2026-09-22T09:07:49Z https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/132782 2026-03-24 col_2142_5131 col_2142_8800 com_2142_5130 com_2142_5132

application/pdf en text Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'Closed Access', the embargo will last until 2027-12-01 The student, Anna Park, accepted the attached license on 2025-11-26 at 07:18. The student, Anna Park, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2025-11-26 at 07:41. This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2025-11-26 at 08:13. DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #22963 on 2026-02-19 at 20:09:45 Becoming, learning, and belonging: A Qualitative study on Asian American alumni reflections on high social racial identity formation, Asian American curriculum, and building community Park, Anna 2025-11-26 Lee, Sharon Lee, Sharon Pak, Yoon Kang, Hyun-Sook Mason, Curtis Asian American Asian American students curriculum culturally relevant pedagogy culturally sustaining pedagogy model minority myth belonging eng This dissertation presents a descriptive qualitative study on the high school experience of Asian American students. Asian American alumni from a magnet high school located in a large Midwest city reflect on and share their experiences navigating high school. Through semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, this research examines and presents how Asian American high school students were shaped by their social interactions in high school, as well as the effect of exposure to or lack of exposure to Asian American history in their high school curriculum. Examining how high school shapes how Asian American students view themselves provides guidance on how educators and policy decisions can support Asian American students and other students from historically minoritized groups. Utilizing Asian Critical Race Theory as the theoretical framework and Culturally Relevant/Sustaining Pedagogies as conceptual frameworks, the research highlights how Asian American students construct their identity and create a sense of belonging in educational spaces that often render them invisible. Key findings show how the Model Minority Myth (MMM) continues to exist in education spaces, but Asian American students challenged the MMM. At the same time, Asian Americans find space for themselves and belonging in schools through the importance of Asian American educators and cultural clubs. The themes in this research show how embedding culturally responsive and sustaining approaches positively affect Asian Americans. The research contributes to growing emphasis on more culturally relevant curricula and inclusive approaches in the classroom. In addition, this research examines the positive impact of an inclusive curriculum as states mandate more culturally relevant curricula. 2025-12 Thesis https://hdl.handle.net/2142/132782 Copyright 2025 Anna Park Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Ed.D. Dissertation