Diaspora & Community: AAPI Affinity Group

Join Jessica and Georgia for an episode with Jason Trinh and Santi Khairassame who ran ISTE’s Asian Pacific Islander Affinity Group at the 2024 conference.

Check out the Foundations and Futures: Asian American and Pacific Islander Multimedia Textbook.

Transcript

The Edge API Affinity Group

Georgia Terlaje: [00:00:00] It's time for The Edge, a podcast brought to you by ISTE community leaders. Whether you're a teacher, an administrator, or someone that simply loves education, fasten your seatbelts because this podcast is tailor made for you. Join us as we dive into the world of education, sharing inspiring tales of innovation, passion, and change directly from those on the front lines.

In the episodes to come, we'll highlight the incredible dedication and creativity that drive transformation in the field of learning. Buckle up and brace yourself for an adventure. Coming up today, we're circling back to our conversations highlighting ISTE Affinity Groups. I'm one of your community leader hosts, Georgia Terlahi.

I'm a former TK5 instructional coach and an educator of 36 years, and I'm here with my favorite partner in crime, Jessica Pack. 

Jessica Pack: Thank you, Georgia. I am so excited to be hanging out with you again. I'm Jessica Pack, a middle school teacher and an ISTE author, and I'm really excited for today's episode because we are going [00:01:00] to discuss the role of affinity groups in the ISTE community.

And today in particular, we're going to focus on the Asian Pacific Islander affinity groups. So we're really excited to be joined by our fellow ISTE community leader, Santi Kurasami. Welcome to The Edge. 

Santi Khairassame: Oh, good. Thank you. 

Jessica Pack: And you brought a guest today as well. So, we have two amazing people joining us.

Could you introduce yourself and introduce your guest? 

Santi Khairassame: Yeah thank you, Jessica, Georgia. Thank you for having us. My name is Santi Karasamy. I'm the founder of a EdTech company called Project Resus, based in New York City. And yes, I helped organize the Asian Pacific Islander Affinity Group the past two ISTEs, and I'm joined by a good friend, amazing colleague of mine, Jason.

Jason, go ahead. Tell us a little about yourself, man. 

Jason Trin: All right. Hi, everybody. My name is Jason Trinh. By day, I am a program coordinator in the Toronto District School Board, where I organize EdTech [00:02:00] at a district level. And thanks for the invitation to be here. And I've been a part of the Asian Academy.

Pacific Islander affinity group for the past to ISTE sort of helping behind the scenes. So I'm glad to lend in my voice into the conversation. 

Georgia Terlaje: Awesome. So to get started, we like to kind of ask people's origin stories particularly like Santi and Jason, how did you come to work together to ISTE, to the CL group?

How did that all come to be? 

Santi Khairassame: Yeah, I can kick it off and Jason, you can fill fill in the gaps. I believe we met during our Google Innovator Academy. That was that was the first time we met. So Jason, I were selected to be certified Google innovators back in 2017 in Washington, D. C. Related to this conversation.

I don't meet that many. Asian educators. And so I, I, I noticed I have an Asian radar. I noticed him right away. And he's, he's a funny dude as people from Canada are, you know hilarious. And you know, I think we hit it off. And then from there we just, [00:03:00] you know, I think as we all know, the ed tech space is very small.

I think we see a lot of the same faces in the same spaces. And I would see Jason at a lot of conferences and we've, we've collaborated on a lot of. A lot of sessions together. We've, we've done a few ISTE talks together and yeah, really, really happy to have him here. Jason, did I, did I miss anything, man?

Jason Trin: No, no. I think, I think you hit the nail on the head where like often when you sort of meet people in different circumstances, whether it's like at the ISTE conference or being fellow community leaders or other groups like Google Innovator or whatever, maybe I feel like, you know, when it comes to like race and identity, often, you know, that is a bridge where you feel like you have a bit of a connection to begin with, right?

