(Re)negotiating Asian and Asian American identities in solidarity as language teacher educators: An AsianCrit discourse analysis

Abstract

The historical and contemporary experiences of Asian/Asian Americans in the United States casts light on the significance of identity negotiation and construction. In this study, the identities of Asian/Asian American language teacher educators (LTEs) are examined within the current sociopolitical context, shedding light on the persistent pursuit of legitimacy and belonging within the Asian/Asian American LTE community. More specifically, this study examines the teaching philosophies of eight Asian/Asian American LTEs from different institutions and regions across the United States as a collective and critically reflexive entryway into their experiences and commitments as LTEs. Using AsianCrit to analyze participants' teaching statements and focus group discussions, this study uncovers (1) a commitment to asset‐based and culturally sustaining pedagogies, (2) identity‐informed convictions to foster critical consciousness in language teacher candidates; (3) pressures to downplay Asian intersectional identities to survive the Eurocentric norms of the job market; (4) a desire to do more than survive; and (5) the power of the collective for healing and liberation. The article concludes with a call for teacher education programs to create spaces for teacher educators to share lived experiences, foster community, and challenge the dominant narratives that marginalize Asian and other minoritized LTEs.