Narratives of Selected Asian Pacific American Women in Leadership Mary Almandrez
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The University of San Francisco USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center Doctoral Dissertations Theses, Dissertations, Capstones and Projects 2010 History in the making : narratives of selected Asian Pacific American women in leadership Mary Almandrez Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.usfca.edu/diss Recommended Citation Almandrez, Mary, "History in the making : narratives of selected Asian Pacific American women in leadership" (2010). Doctoral Dissertations. 358. https://repository.usfca.edu/diss/358 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, Capstones and Projects at USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The University of San Francisco HISTORY IN THE MAKING: NARRATIVES OF SELECTED ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP A Dissertation Presented to The Faculty of the School of Education Department of Leadership Studies Organization and Leadership Program In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education By Mary Grace A. Almandrez San Francisco, CA May 2010 THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO Dissertation Abstract History in the Making: Narratives of Selected Asian Pacific American Women in Leadership The commitment of Asian Pacific American (APA) women to communities of color is not unique. However, their passions, experiences, and narratives have not been widely shared and are rarely considered in the study of leadership. Conventional notions of leadership as gendered, racialized, hierarchical, and individual-focused experiences do not necessarily reflect Asian Pacific American women’s leadership. This research inquiry calls for a paradigm shift where leadership is grounded in identity and being. This study employed a participatory inquiry protocol with an orientation in critical hermeneutics (Herda 1999) to account for the sociocultural complexity involved with Asian Pacific American women’s experiences. The data was created in a collaborative partnership between the participants and researcher. Data analysis drew upon the works of Ricoeur (1984, 1992), Kearney (1998, 2002), and Herda (1999) with specific focus on narrative identity, mimesis, and imagination. Through the exchange of stories and ideas, self-reflection, and continuous re-interpretation, both the participants and the researcher reached new understandings. The narratives of select Asian Pacific American women revealed four key findings. First, identity and being cannot be separated from leadership. Research participants revealed that founding events, cultural traditions, and relationships with ii others influenced the ways they led and served their communities. Second, Asian Pacific American women feel an ethical responsibility to carry on their legacies of leadership. They expressed a sense of responsibility to both honor the past and develop future leaders. Third, images of leadership can and do change over time. As Asian Pacific American women continue to share their stories, they provide educators, scholars, and communities with diverse images of leadership. Fourth, Asian Pacific American women place solicitude at the heart of ethical action. Participants considered recognition, reciprocity, and solicitude in their leadership. The appropriation of identity through the medium of leadership is rarely, if ever, considered by scholars. Understanding how identity informs leadership and leadership influences identity may provide insight on the varied ways that Asian Pacific American women lead and inspire their communities. iii This dissertation, written under the direction of the candidate’s dissertation committee and approved by the members of the committee, has been presented to and accepted by the Faculty of the School of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education. The content and research methodologies presented in this work represent the work of the candidate alone. Mary Grace A. Almandrez April 9, 2010 Candidate Date Dissertation Committee Ellen Herda April 9, 2010 Chairperson Caryl Hodges April 9, 2010 Kevin Chun April 9, 2010 iv Acknowledgments This dissertation is dedicated to three women who represent my past, present, and future: To my grandmother, Aurora G. Almandrez, for your faith and compassion To my mother, Meldina A. Almandrez, for your resilience and strength To my niece, Alyssa D. Almandrez, for your openness to the world and sense of wonder To my father, Eduardo G. Almandrez, thank you for being my toughest coach I never did become a Navy SEAL but I hope I still made you proud To my brother and sister-in-law, Richard and Sheryl Almandrez Thank you for your