SEAAs at AANAPISIs Project
Purpose
The purpose of this project is to explore the institutional contexts that shape how Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs) support Southeast Asian American (SEAA) students and to understand SEAA student experiences at AANAPISIs more holistically. We hope that findings from this project can advance what we know about the experiences of SEAA students in higher education and how best to serve them. We hope that educators and administrators can use this knowledge to better support SEAA students in their classrooms and on their campuses.
Criteria & Recruitment
The institution included in our study has a large population of SEAA students, is seeking AANAPISI funding, and has some structures that support SEAA students (such as a culture center or an ethnic studies certificate or program).
At this institution, we plan to interview the following individuals over Zoom or telephone:
faculty, staff, and administrators who have been involved in some way with efforts to support SEAA students and/or efforts to secure AANAPISI funding;
faculty, staff, and administrators who self-identify as SEAA and are willing to share more about their observations, experiences, and perspectives; and
currently enrolled students at the institution for at least a year, who are 18 and over, self-identify as SEAA and are willing to share about what it’s like to be a SEAA student at the institution.
Interest in participating?
We are using an instrumental case study methodology, which helps us incorporate social and institutional contexts that shape how institutional agents pursue their advocacy efforts and the educational experiences of SEAA students. For this study, you will be asked to participate in semi-structured interviews, lasting from 30 to 90 minutes depending on your role.
We will ask you to sign an informed consent document before or at the beginning of the interview. Participating in this study is voluntary and confidential. The interviews will be audio-recorded with your consent. Interviews will be transcribed and saved to a password-protected shared drive only accessible by the researchers.
Let us know your questions and concerns by contacting Dr. Varaxy Yi at varaxy@csufresno.edu. If you’re interested in participating, complete the interest form below.
The Research Team
Dr. Varaxy Yi Borromeo (Co-Principal Investigator) is an assistant professor in the Higher Education Administration and Leadership program at Fresno State. She conducts research to advance equity, access, and opportunity for historically underserved communities, such as racially minoritized, Southeast Asian American, and refugee populations.
Dr. Jacqueline Mac (Co-Principal Investigator) is an assistant professor in the Department of Counseling and Higher Education at Northern Illinois University. Her research focuses on racialized campus environments, institutional transformation towards equity, and higher education access policies.
Ko Yang is a doctoral student in the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership at Fresno State and a graduate research assistant for this study.
