About the Speaker: Taylor Masamitsu (they/he) is a PhD student studying Social Sciences and Education Policy with a graduate minor in Queer Studies. Taylor holds an EdM in diversity and equity in education from UIUC; an MA in music and music education from Columbia University, Teachers College; and a BFA in music performance with a minor in humanities from the California Institute of the Arts. www.taylormasamitsu.com
Talk Preview: Foregrounded in the position that identity negotiation is more than a happenstance reflection (or refraction) of one’s circumstances, this multi-pronged dissertation project aims to interrogate the in/actions that occur within two influential institutions (academia, statehouses) that (re)position queer Asian American subjects and subjectivities in formal and informal educational settings. This presentation provides a methodological justification for this approach, ultimately advocating for a people-centered conceptualization of institutional (and/or sociopolitical) power. I then propose specific methodological steps for an interdisciplinary study that connects education, ethnic studies, queer studies, and performance studies disciplines before reviewing some preliminary findings.
