School Climate and Racialized Experiences

Our research examines how racial identity, relationships, and school contexts shape students’ and educators’ experiences. We are particularly interested in how members of different racial and ethnic groups may interpret the same educational environment differently and what those perspectives reveal about belonging, recognition, and support.

Asian American Teachers’ Experiences

Our qualitative studies examine how Asian American K–12 teachers experience their school environments and understand the role of cultural identity in their work (Kim, Han, et al., 2026; Wang et al., 2023). Teachers described ways their identities functioned as both assets and challenges, as well as additional responsibilities they assumed to address gaps in representation and respond to racism. This work draws attention to educators as members of school communities whose own experiences of belonging, recognition, and support warrant consideration.

School Diversity and Students’ Racial Positioning

A manuscript under revision uses the 2023–2024 California Healthy Kids Survey to examine the relationship between school racial diversity and students of color’s perceptions of school climate. Rather than treating students of color as a single group, the study considers how this relationship varies according to students’ racial identities and positioning within their schools. The findings suggest that the meaning of school diversity depends partly on who is represented and how students are situated within the local context.

Developing Research Directions

We are developing research on discrimination within racial and ethnic communities and across communities of color, as well as questions about how families help young people understand their identities in relation to the histories and experiences of other minoritized groups. This work will consider implications for belonging, educational experiences, cross-racial understanding, and solidarity.