Max Li - Week 4 SS1

    This week's readings focus on the ways in which Asian American women in academia can heal and recover from the damages done by academia. Specifically, methods of self-care and spirituality which are traditionally minimized by others. Some of these damages caused by academia are gendered roles forced on Asian American faculty. As mentioned in last week's reading, Asian American women faculty are often made to take on roles as caretaker and console their students and colleagues. This is defined by Dariotis and Yoo as "care work". By stereotypes of Asian American women as "nurturing caregivers", these faculty are often given extra emotional weight (Dariotis & Yoo 2019). This complex and heavy form of labor is often not recognized, and causes mental and physical health problems for Asian American faculty. In order to undo this emotional damage, mental self-care is needed. The infrastructure to provide faculty and students with therapy and psychological care are lacking, if not non-existent. This care work holds back Asian American women's professional progress in academia, and causes them significant health problems. Their pains are minimized and ignored, even when they resist, they are told to stop "throwing tantrums" and "grow up" (W.P. 2019). This treatment exemplifies the suppression of Asian American women within the academia. 
    To mitigate and recover from the effects of this emotional load, Asian American faculty must focus on self-care, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual. W.P. explains that sharing her experiences through poetry can serve as "medicine soothing wounds from invisible knives." (W.P. 2019) Other methods can focus on religion, spirituality, or other methods of psychological care. Though these approaches may be deemed "nonrational" by other faculty, these methods are helpful and often necessary for Asian American women to recover from the damage done by academia. (Esaki 2019)

Question: What can students do to recognize the care work done by Asian American women faculty, or to prevent the mental and physical burden of this labor?

References:

Dariotis, W., & Yoo, G. (2019) Care Work: The Invisible Labor of Asian American Women in Academia

Esaki, B. (2019) Attack on the Spirit by the "Rational World" (and Spiritual Recovery from It)

W.P. (2019) She Shall Not Be Moved: A "Golden Shovel" Sonnet after Gwendolyn Brooks's "You did not know you were Afrika"