AAAL 2025: Invited Colloquium

 Contesting Boundaries and Identities in Applied Linguistics: Insights from Asian Diaspora Scholars, Activists, and Allies

Conveners:

Kevin Wong, Pepperdine University

Discussant: 

Trish Morita-Mullaney, Purdue University

Laxmi Prasad Ojha, Michigan State University 

Colloquium Abstract

This colloquium brings together diverse voices from within the Asian diaspora to explore the multifaceted nature of language, race, and culture in identity and applied linguistics research. The session consists of scholars, educators, creatives, and allies across different generations and roles in and out of academia, offering critical perspectives that contest boundaries of race and language in the Asian diaspora. In line with the conference theme of “relational accountability,” this session magnifies the voices of marginalized perspectives that are often on the fringe in applied linguistics research. Specifically, we will hear from dyads working with immigrant deaf students of color, transformative family and community engagement among immigrant and refugee populations, the work of the Teachers College Black and Asian Solidarity Collective, and local advocacy efforts by the Colorado Asia Pacific United group.

The format of the two-hour session will include dialogic presentations from four pairs of speakers, followed by a panel discussion, and concluding with audience engagement. Presenters have been asked to present in pairs, representing varying perspectives, voices, partnerships, and experiences. We aim to create a generative space for dialogue that challenges existing paradigms and promotes a more inclusive understanding of identity and community in applied linguistics. 

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