Because there's a, there's a lot of things that don't need to be said that are understood. And I think that's what, what, that's what, that's what happened. Like as, as Asante mentioned in that Google innovator cohort, I think it was actually one of the most diverse cohorts there's, there's ever been.

And, and there, that was a moment for me realizing, you know, The [00:04:00] importance of, you know, identity when it comes to being an educator. So whether you're an educator supporting other educators, you're educating the classroom, supporting your students. I think when it comes to identity, it really needs to be at the forefront because it really shapes how you move through this world.

Or better for worse, and I really think that, yeah, like the work that we have done together, you know has been focused on our identity. Like I saw, he mentioned us we're able to present a lightning talk together. One of those is teas. That was like the fully virtual ones. So it was a different experience, but that was a really proud moment just to be able to, you know, really put identity as a forefront of a topic.

Because it's important in education to really think about who our learners are. 

Santi Khairassame: Yeah. And, and to build up off. Like just the importance of identity. So that lightning talk was, it was, it was beyond. Like race, it was about being a parent, right? It was, it was called digital dads. And when we hit record Jessica, you were telling us about, like, you have a two year old as well.

And I feel like whenever I meet parents, especially [00:05:00] with those, like with kids under the age of five, I feel like we're in this club, this like no sleep, always tired club. And so related to what you were saying, Jason, it's like, you know, when, when you see these similarities. In regards to your identity, yeah, there's a lot of like unspoken sort of like, like a bond there.

Jessica Pack: So is that really the mission of the affinity groups within ISTE then, is to provide space for those bonds to occur and those connections to be made? 

Santi Khairassame: Yeah, no, absolutely. Jason, did you want to, Yeah, 

Jason Trin: that's exactly right. I feel like ISTE is such a large organization. When you go to, I still remember my very first ISTE Live.

I was like walking into The, the opening main stage is my first big ISTE and it's overwhelming the scale of things. So imagine trying to make those personal connections in a space like that. And just like you know, what the Google Innovator Academy did for Santi and I, I think these affinity groups do the same thing, right?

They give a reason for [00:06:00] folks to come together. And once they're there. It's where, you know, we develop those relationships, develop those connections. And I, yeah, from the last Affinity Group that happened in Denver, I still am in contact, you know, with some of the folks that I met, that I had conversations with.

Santi Khairassame: And, and to build off just like how, how grand the conference is, you know, I, sometimes I, I forget. Like the I in ISTE, it's international. And so that just like makes the scale of everything like so much larger. And so I think it really underscores the importance for these affinity groups to create these welcoming spaces and spaces to like, you know, find intersectionalities, find a buddy, you know, to, to go to these sessions with and, and keep in contact.

Georgia Terlaje: So kind of like shifting our lens to like what you. You guys do with students in the classroom. What are you finding some of the unique challenges that educators and students have that are Asian Pacific Islanders in the educational communities today? 

Santi Khairassame: I'll, I'll share something. So I think this is [00:07:00] related to, I guess, like being in like an Asian person, a person in an Asian person in America, this idea of representation.

I don't see that many Asian educators. I think you know, one of the stereotypes is that, like, many Asian people go into other industries, whatever, computer, technology, science, et cetera and so, yes, I think there's an issue of representation, and so I think that underscores the importance even more of, like, gathering this group of Asian educators and amplifying those voices and hopefully inspiring other, you know, individuals to, to come to education also so that, that, that's top of mind for me.

Jason Trin: I, I think for me looking at our students Asia, being Asian is such a big umbrella. It's not a monolith. And I, I know like the Lunar New Year is coming up next week it's on January 29th and one of the things that I work with my students that when I was in the classroom is really understanding what that day is because it's actually celebrated by multiple Asian groups.

So often [00:08:00] people have to call Lunar New Year Chinese New Year, but it's also the Korean New Year. It's also the Vietnamese New Year or the umbrella term is Lunar New Year. So understanding, you know, I've seen understanding as soon as this is important and understanding that, that, that, that it's not a monolith.

