“We are stronger than fear of hate”: a longitudinal study amplifying the voices of Asian American and migrant teachers amidst COVID-19

Abstract

ABSTRACT Theoretically framed by AsianCrit, the current study used a longitudinal qualitative study to explore how larger socio-historical contexts such as the pandemic shape Asian American and migrant elementary teachers’ daily lives and teaching practices. The study’s findings demonstrate that, following the COVID-19 pandemic and an upsurge in anti-Asian hate crime, the teachers’ experiences of racism and positions as Asian Americans and migrants in New York City had radically changed. Their shifted racialized experiences further influenced their elementary school teaching practices, compelling them to become committed to antiracist education. This longitudinal and timely study will contribute to the emerging literature on Asian American and migrant teachers, providing several implications for teacher education and future research. The study’s findings will also shed light on the legitimacy of CRT in investigating the lives and teaching of Asian American and migrant teachers in light of nationwide anti-CRT legislation.