小黄书视频

Mary Reid and Kien Nam Luu research impacts of anti-Asian hate on Canadian educators

By Lisa Smith
February 15, 2022
Professor Mary Reid and Dr. Kien Nam Luu
Professor Mary Reid (小黄书视频) and Dr. Kien Nam Luu (York Region District School Board).

Professor Mary Reid and Dr. Kien Nam Luu opened 小黄书视频鈥檚 Impacts of COVID-19 lecture series with a compelling talk on how the increase in expressions of anti-Asian racism have affected Asian educators in Canada.

Reid and Luu are well-positioned to take on this topic. Reid, a first generation Canadian of Hakka descent, is Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream in the Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning at OISE and co-leader of the research committee of the . She studies students鈥 experiences of the 鈥榤odel minority myth鈥欌攖he stereotype of Asians as quiet, and inherently good at math and science. An OISE alumnus, Luu is Superintendent of Education in the York Region District School Board and President of the Asian Canadian Educators Network. As an educator in a leadership role, he sets out to amplify voices of those who have been excluded.

Reid and Luu attested to the 鈥減andemic of hate鈥 many have experienced alongside the COVID-19 pandemic. 鈥淎round the world people saw images in the media of racialized people being kicked, spat on, murdered,鈥 Mary Reid said. Asian communities have been scapegoated and subjected to . 

In the spring of 2021, ACENet provided a forum for Asian educators and allies to gather and grieve after the deadly mass shooting of health spa workers in Atlanta. 鈥淭his moment of solidarity and healing in the wake of this devastating hate-motivated crime was the impetus for our research,鈥 Luu said.

Reid and Luu set out to capture the experiences of Asian Canadian educators during the pandemic. Funding for their research was provided by the 2021 . 鈥淧articipants felt the need to share experiences with racism,鈥 Luu said, 鈥渂ut were more comfortable sharing with someone who understands their culture.鈥 Nearly 40 educators completed a survey designed by Reid and Luu, and approximately half of survey respondents participated in semi-structured interviews.

Reid and Luu鈥檚 findings confirm that recent media reports trigger memories of childhood bullying as well as more recent microaggressions and experiences of discrimination, including in the workplace, where Asian colleagues are stereotyped as quiet, organized, and not inherent leaders. The recent proliferation of anti-Asian violence has heightened concern about personal safety. Many participants experienced increased emotional fragility at this time. 

The recommendations from this study are clear: revise the curriculum to include achievements of Asian Canadians and recognize diverse Asian identities, increase the representation of Asian Canadians among school leadership, provide professional learning opportunities, and create and support affinity groups where Asian Canadian educators can experience belonging and community. 鈥淚t鈥檚 crucial to build a network of support,鈥 Reid said. 

Reid and Luu鈥檚 work served as the first step in providing a safe space to reflect on shared experiences. 鈥淟ived realities as Asian educators are often invalidated,鈥 Reid said. 鈥淎sian identities are viewed as adjacent to whiteness, and for this reason anti-Asian racism goes unacknowledged.鈥 For many participants, this study was the first time their identities and experiences as Asian Canadians were affirmed in a professional setting.

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