Like I've often seen and worked with educators now as like a coordinator and coach where, you know, they've, they've created a great, you know, provocation around Chinese New Year. But only a small percentage of their students are Chinese. So you're, you're missing the mark a little bit, you know, I understand the intention about celebrating student identity, but we've got to get it right.

When it really, when it comes to working with our students, like missing it by a mark does, you know, could, could be harmful to our students. It could be, you know, making us not feel seen. So it's important to really, to really understand that. And that's, and that's one of the big challenges is that Asia being such a big diaspora, you know it, it's challenging, right?

Asia as a continent includes so many different regions. And to Santi's point, like, [00:09:00] The layers of identity and nationality are important as well, like being Asian American and is different than being an Asian Canadian, which I am. So even, you know, those different layers are important and I think that's one of the challenges that educators face is like really taking the time and asking the right questions and finding that, finding out that information about each of their students.

Jessica Pack: I think you have a really great point about intent and how that can really only carry you so far. And then it's about, you know, the real boots on the ground learning of what does a really inclusive space look like in classrooms, in school buildings as a whole. And we're sort of talking about the context of ISTE, but a lot of our listeners are educators in the classroom.

What other advice do you have for them for building a space that's more inclusive of Asian Pacific Islander students?

Jason Trin: I'll start if that's okay I think it's a perfect opportunity to, to, [00:10:00] to do some learning for yourself. Right. I feel like there is a lot of information that's presented to you you know, that you can sort of start to do your own learning about you know, AI. Chatbots can be your best friends here but with that, understanding that, you know, that educators need to discern that information for themselves and do that fact checking and, and make sure that, you know, stereotypes are not perpetuated.

So I think your self learning is your first step, but I think the second part is then inviting folks from the community to help you sort of further develop that understanding. I think this is a great invitation to, you know, to reach out to your students families, be it parents, caregivers, guardians, aunties, uncles.

Grandmas, like thinking about those events that happen when I bring the community together is an opportunity to bring, you know, those different attributes to, to, to the conversation. And I think the third piece is that we want to make sure that we don't ever. make our students have to be the expert.

You know, getting to know your students is important, but having them become the expert in the classroom [00:11:00] isn't a burden that they need to hold. They may not have the right language or the information or feel comfortable doing that. And I think, you know, to make that student, you know be the educator, the expert and for everybody sometimes can be a challenge.

So those are the, that, those are some of the tips I would provide for educators is really, it's a multi pronged approach. And again, there's no one size fits all just, just recognizing that, that, that, yeah, the Asian Pacific Islander umbrella is quite, quite diverse. 

Santi Khairassame: That's well said, Jason. And I just want to sort of like build off like this, this like emphasis on AI.

I mean, we all have an assistant in our pocket now that can like really help us tailor our lessons and our insights directly to our students and their experiences. So I think that's a, that's a great place to start. And there's, you know, we're all connected now via the internet, etc. So bringing in, you know, experiences, you know, community based organizations.

I think it's easier now than it has ever before, so there are a lot of opportunities to have these conversations and to help our students feel seen. [00:12:00] 

Georgia Terlaje: What's some advice you could give leaders and administrators to help create more inclusive spaces? It sounds like you're doing really interesting things in the classroom, but what would, or what would you like in an ideal world to see administrators and leaders doing to support the work?

Santi Khairassame: I'll share something. So, you know, living in New York, similar to Toronto. You know, I work in a lot of schools that are very diverse, and some of the schools have amazing leaders that are giving students space to create affinity groups, completely related to what we're talking about. My wife is actually an assistant principal at a very diverse high school, and, you know, we're just discussing like the different affinity groups for all of the different, you know, ethnic backgrounds, etc.

at her school. And I think especially at that age, at like high school or, you know, within K 12, there's a need for that. It's important. So I think as school leaders, if you're giving your students and your administrators and your teachers space to build those communities for your students, I think that's going to go a long way.[00:13:00] 

Jason Trin: I think my suggestion is going to take a look at, you know, our school administrators being the leaders building capacity. Teachers who, who would, who identify as Asian. I think recognizing and, and supporting the leadership journeys of teachers is important. Because I feel like when, when, you know, as a teacher you have lots of control over your classroom, but, but when it comes to like district policies and procedures or school policies and procedures, having a seat at the table is important.

