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Recruiting and Retaining Asian American and Pacific Islander Teachers

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Abstract

The lack of Teachers of Color in the United States raises questions about their recruitment and retention and the responsiveness of schools to racial and linguistic diversity. This article examines these issues with a focus on Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) teachers. We conducted a systematic review of the research on AAPI teacher experiences and synthesized 50 peer-reviewed publications to understand the scope of previous research and challenges to AAPI recruitment and retention. The results show AAPI teachers (1) negotiating their identities as Asian or Pacific Islander and American and (2) facing racialization as foreigners and non-native English speakers. Policy implications include supporting more cultural and linguistic diversity in teacher education programs and schools and also opportunities for all teachers to engage in critical praxis regarding their racial identities and issues of equity.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Yeji Kim for research support on this project. We also thank The Urban Review's editor and two anonymous reviewers for their support and feedback on this article.

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  1. Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Centers for Asian American and East Asian Studies, Urban Teachers Program, The University of Texas at Austin, 1912 Speedway, Stop D5700, Austin, TX, 78712, USA

    Grace MyHyun Kim

  2. Department of Special Education, Center for Asian American Studies, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, Stop 5300, Austin, TX, 78712, USA

    North Cooc

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Kim, G.M., Cooc, N. Recruiting and Retaining Asian American and Pacific Islander Teachers. Urban Rev 53, 193–217 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-020-00571-1

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