Recognizing respondents’ ways of being and knowing: lessons un/learned in researching Asian immigrant and Asian‐American teachers

This paper examines the productive challenges of researching communities one identifies with and calls for the need to consider race/ethnic interpretations of research methods. By examining participants’ perspectives on research, the author argues for the need to further consider culturally appropriate ways of researching communities of color. Drawing on his research with Asian immigrant and Asian‐American teachers, the author describes the challenges he faced in negotiating access and conducting interviews with participants. This discussion proposes that researchers consider the multiple ways they are positioned in fieldwork. It similarly argues that by fully recognizing respondents’ ways of being, researchers can engage in ethical research practices.