So I, I would, I, I would suggest for administrators to really, to look at your leadership teams, look at the pathways for leadership growth and development. Are those opportunities equitable to all, you know, all groups and, you know, and ensuring that, you know, that, that, that, that there are seats at the table for, you know, influencing what happens within the school.

So maybe to Santi's point, like, you know, those affinity groups do need a champion and maybe are there teachers that can take leadership roles to be able to support that and support their colleagues and their students. [00:14:00] 

Santi Khairassame: And may I just, just one more thing to that and it's in regard to curriculum. So growing up.

I what do I remember learning about Asians in school like the Chinese railroads, and I think that's about it. You know there's so much more information out there again to Jason's point like we are not a monolith. There are so many different stories and perspectives in regards to the Asian experience.

An individual that I met at our affinity group last year is working with UCLA and they're they're building something incredible. It's a multimedia textbook on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. It's a free online textbook. Unfortunately, centric centered around the American experience, but I think this is a great start to finding like these stories and amplifying these voices.

I'll share it with, with you. Maybe we can put the link to that in the the show notes, but I think that, that, that's another. Sort of like step that the school leaders can do sort of like offer these resources for, for curriculum. 

Jessica Pack: Are there other successful [00:15:00] programs or practices or stories of like school cultural shift that you've heard from your affinity group members that you feel like maybe Listeners can learn from

Santi Khairassame: that, that, that to me, that was the main thing, the fact that like they're building this textbook. Jason, did you, does anything come to mind? 

Jason Trin: I'm trying to think and I think the hard thing is that like, I think the conversations I had at these affinity groups often was that I think there was these grand plans of like trying to lead initiatives, but I felt like a lot of the conversation was that, that many of these educators who identifies Asian Pacific Islanders were actually felt isolated.

So often, you know, as Santi mentioned, you know, there might be a under representation of Asian identifying educators in the workforce, and often, you know, you might be a handful of identifying that way at a school, or the only one at a school. So I felt like a lot of the conversations we had were, you know, of isolation and it was [00:16:00] really powerful to have educators together to share similar stories.

And it's one of those things, you know like often, you know, you, you, you, like when you, when you start to like articulate how you feel often in your mind when you're by yourself, you think, Oh, is this, is it just me? Is it, is it something that I'm doing? Is it just, you know, is it just a me problem? But when you begin to share and have a space to share out.

You realize people are saying like, oh that, I feel that way too. Or, you know, I was there as well and I got through it. So I felt like, I don't have those stories of, of, of, you know, success and celebration at this point. But I think, you know, that was sort of, and that, that's sort of the thing that, why we have importance of affinity groups is that you don't feel, you feel less alone and you don't feel so weird.

That it's just you. So yeah, so I hope that, you know, as we head into the third year of this affinity group that we begin to hear more stories of, of, of [00:17:00] like successes, of, of, of, of, of projects. But I think, I think it's at that point where we're not there, we're not there yet. I think a lot of people are.

Seeking these affinity groups to find a space that they feel seen and heard and I think with that, that, that builds a community and with community, then you can make those big shifts in, in the education landscape. 

Georgia Terlaje: And I, I think these, these kind of conversations that can go out to everyone are really important because I, I mean, for myself, Selfishly, having had several affinity groups on and having conversations has enlightened me and made me more aware of maybe things I didn't realize people were going through at their school sites of the isolation and feeling like the only one and having to be the token for that group.

