Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

By Carol Jean Tomoguchi-Perez
​May 18, 2023

In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we focus on the work and service of two School of Education professors which uplift AAPI students and communities.​

​Professor Gustavo Carlo co-authored a chapter in the third edition of Handbook of Education titled "The social development of immigrant children: A focus on Asian and Latino/a children in the United States." The chapter defines Asian and Latinx immigrant children in the United States and discusses the family structure and cultural values of both groups, highlighting unique challenges for the children's social development. Specific social development challenges faced by Asian and Latinx immigrant children during the Covid-19 pandemic are explored as a way to highlight the major gaps in the current literature, ending with directions for future studies towards understanding and supporting the diverse experiences and social development of Asian and Latinx immigrant children in the United States. Read chapter

Carlo was also an author of the study "What Should I do and Who’s to blame? A cross-national study on youth’s attitudes and beliefs in times of COVID-19," a research article published in PLOS ONE which focuses on the effect of COVID-19 on children across 14 countries including China and Taiwan. According to the abstract, the study examined factors associated with youth’s attitudes towards their government’s response to the pandemic and their blaming of individuals from certain risk groups, ethnic backgrounds, and countries or regions. They found lower perceived burden due to COVID-19, more collectivistic and less individualistic values, more empathy, more positive attitudes towards the government and less blaming of individuals of certain groups among the sample of 5,682 young adults. Read article

Professor Gustavo Carlo

Associate Professor Hosun Kang

In April, Associate Professor Hosun Kang was elected as the co-chair of Asian and Pacific Islander Science Education of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching. The research interest group aims to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in science education research using the lenses relevant to Asian and Pacific Islander cultures, ethnicities, gender, and class, as well as the intersections of these markers. The intellectual network will also support and mentor current and future Asian and Pacific Islander scholars within and outside of the United States. Learn more