The role of Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander‐Serving Institutions in reframing leadership education

Abstract

Leadership education within postsecondary institutions has often failed to consider the ways in which Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) make sense of their leadership identity. This article explores the role that Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions have in fostering AAPI leaders through culturally relevant practices and services that recognize and embrace students' racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Centering minority‐serving institutions to counter dominant narratives about leadership identity development

“…AANAPISIs award nearly half of the associates and a quarter of the bachelor's degrees earned by AAPI students (Nguyen et al., 2020). AANAPISIs serve incredibly diverse student bodies; the AAPI umbrella encompasses nearly 300 languages and 48 ethnic groups with varied educational, familial, and class experiences (Gogue et al., 2021). However, dominant leadership perspectives often ignore AAPI communities’ collective leadership practices that focus on shared goals (Liang et al., 2002).…”

“…Broadly, scholars urge practitioners to center AAPI students’ racial and ethnic identities, cultural values, lived experiences, and families in leadership interventions (Gogue et al., 2021). Canlas (2020) discovered when leadership development activities were directed toward activism and social justice issues (e.g., the Black Lives Matter movement), Asian American students, particularly at community colleges, deepened their leadership development.…”