Early Childhood and the Asian American Experience

Sohyun “Soh” Meacham, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Literacy Education at the University of Northern Iowa.Su-Jeong Wee, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Child and Family Studies at California State University, Los Angeles.Jinhee Kim, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Elementary and Early Childhood Education at Kennesaw State University.Sophia Han, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education and Teacher Education at the University of South Florida.Wu-Ying Hsieh, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Early Childhood Special Education at the University of Northern Iowa.

"There is a severe lack of research on the Asian American early childhood education. The authors of Early Childhood and the Asian American Experience address this issue by offering a critical, intersectional analysis of Asian American early childhood education rooted in Asian-centric theorizing and paradigms. This book is an important, impactful intervention in educational research." Wayne Au, Dean and Professor, University of Washington Bothell, Editor, Rethinking Schools.“Early Childhood and the Asian American Experience: Exploring Intersectionality and Addressing Misrepresentations is a necessary book that provokes readers to rethink the stereotype of Asian-American children as the model minority. I commend the authors for their valuable insights on justice-centered teaching by addressing misrepresentation and offering pathways for inclusivity in early childhood education.” Okhee Lee, Ph.D. Professor, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University

• AcknowledgementsChapter 1. Introduction: Framework for Asian American Early Childhood EducationIntroductionAsian American Early ChildhoodThe “Model Minority” StereotypeCultural Emphasis on Education in Asian CommunitiesLanguages of Asian American Early ChildhoodNuances of Lack of RepresentationTheoretical Influences for This BookAsian Traditional Values and Asian American Parenting PracticesOur Review of AsianCrit based on Early Childhood Education PerspectivesAlternative Theories for Asian American Early Childhood EducationDesigning a New Framework for this Book: Intersectionality of Asian American Early ChildhoodCultural Dimensions of Asian American Early ChildhoodRepresentation of Asian American ChildrenIntersectionality and Socioeconomic Realities in Asian American Early Childhood EducationNavigating Our Research Lens: Our Reflexivity and Positionality for This Significant BookChapter 2. Suda (수다) about Asian Beliefs for Early Childhood Research and PracticeIntroductionThe Suda Approach of Korean American Early Childhood Scholars’ Research and PracticeWhat is Suda?Suda as Theoretical Framework of Korean American Early Childhood ScholarsSuda as Research Methods of Korean American Early Childhood ScholarsFormer Research with Suda in Korean American Families with Young ChildrenSuda for Children’s Exploration of Racial/cultural Identity and RacismSuda Examining Our Own Early Education PracticeSuda in Play-Based Family Literacy Practice in Korean American Families Other Early Childhood Approaches Based On Asian Traditional BeliefsEco-Early Childhood Education in KoreaAn Inclusion Approach through Confucian Beliefs in Hong KongThich Nhat Hanh’s Interbeing for Understanding Immigrant Children’s Lived ExperiencesExplaining Play in the East Indian Context with HinduConclusionChapter 3. Understanding Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) for Asian American Children: Evolving Perspectives and ImperativesCurrent State of Social and Emotional Learning in Early Childhood EducationImportance of SEL in Early ChildhoodCultural Responsiveness of SEL in Early ChildhoodAsian American Children’s Social and Emotional LearningSocietal Perspectives Influencing Asian American Children’s SELAsian American Families’ Perspectives and Experiences of Their Children’s SELImplications for Supporting Asian American Children’s Social and Emotional LearningPromoting Culturally Responsive SEL Training in Early Childhood Teacher EducationAmplifying the Voices of Asian American Children in SEL ResearchConclusion: Beyond Model Minority StereotypesChapter 4. Invisible and Untold Poverty among Asian American Children in Early ChildhoodIntroductionWhy is Poverty in Asian Americans Untold and Invisible?Model Minority MythThe Lack of Data and Aggregated Data of Asian AmericansAsian American Children in Poverty Studied in Early Childhood Education JournalsThe Process of Selection for Journals in Early Childhood Education Asian American Children in Poverty Studies in the Selected JournalsComprehensive focus: Studies addressing Asian American children in povertyPartial focus: Studies addressing Asian American children in povertyDiscussionFuture ResearchEducatorsLimitations of the Chapter Chapter 5. Multicultural Picturebooks on Asian or Asian American Children and Their FamiliesMulticultural Picturebooks on Asian or Asian American ChildrenUnderrepresentation and Misrepresentation of Asian American Children in PicturebooksUnder-representationMisrepresentationResearch Studies on Unpacking Underrepresentation and Misrepresentation of Asian/Asian Americans in Children’s PicturebooksResearch Studies on Korean/Korean Americans in Children’s PicturebooksResearch Studies on Chinese/Chinese Americans in Children’s PicturebooksResearch Studies on Japanese/Japanese Americans in Children’s PicturebooksResearch Studies on Filipino/Filipino Americans in Children’s PicturebooksResearch Studies on Taiwanese/Taiwanese Americans in Children’s PicturebooksGoing Beyond Individual Asian/Asian American Cultures Portrayed in Children’s Picturebooks: Racism and IntersectionalityTrends of Multicultural Picturebooks on Asian/Asian American Before and After the COVID-19 PandemicChapter 6. Unpacking the Intersectional Invisibility of Asian American Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood ResearchIntroductionThe Intersectional Invisibility of Asian American Children with DisabilitiesWhat We Learned from Research about the Parents of Asian American Children with Disabilities and Their CultureThe Cultural Context of Asian American Children with Disabilities Parents’ Difficulties and StrengthsWhat We Learned from Children’s Literature Research about Asian American Children with Disabilities: the In/Visibility of Asian American Children with Disabilities in PicturebooksHenry in A Friend for HenryChamnan in Bread SongThe Deaf Sister in I Have a Sister – My Sister is DeafThe Need for More Mirror/Window Books that Positively Represent Asian Americans with DisabilitiesImplicationsFor Teaching PracticeFor ResearchersChapter 7. Asian American Parents’ Perceptions of their Children’s Experiences in the Predominantly White CommunityIntroductionAsian American Children and Families in Predominantly-White CommunitiesHeritage Language and English for Asian Americans in Predominantly White CommunitiesCurrent StudyMethodsContextParticipantsDataProceduresData AnalysisFindings“Super Double Minority”Dissonance between Expectations of Heritage Language Learning and Stark RealityDiverse Language Experiences of Asian American Children“Teaching the Kids is Very Tricky.”: Writing Development in Heritage LanguagesLiving in PWS: Advantage or Disadvantage?DiscussionConclusionIndex