unconditional love and encouragement To my advisor, Ellen Herda Thank you for your support and expectations of excellence To my research participants: Mamta Accapadi, JoAnn Fields, Cheryl Ka’uhane Lupenui, Theresa Humphrey, Lee Ann Kim, Vicky Lagula, Doua Thor, and Mai Yang Vang Thank you for serving as co – researchers in this project To my ally, Ray Quirolgico Thank you for the hourly check-ins, midnight runs, and thoughtful notes To my friends and confidants: Esherlita Baker, Francisco Gamez, Simon Hara, Tamara Hernandez, Hamaseh Kianfar, Micah Kurtzberg, Felicia Lee, Sarah Mart, Kim Mendonca, Dennis Recio, Evelyn Rodriguez, Christina Sanchez, Stephanie Sears, Linda Thomas Worthy, and Gretchen Wehrle Thank you for your advice, love, and mentorship along this journey v TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE: FOCUS OF THE RESEARCH 4 Introduction 4 Statement of Research Topic 5 Background of Research Topic 7 Asian Pacific American Activism 7 San Francisco State Strike 7 Other Early Asian American Mobilization Efforts 9 Asian Pacific American Women’s Movement 10 Significance of the Research 11 Summary 13 CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE 15 Introduction 15 Historical and Contemporary Leadership Theory 15 Community-Based Leadership 17 Women in Leadership 21 Intersectionality Theory 24 Critical Hermeneutic Orientation 25 Summary 27 CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH PROTOCOL 29 Introduction 29 Theoretical Framework 30 Narrative Identity 30 Idem and Ipse 31 Ethical Aim 32 Mimesis 33 Three-Fold Mimesis 34 Succession of Generations 35 Imagination 36 Entrée to the Research Sites 39 Selected Conversation Partners 39 Research Categories 44 Research Questions 45 Data Collection: Research Conversations 46 Data Collection: Researcher’s Journal 46 Data Collection Timeline 46 Data Analysis 47 Pilot Study Summary 49 Background of the Researcher 53 Summary 55 1 CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION 57 Introduction 57 Narrative Identity 57 Ipse: Ethnic Consciousness 58 Ipse: Paths to Leadership 62 Narrative: Asian Pacific American Voice 64 Mimesis 67 Prefigured World: Shared History of Colonization 67 Tradition: Family Expectations and Saving Face 70 Imagination 74 Imagining Leadership: Succession of Generations 74 Imagining Solicitude: Asian Pacific American Unity 78 Summary 80 CHAPTER FIVE: DATA ANALYSIS 83 Introduction 83 Narrative Identity 84 Ipse and Leadership 84 Being the Other 84 Appropriating an Asian Pacific American Identity 85 Seeing Oneself Through the Gaze of Another 87 Narrative Voice and Leadership 89 Mimesis 91 History in the Present 92 Mimesis1 and Colonization 92 Mimesis1 and Cultural Tradition 94 Imagination 96 Re-Remembering Legacies of Leadership 97 Re-Imagining Solidarity as Solicitude 100 Summary 102 CHAPTER SIX: RESEARCH FINDINGS AND IMPLICATIONS 104 Introduction 104 Summary of the Research 104 Research Findings 106 Implications for Practice 108 Suggestions for Future Research 109 Conclusion 111 Personal Reflections from the Researcher 112 BIBLIOGRAPHY 117 Books, Journals, and Papers 117 2 Internet Sources 122 APPENDIX A: IRBPHS APPROVAL LETTER 124 APPENDIX B: RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS 126 APPENDIX C: LETTER OF INVITATION TO PARTICIPANT 127 APPENDIX D: LETTER OF CONFIRMATION AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS 128 APPENDIX E: FOLLOW-UP LETTER 129 APPENDIX F: PILOT STUDY AND CONVERSATION TRANSCRIPT 130 TABLE OF FIGURES Figure 1: Mamta Accapadi 40 Figure 2: JoAnn Fields 41 Figure 3: Theresa Humphrey 41 Figure 4: Cheryl Ka’uhane Lupenui 42 Figure 5: Lee Ann Kim 42 Figure 6: Vicky Lagula 43 Figure 7: Doua Thor 43 Table 1: Research Category and Research Question Guides 45 3 CHAPTER ONE FOCUS OF THE RESEARCH Introduction Japanese American activist, Yuri Kochiyama (born Mary Nakahara), has been described as “the activists' activist…the Asian American North Star...our godmother, our justification, our revered elder and sacred crone” (Hyphen Magazine 2009). Although she is recognized primarily for her friendship with Malcolm X (she held his head after he was assassinated), Kochiyama has been involved in numerous liberation movements. She was at the forefront of the reparations demands for Japanese Americans (she was a detainee), Puerto Rican Independence, and Black Power Movement. She also served as an early supporter and respected mentor to grassroots leaders who started the Asian American Movement (Fujino 2005:xxiv). Even in her eighties, she continues to be an activist, protesting wars and human rights violations (Talk Story with Yuri Kochiyama 2008). Despite her vocal and visible leadership, very few people outside of the Asian American and African American communities know her story. This