South Asian Americans’ Microaggression Experiences in School: Retrospective Reflections on Interactions with K-12 Teachers

Abstract

South Asian Americans-like other students of color-experience racial microaggressions in schools, including the model minority myth and the spokesperson phenomenon (McCabe, 2009). This paper discusses these phenomena and relevant research before examining qualitative, retrospective reports from 10 college-aged South Asian Americans who described experiences with racial microaggressions in K-12 settings, selected from a larger source study. These participants' reports-related to being asked to speak about Indian or South Asian culture or history-are explored in the context of three themes: (a) the positioning of students as spokespersons as an obstacle to learning, (b) the spokesperson phenomenon as a form of racial trauma, and (c) the positioning of a student as a spokesperson as a reflection of an imbalance and misuse of power. This paper offers implications for inviting students to share culture without positioning them as spokespersons. Possible paths for future research into student experiences with this phenomenon are offered.