So I, I appreciate. I guess you guys being willing to share your journey and what's happened because that helps educate me and hopefully will educate other [00:18:00] people so that we all realize, you know, we're all in different places, but ultimately we're all human. And hopefully we can support each other to you, you had mentioned, you know, being at ISTE the last two years It's the 2025 will be coming up before we know it, because as we know, we blink and all of a sudden it's June up.

What do you have some ideas of things you're noodling around or concrete things you have planned for this year's? It's the and your affinity group. 

Santi Khairassame: Yeah, so building off what Jason said, you know when I reflect on like what our meeting was like last time It seemed like a lot of catharsis and almost like, you know therapy sharing, you know, our stories and like our challenges you know tears were shed and I think it was like super powerful.

I would really love for For this coming ti to be a, a little bit more upbeat, like definitely, you know, still making space for these serious con these more serious conversations. But you know, ethnically, I'm, I'm tying Filipino and [00:19:00] I don't know Filipinos, they're known to party. You know, they, they love a little karaoke.

They live a little love a little line dancing. So I'm hoping to add some of, some of that. mix. I, I know Matthew was a, is a also retired DJ like myself. So I would like for it to be a little bit more jubilant and, and, and very communal. 

Jason Trin: I think for me, I would love to spotlight You know, educators that are presenting in the various sessions.

I know ISTE does a great job of finding those featured voices but often sometimes who, like, the first, like for sometimes, for some educators there's, this is their first ISTE, you know, or sometimes they just only attend and they never present it. I think there are, like, you know, to be a featured voice you need to be in, you know, Offering multiple sessions and various types, but if you're doing going to SD and doing your very first poster I would love to be able to share an easy way Maybe that's through connect or other means almost creating a list of like feature voices of educators who identify as Asian So that way you have a way to find those successes the small wins and the small moments to [00:20:00] be able to support each other And I think that's, that's one of the things that is the wayfinding at ISTE that is always so challenging, right?

There's, there's so many different sessions. And I know this year with ASCD having our co located conference, it's going to even be a bigger event. So I think that's one of the things that I, I would love to be able to do is to really like help the wayfinding for, for, you know, natural collisions of Asian Pacific Islanders together so that, you know, we can celebrate each other's successes, whether it's your first ISTE.

your 10th ISTE. It's, it's different every single year. And I think that, that, that's a key thing is that the affinity group is one moment that, that meeting that we have, but I think there's opportunities to make more moments throughout the multiple days of the conference. 

Jessica Pack: I think that sounds like a great strategy to be able to share all of the sessions that and I really hope you guys share that on Connect because I would love to make that a focal point for my ISTE this year.

This has been a really powerful conversation, and we [00:21:00] so appreciate your time and stopping by and talking with us. To your point of connecting further at ISTE among your community, would you mind sharing maybe your socials or a way that interested educators could reach out to you, particularly if they want to partake in the affinity group this year?

Santi Khairassame: Hey Jason, do you want to start? 

Jason Trin: Sure. So on, on socially, socially, is that, is that a word? It's nice. JasonTries is sort of the tagline you'll find. So JasonTries. com or at JasonTries on all social media platforms. You can find me on Connect as well. So love to connect and, and, and work and share what, what I'm doing and, and connect at ISTE as well.

Santi Khairassame: Yeah. And you can find me Santi Ami my handle is Project Recess on Blue Sky. As well as the other, the other media platforms. I'm sure our information will be linked on the in the show notes, right, ? 

Jessica Pack: Yes, definitely. . Thank you so much for joining us again here on The Edge.

That [00:22:00] wraps up this episode, and we hope you had a wonderful time. My name is Jessica, and you can find me at Packwoman208 on Xthreads and Instagram. 

Georgia Terlaje: And I'm Georgia Cherlahi, and you can find me at Georgia Cherlahi on Blue Sky, and both of us at StorytellingSavesTheWorld. com. 

Jessica Pack: On behalf of everyone here at the ISTE's The Edge podcast, remember to keep exploring your passion, fostering your creativity, and continue taking risks.

All things that can bring you to the edge.