ABSTRACT
Teachers’ social identities are an integral part of their professional identities. The present study explores Asian American teachers’ performances of racial/ethnic identities and pedagogical practices in the classroom. The author uses a performance framework to understand how Asian American teachers both reify and resist stereotypes through the process of identity construction vis-à-vis particular racial encounters in the classroom. Analysis of semi-structured interviews with 25 Asian American teachers from across the United States suggests that Asian American teachers perform identities through three pedagogical practices: (1) by downplaying identities; (2) as cultural role-models; and (3) as resistors of stereotypes. These findings reveal that Asian American teachers play an important role in facilitating cross-cultural classroom interactions, affirming racial/ethnic identities for Asian American students, providing non-stereotypical discourses through which students can understand Asian Americans, and creating inclusive learning spaces for students of all backgrounds.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.