hanova International School