Navigating Orientalism: Asian women faculty in the Canadian academy

Abstract

While individuals of note have been documented, there has been a paucity of research into the collective voices of Asian women faculty in higher education. To fill this gap, the study brings forward the narratives of nine Asian women faculty members in the Canadian academy who have roots in East Asia. Employing the concept of Orientalism within a transnational feminist perspective, I argue that the historically produced Orientalist discourses of Asian women are still prevalent in contemporary society, including the academy. This article highlights two major themes: ‘Oriental’ others – being ‘Asian’; and ‘Oriental’ women – questioned authority. This article concludes by pinpointing some implications of the research within the analytical lens and connecting the topic to the general equity issues in higher education institutions.

Keywords:

• Asian women faculty
• Orientalism
• higher education
• Canada
• transnational feminist perspectives

Acknowledgements

I wish to thank Anne Wagner, Hijin Parks, and reviewers for their comments on earlier drafts of this article.

Notes

1. Kumashiro (2006) articulates that the ‘model minority’ discourse excuses the marginalization of people of color based on the scale of meritocracy.