Some time during the application process for TFA (it might have been answering questions on the app, or during my interview), I was asked about how my identity would impact my role in the classroom. I thought it was a strange question because I hadn't ever really considered my identity in the first place. Asian American, male, recreational athlete, son, friend, brother, director, teammate, teacher - those are a few descriptors of many that make up my identity.
After having been here for a year, I've thought a lot more about my identity as it pertains to my classroom role. It isn't fully formulated (hard to say if it ever will be), but here is my view on being an Asian American in the classroom (currently in the South).
Even though I'm Vietnamese, everybody assumes I'm Chinese. I've explained to some students that Vietnam is a different country entirely (by showing them Vietnam and China on Google Maps). I've also explained that just because I'm Vietnamese doesn't mean I'm not Asian. So in this regard, I get to teach students a little about geography (Vietnam≠China, Vietnam & China + other countries = Asia) and ethnic background.
I also try and use the opportunity to teach them some cultural awareness. Although some students are willfully and maliciously ignorant, those are few and far between compared to the number of students who simply lack an accurate cultural education. This could be something simple as dispelling the notions that I know kung fu, that Asians all speak the same language, or that all Asians are good at math. I guess, from their perspective, the last idea (that all Asians don't excel at math) is hard to believe when I am the math teacher and the 3 Asian students are all high achievers in math. But... whatever.
Lastly, I feel that my responsibility on a personal level (after the professional level of getting them to want to learn and emphasizing better attitudes) is to give the students some exposure. Exposure to someone who looks, speaks, and has different ideas from them. The best thing is - it doesn't even take any effort besides being me! And the benefit is that it helps to normalize Asian people in their eyes. In case you haven't realized it, Asians are still really exotic in the eyes of the majority of the American population. It's fair, considering we make up less than 5% of the population (as of 2011, according to the CDC). I don't know about y'alls experiences, but just this past week after telling someone I am Vietnamese, he felt the need to tell me that he has a Vietnamese friend. & for some strange reason, some people feel the need to tell me they love fried rice and/or phở. Like... that's irrelevant. I don't tell black people I love fried chicken. I am willing to tell anybody that Popeye's > KFC, if it comes up in context. But it doesn't have any more to do with black people than it does to anyone, really. I also don't tell white people I love meatloaf - it's delicious, for sure, but once again irrelevant.
So in summary, I guess I like being a teacher in order to:
- Normalize Asian people to others
- Combat stereotypes
- Give students some greater awareness and understanding of other cultures
It's not why I became a teacher, but those are some positives I draw from being an Asian American teacher. They're also reasons why I think we need more Asians in the classroom - so if you're at a point in your life where you're not sure what to do with your life, come on in to education and see if it fits you. If it helps to entice you at all, summer is 10x better as an adult than it ever was as a student, haha.
