The University of San Francisco USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center Doctoral Dissertations Theses, Dissertations, Capstones and Projects 12-2019 Splinters from the Bamboo Ceiling: Understanding the Experiences of Asian American Men in Higher Education Leadership Jerald Adamos Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.usfca.edu/diss Part of the Asian American Studies Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, and the Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons SPLINTERS FROM THE BAMBOO CEILING: UNDERSTANDING THE EXPERIENCES OF ASIAN AMERICAN MEN IN HIGHER EDUCATION LEADERSHIP A Dissertation Presented to The Faculty of the School of Education Department of Leadership Studies Organization & Leadership Program In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education by Jerald L. Adamos San Francisco December 2019 ii ABSTRACT Splinters from the Bamboo Ceiling: Understanding the Experiences of Asian American Men in Higher Education Leadership Asian Americans continue to confront perceptions connected to the perpetual foreigner and model minority concepts which challenges their acceptance as leaders in mainstream American culture. Asian men have recently been able to attain higher levels of education that opens doors to higher level positions and organizations yet still face barriers to career advancement opportunities. In consideration of the American higher education system, Whites continue to exceed their proportional representation in areas of the institution while Asian Americans do not. The purpose of this study is to understand how the intersection of racial and gender identity has influenced leadership through the experiences of male, Asian American higher administrators in American colleges and universities. This qualitative, phenomenological study involved recruiting 13 participants through purposeful sampling processes and snowball sampling, identifying Asian American men in American higher education leadership or managerial roles with a minimum of 10 years of experience. Various findings emerged as each primary question was analyzed. Themes that include: (a) isolation, (b) overcompensation, (c) added responsibility, and (d) continued discrimination assisted to uncover any advantages or disadvantages that come with identifying as both Asian American and male in higher education leadership. In addition, themes such as: (a) unconscious use of privilege, (b) race as an added layer, (c) assertiveness, (d) queerness, and (e) understanding barriers for women, illuminated how characteristics of masculinity affect the experiences of the participants. Continually, iii concepts such as: (a) bamboo ceiling, (b) invalidation as a racial minority, (c) anti- blackness, and (d) geographic location were all indicated as aspects connected to racism experienced by the participants. Finally, in understanding how Asian American male leaders navigate barriers to career advancement in higher education the following topics were shared: (a) mentorship, networking, and sponsorship, (b) education, (c) professional development opportunities, (d) negotiating authenticity, (e) combatting stereotypes, (f) determining fit, and (g) perceptions of multicultural affairs. The data collected in this study revealed the prevalence of White supremacy and hegemonic masculinity and their influences on the leadership structures in higher education. For Asian American men, their racial and gender identities compound themselves to create different forms of discrimination that are not as understood within conventional ways of thinking about racism and male privilege. iv 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. Jerald L. Adamos November 19, 2019 Candidate Date Dissertation Committee Dr. Genevieve Negron-Gonzales November 19, 2019 Chairperson Dr. Danfeng Koon November 19, 2019 Dr. James Zarsadiaz November 19, 2019 v DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to the Asian American men who shared their time and authentic truths about their leadership experiences over the years with me. Your willingness to participate helped make this work possible. Recognizing the many Asian Americans who have given my generation the strength and persistence to exist, I hope to inspire the next generation of Asian Americans to continue this important and ever- evolving work. vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This dissertation was a labor of love, validation, and resilience. In this acknowledgement, it is almost impossible to illustrate the significant amount of gratitude and pride I possess from knowing how much my community has raised and uplifted me throughout this process, but the completion of this degree and study would not have been possible without your constant love and support. My parents came to this country with a dream to have their children be successful and like many Asian families, they hoped to have at least one of their kids become a doctor. I am thrilled to help make their American dream a reality. Thank you, mom and dad, for always being proud parents of who I am and what I do. I know it is hard to support a kid who experienced life differently than you but it was more than enough because it helped us get here today. I love you both so much and hope to always make you proud because you both earned it. To Kuya Jeff, Kuya Jovin, and Marie – You’ve taught me so much through the years and have put me in my place so many times, but the consistency of your presence has always been appreciated. Thank you for being such a powerful influence on me. I hope your little brother has made you proud. To Jasmine and Jojo – You don’t know how much my absence in your life killed me through the years. I missed out on watching you both become the beautiful young adults you are today but whenever I came home to you, it never felt like we lost any time together. I hope you understand the importance of my work someday and that it aids in making your futures better than the ones we live in today. I can’t wait to see the next steps you take in your lives. I love you so so much. vii To my JJD brothers and my BUDS – Growing up in our community wasn’t easy for me as I explored who I was. Fast forward to now, I can’t thank you enough for your consistent friendship through the years. I know too many people today that grew up without that kind of support and if I’m being honest, your acceptance probably saved me from some harmful decisions. Our relationships withstood the test of time and I know Jasmin is blessing us with her love from above. To the One and Only Vegas Crew – You are the impetus that created this pathway for me. The work we did as leaders on PAC Modern in the dance community during our generation not only brought us together, but we also helped transform and influence the dancers that came after us. Without you all, I wouldn’t have found my passion. We’ve all moved forward in our lives but our collective winnings have always grounded us, making it so easy to appreciate and celebrate heavily together. I am forever grateful for the friendship we’ve continued through the years and am sure it can only grow stronger. To my LA/Bay Boyz - Thank you for your willingness to include me in everything. You gave me the balance I needed to not lose my mind and also endured my craziness through it all. Had it not been for you all, I would have not adjusted to life in the Bay Area so easily nor be open to this amazing community. You’ve challenged my concepts of manhood and continue to give me the courage to stand up for what’s right, even if it’s by myself. I am honored to be accepted as one of yours and you will all always be one of mine. To my mentors, colleagues, and both former and current students – This work is hard, but it is because of all of you that I continue to stay in this field and try to make a difference. You have all shaped me into the professional I am today and even with the viii many bad times, we had so many good times to share. To Cindy and Latana – you have been such a dream team to work with and I could not have done it without your support, especially when things spiraled for me, which was very often. I am so proud of our leadership and am even more grateful for the time you’ve invested on me. Thank you to my committee – Dr. Danfeng Koon and Dr. James Zarsadiaz for pushing me to make my study useful for my community. I have so much pride in what we’ve accomplished, and you never let me settle for anything less. Lastly, I wanted to give a special thank you to my chair, Dr. Genevieve Negron-Gonzales – you’ve pushed me to face my ignorance and because of you, I cannot unsee the world through what you’ve taught me and you’ve given me such a big responsibility to make the world a better place. I hope I do you justice. Lastly, I love you grandma for continuing to bestow the strength and wisdom I need to succeed from above. You have always been with me in my heart and in my mind and I wish you were still with us to see your apo and what we’ve done for the family. Thank you to everyone who has supported me on this journey, this accomplishment is definitely for us. ix TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ ii SIGNATURE PAGE ......................................................................................................... iv DEDICATION .................................................................................................................... v ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ................................................................................................