APPROACHING DIFFICULT AND CHARGED TOPICS

Brett J. Esaki

Coordinator, Asian Pacific American Studies Program

Dept. of East Asian Studies

Teaching Exchange Symposium 2025

March 26, 2025

C

Today’s Charged Political Context

• Higher Education Role & Image
• Access to Occupations
• International Knowledge + $
• Ideological Image

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• Salience of Personal & Political
• Identity as Political Position
• Political as Personal Distance
• Perspective in New Media

Brett J. Esaki

Asian American Spirituality and Art

• cultural heritage, communal history, �political statements

Charged Topics

• Race, religion, masculinity, immigration, sustainability, hip hop, and political art
• Anecdote: Philosophy of Race & � Charlottesville Incident

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Self-Evaluation Activity

List difficult & charged topics may teach

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Examples of Types:

• politics, culture, other identity, trauma, preconceptions, myths, ignorance, economics, status, fads

Self-Evaluation Activity

For each topic, evaluate:

• Match own Values?
• Curricular Responsibilities?

Self-Evaluation Activity

Reorder & Rank according to:

• Must Teach
• Would Like to Teach

Small Group Activity 1

Conflicts of Instructors & Students

• Ex: Asian Woman & Masks
• What is the conflict?

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Conflicts of Between Students

• Ex: Evangelicals / Non-Religious
• What is the conflict?

Small Group Activity 1

Share Self-Evaluation Activity

• Concur on Level of Potential Conflict

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• Re-Rank!

Small Group Activity 1

Location of “Would Like to Teach”

• Can you include these in course
• Consider ranks of “Must Teach”

How much conflict can you handle?

• Experience
• Wits
• Knowledge / pedigree

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Small Group Activity 2

Implementing Charged Topics

• Centrality of Topic
• Legality of Topic
• Topic Order
• Activities
• Media / Speaker

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• Ex: “Religion, Race, and Discrimination in America”

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Small Group Activity 2

Take 1 Course (real or hypothetical)

• Curricular Role of Course
• Role of Course in Your Portfolio
• List Required Topics

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• Discuss Strategies
• Including Topics
• Reducing Conflict

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Final Reflection

• Share Topics
• Share Advice

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For Me:

• Unsolved Problems?
• Legality?
• Unstated Requirements?