Asian Women Scholars in Higher Education

"Strangers" of the Academy Asian Women Scholars in Higher Education, Edited by Guofang Li, Gulbahar H. Beckett, Foreword by Shirley Geok-Lin Lim

Abstract - No less than other minorities, Asian women scholars are confronted with racial discrimination and stereotyping as well as disrespect for their research, teaching, and leadership, and are underrepresented in academia.

In the face of such barriers, many Asian female scholars have developed strategies to survive and thrive. This book is among the first to examine their lived experience in Western academic discourses. It addresses the socio-cultural, political, academic, and personal issues that Asian female scholars encounter in higher education.

The contributors to this book include first- and second-generation immigrants who are teachers and researchers in higher education and who come from a wide range of Asian nations and backgrounds. They here combine new research and personal narratives to explore the intersecting layers of relationships that impact their lives—language, culture, academic discourses, gender, class, generation, and race. The book is replete with the richness and complexity of these scholars’ struggles and triumphs in their professional and personal realms.

This powerful and engaging volume:

* Examines and celebrates the struggles and triumphs that Asian female scholars experience as they try to “make it” in academic environments that may differ sharply from the culture of their countries of origin;

* Highlights the unique contributions the authors have made to research, theory, and the profession;

* Establishes the authors’ claim to visibility and a voice for themselves and more generally for Asian women in the academy;

* Opens a dialogue on these critical issues by sharing the academic and personal experiences of senior and junior scholars alike; and

* Contributes to the on-going discussion on issues pertinent to the status of minority female scholars in higher education.

Some links to buying the book

Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Strangers-Academy-Scholars-Higher-Education/dp/1579221211

Stylus
http://www.styluspub.com/clients/sty/books/BookDetail.aspx?productID=94675

Reviewed by Jenny J. Lee, University of Arizona at BNet

"Strangers" of the Academy: Asian Women Scholars in Higher Education Guofang Li and Gulbahar H. Beckett (Eds.) Sterling, Virginia: Stylus Publishing, 2006, 304 pages, $24.95 (softcover)

"Strangers" of the Academy: Asian Women Scholars in Higher Education is an influential, multilayered book that provides a range of perspectives to recognize the lived experiences of Asian immigrant and Asian American women faculty in the United States and Canada. As the title suggests, the book depicts the struggles of these women in the university setting because of their gender, ethnicity, and/ or immigrant status. The book also showcases their triumphs and the strategies that these women have used to overcome the hardships they have encountered.

The book includes fifteen essays that are divided into four parts.

In part 1, "Asian Female Scholars in Context," three essays present a general overview using both national data and personal narratives to contextualize and theorize the experiences of Asian women scholars. For example, chapter 1 demonstrates that while Asian women have made great strides in obtaining undergraduate and graduate degrees, they continue to be underrepresented as full-time faculty and as upperlevel administrators.

As demonstrated in chapter 2, even though the rate of graduate level participation is similar among Asian men and women in the science, math, and engineering (SME) fields, Asian males considerably outnumber that of Asian females in SME faculty positions.

Chapter 3 and many of the following chapters offer explanations for such trends, such as conditions in the academy and larger American society that perpetuate the marginalization of and discrimination against women of color.

Part 2, "Teaching, Mentoring, Advising, and Securing Tenure," includes four chapters that address the nature of academic work among Asian female faculty. These chapters present a collection of stories that provide much detailed insight on their jobs, including struggles with a second language and others' perceptions of non-English languages, the value of mentorship and locating one's own identity, the complex relationships in dealing with students of similar backgrounds, and strategies for when tenure and promotion are denied for unjust reasons.

Part 3, "Gaining Voice, Forming Identity," consists of personal accounts of how Asian female faculty have negotiated their multiple identities and workplaces, and arrived at a more conscious awareness of themselves. These chapters depict a range of struggles and how Asian women faculty underwent personal transformations and realizations about their identity and their unique contributions because of their Asian identity.

Finally, part 4, "Building Bridges, Building the Future," offers three examples of how Asian female scholars can transform their immediate work environment and the larger academy. These include practicing global pedagogy, cross-cultural mentorship, and making a personal commitment to social change.

Despite their seemingly tremendous strides in their educational pursuits, Asian women continue to encounter considerable sexism and racism because of the negative images surrounding what it means to be an Asian female. Stereotypes such as the subservient, nonconfrontational helper, the sexualized "exotic Oriental," or "cute girl" have made it especially difficult for Asian female academics to thrive in their workplaces.

Even the image of a "model minority" masks the everyday challenges Asians confront in the university setting. As evidence, Asian females continue to be underrepresented in the academy with one of the lowest tenure rates among all ethnic groups (Hune, 1999). The book further documents multiple examples of their everyday difficulties: occasions of sexual harassment, expectations to take on more secretarial tasks in comparison to their male counterparts, and lacking respect from students. Attempts to challenge stereotypical views sometimes resulted in further labeling as "angry women of color" rather than serious attention to their complaints.

As the book reveals, many Asian women feel silenced in articulating their hardships because of the ways they have been quieted in their workplaces in the past. "Strangers" of the Academy gives voice to the many that lack the support to speak out and the audience to listen.

As an Asian female scholar, I share in the authors' struggles and celebrations. Like most Asian female professors, I work in an institution that is predominantly White and I represent the sole Asian in my department. And like many, I know of only a small handful of female Asian scholars in my immediate field and rarely see them outside my annual disciplinary association meetings.

As such, there is generally a lack of mentors and colleagues who share my background and can fully relate to my experiences as an Asian female academic. Thus, this book serves as a valuable resource for faculty who are among the few Asian females who have successfully navigated through the challenges posed by academe. While the book is not a "how-to" manual, it is certainly a "why-to" manual. That is, I found the book to be truly empowering.

It not only validated my own professional experiences, but also reminded me of why I continue to pursue my scholarly work and of my unique contributions, which are because of, rather than despite, my Asian female identity.

Strangers" of the Academy should not solely be read by Asian women scholars. This is a highly informative text that will benefit individuals who have ever worked with, been taught by, or will have any interaction with Asian female faculty. Its aim is not to fully capture the experiences of every Asian woman or to overgeneralize, but the text does offer some much needed insight that is representative of many professional lives. All too often sexism, racism, classism, and all other -isms are placed upon the individual, who must somehow persist through challenges and the overcome barriers. Rarely is the responsibility placed on the institution that creates the barriers and promotes the challenges faced by the individual or group. Ameliorating the difficulties faced by Asian women and other marginalized groups in the academy need not be the sole responsibility of those who are already suffering.

Members of the entire institution need to be more consciously aware of their role in the prevention or the creation of an academy that is truly just, equitable, and thriving. This book raises our awareness of the work that still needs to be done and is a highly recommended resource for Asians and nonAsians alike.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3752/is_200703/ai_n18737256/pg_2/?tag=content;col1Hune, S. (1999). Asian Pacific women in higher education: Claiming visibility and voice. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities.