Musical Counterstories: Racialized Experiences of Asian/Asian American Music Teachers

Abstract

Despite being the fastest growing population in the United States and a part of many music education programs, Asian and Asian American (AAM) music teachers’ voices often are unheard in music education discourses. The purpose of this study was to begin bringing visibility to the experiences of AAM music educators. The research questions explored in this article are: How do AAM music teachers describe their experience in relationship to their racial identities? and How might AAM educators’ experience be similar or differ in relation to immigrant generational statuses and transnational contexts? We utilized Asian critical race theory as a framework to examine the experiences of 10 AAM music educators. Although collective themes emerged around patterns of racialization, each participant had unique experiences shaped by transnational contexts and immigrant generation. We hope that these data become part of a more robust discourse around AAM experiences in music learning and teaching.