Invisible Asian Americans: the intersection of sexuality, race, and education among gay Asian Americans

Abstract

Most research on Asian American education has centered on addressing and deconstructing the model minority stereotype. While recent studies have highlighted the socioeconomic and cultural heterogeneity among Asian American students, few have examined how sexual identity and masculinity mitigate their academic experiences. In this article, we draw on the educational narratives of 35 Asian American gay men to address this gap. Though research on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students has emphasized bullying, our findings show that the relationship between sexuality and schooling is more nuanced than studies suggest. Our article reveals that while anti-gay bullying is prevalent, Asian American gay students play up aspects of their racial identity and even strategically capitalize on the model minority stereotype to evade harassment. Ultimately, our study highlights the need for educators to remain mindful of how the intersection of sexuality and race affect the school climate and educational experiences among gay students of color.