Troubling Intersections of Race and Sexuality: Queer Students of Color and Anti-Oppressive Education (Curriculum, Cultures, and (Homo)Sexualities Series) [Paperback]

Kevin K. Kumashiro (Editor), Kayla Chan (Contributor), Stuart F. Chen-Hayes (Contributor), Teddy Consolacion (Contributor), Gordon de Frane (Contributor), Michele Garrett (Contributor), Raven E. Heavy Runner (Contributor), Alexander Hakyun Hong (Contributor), Didi Khayatt (Contributor), Lisa W. Loutzenheiser (Contributor), Lance McCready (Contributor), Cristina M. Misa (Contributor), Paula Ressler (Contributor), Stephen T.Russell (Contributor), Linda Scholl (Contributor), James T. Sears (Contributor), Shadow Wolf (Contributor), Chy Ryan Spain (Contributor), William Tran (Contributor), Nhan L. Truong (Contributor), Joan Ariki Varney (Contributor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0742501906 | ISBN-13: 978-0742501904 | Publication Date: June 26, 2001

In recent years, researchers have considerably expanded our understanding of the experiences of students of color and of students who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning (ie. Queer). They have provided us with rich resources for addressing racism and heterosexism; however, few have examined the unique experiences of students who are both queer and of color, and few have examined the heterosexist or white-centered nature of anti-racist or anti-heterosexist education (respectively). What of the students and educators who live and teach at the intersection of race and sexuality?
By combining autobiographical accounts with qualitative and quantitative research on queer students of different racial backgrounds, these essays not only trouble the ways we think about the intersections of race and sexuality, they also offer theoretical insights and educational strategies to educators committed to bringing about change.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is a critical anthology that stands as the first of its kind in that it deals with queer youths of color in articles written by, for, and about these young people within the context of education. (from the Foreword by Didi Khayatt )

Kumashiro has orchestrated a revealing and illuminating account of both the problematic and contested social, political, and educational issues that many gay and straight students and educators confront in schools and society. Each chapter author disrupts silences and gives voice to important facets of school and college life that oppress queer students, such as curriculum, pedagogy, climate, staff, and identity formation. Collectively, the chapters become a powerful tool for understanding intersections of race and sexuality, and the impact of this intersection in the daily lives of students and teachers. (Grant, Carl )

This anthology of essays is not only a worth read, but as an exceptional text on inclusion, diversity and haunted silelnces, it is a highly desirable read for the educators and researchers among us who accept the challenge to cross these troubling intersections. (Gender And Education )

About the Author

Kevin K. Kumashiro is assistant professor of education at Bates College.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (June 26, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0742501906
• ISBN-13: 978-0742501904
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,657,760 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Great project, complex subject, poor results......, August 30, 2001

By A Customer

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This review is from: Troubling Intersections of Race and Sexuality: Queer Students of Color and Anti-Oppressive Education (Curriculum, Cultures, and (Homo)Sexualities Series) (Paperback)

This book is an anthology about the school experiences of young gay men and lesbians of color. It is an important intervention in that this group is twice as removed from mainstream educators' radars. It annihilates the pure fallacy that all the gays are white and all the people of color are straight. However, this project is all over the place. Academic readers will hate the "uhm"'s and "like"'s of the personal student narratives. Non-academic readers will be turned off by the high-level jargon of the scholars. Many people will especially be lost after reading Kumashiro's introduction. The uncritical use of the word "queer" is very problematic as well. Some articles are great (McCready, for example); some are the definition of terrible (Shen-Hayes). I think those interested in gays and lesbians of color will want to buy this book. Still, they should be aware that it could have been better.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars a mixed bag for a complicated subject, August 16, 2001

By A Customer

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This review is from: Troubling Intersections of Race and Sexuality: Queer Students of Color and Anti-Oppressive Education (Curriculum, Cultures, and (Homo)Sexualities Series) (Paperback)

This book intends to be a resource for those who want to explore the educational issues facing GLBT students of color. The anthology is divided into academic writers coming up with theories on the matter and vignettes from gay students of color describing their experiences. It brings up many common topics from which LGBTPOC students often have to endure: being the only person of color in gay-straight alliances, dealing with same-race peers who say no one of their background could be gay, coming out to immigrant parents when there is no word for "gay" in one's home-spoken language, etc. In general, the point of the book is to get educators to think of students who are twice removed from mainstream school radars and whom many don't even think exist. However, there may be too many cooks in this rather short anthology. With much effort, Kumashiro attempts to explain why this anthology does critical work without trying to state that racism and homophobia are the worse or only injustices facing students. Nevertheless, his words are bogged down in inpenetrable language and many readers are going to (wrongly) stop reading the book after his introduction. The non-elite, non-academic readers are going to be bored and confused by the writings of the academics. The academics are going to be dismissive of all the "uhms" and "likes" of the young gays of color. IN ADDITION, READERS WHO DON'T COME FROM LEFT-WING, POSTMODERN SETTINGS WILL BE INSTANTLY HORRIFIED AT EVERY AUTHORS' UNCRITICAL USAGE OF THE TERM "QUEER". There are superb pieces here, such as McCready's exploration of why black males haven't joined a California gay student group. Still, there are hollow, poorly stitched-together pieces such as Chen-Hayes' article on multiracial families. Education is a hodgepodge field that draws from multiple disciplines anyway. Thus, I don't know where Kumashiro's project falters on its own or what. But this was a difficult effort on an important topic. Fans of writings from gays and lesbians of color still should add this to their collection. The work cited pages in all the articles point to other (better?) sources that readers will want to find as well.