Reflections on Teaching Asia in the Wake of the Pandemic: An open access Asia Shorts edited volume from AAS (view PDFs below)
The spring of 2020 will remain etched in collective memory as a moment of profound upheaval. The COVID-19 pandemic forced schools and universities around the world to close their doors, reshaping education overnight. Teachers scrambled to reimagine their classrooms in online spaces, while students adjusted to a new, distanced reality. For educators of Asia-related topics, these shifts carried unique challenges. Already marginalized within English-speaking curricula, Asia’s place in classrooms faced further reductions amidst the chaos of pandemic adaptation. Recognizing this, our Asia Shorts volume, Teaching about Asia in a Time of Pandemic, was conceived as a timely response, offering guidance and inspiration during those uncertain times.
Almost five years later, the world has moved forward, but the ripple effects of that historic spring are still felt. This supplemental set of open-access essays, edited by Kin Cheung (Associate Professor of East and South Asian Religions at Moravian University) builds upon the foundation of the original volume, reflecting on the enduring impacts of the pandemic on education, equity, and how we teach about Asia.
One lasting consequence of the pandemic has been the rise in anti-Asian racism. Harassment and violence against Asians, fueled by pandemic-related scapegoating and xenophobic rhetoric, surged globally. In the United States, inflammatory phrases such as “China virus” and “kung flu” further stigmatized Asian communities, exacerbating a wave of hostility. Educators now face the challenge of addressing these injustices while fostering inclusive, empathetic learning environments. The essays in this collection delve into the pedagogical responses to anti-Asian racism, advocating for teaching frameworks that prioritize social justice and counteract harmful stereotypes and complement the important work of the scholars whose work appears in our recent Asia Shorts volume, Global Anti-Asian Racism, edited by Jennifer Ho.
Another critical dimension explored in this volume is the necessity of representation. Asian Americans remain underrepresented in both the teaching workforce and teacher education programs, leading to a curriculum that often overlooks the rich cultural and linguistic assets of Asian students and their families. This gap underscores the importance of preparing teachers to adopt culturally responsive practices, ensuring that all students—especially Asian American learners—feel seen and valued in the classroom.
These essays also challenge educators to move beyond surface-level engagement with Asia. A case in point is the life and legacy of Grace Lee Boggs, an Asian American activist whose story offers rich insights into the intersections of race, gender, and political activism. By teaching figures like Boggs through an antiracist, transnational lens, students can develop a deeper, more empathetic understanding of complex historical narratives. This approach not only enriches their knowledge of Asia and its diasporas but also equips them with critical tools to navigate and challenge systemic inequities in their own societies.
This collection is a call to action, urging educators to embrace the pedagogical lessons of the pandemic while addressing its lingering challenges. It invites readers to reconsider what it means to teach about Asia in an interconnected, yet divided, world. By fostering curiosity, empathy, and critical thinking, we can ensure that the study of Asia continues to inspire and transform students long after the pandemic has receded into history.
As we look to the future, the role of educators remains vital in shaping a more inclusive and equitable understanding of Asia. This volume serves as both a reflection on what we have endured and a guide for what lies ahead. Through these essays, we reaffirm the importance of teaching about Asia not as a peripheral subject but as a central and indispensable part of global education.
We are pleased to make this volume available as open access. Please share widely with your colleagues and students.
I warmly invite proposals for books in our Asia Shorts series. Please feel free to reach out to me at david.kenley@dsu.edu with your ideas.
David Kenley, Series Editor, Asia Shorts
View/download individual chapters (PDF):
- Introduction (Kin Cheung)
- Teaching the History of “Comfort Women” without Casting Asians as Other (Elizabeth Lawrence)
- What Does It Mean to Teach Asian Religions during This Moment of Anti-Asian Hate? (Rachel Pang)
- Preparing Teachers with Antiracist Pedagogy during the Pandemic (Huijing Wen and Valerie Harlow Shinas)
- Teaching Grace Lee Boggs (1915–2015): Toward an Antiracist Transnational Asian Studies Pedagogy (Minjung Noh)
- Can Buddhists Be Feminists? Thinking with and Learning from Others in the Asian Humanities Classroom (Jue Liang and Isabelle Peel)
- “Foreign” Asia and Naïve Cultural Relativism (Kin Cheung)