Mingyi Li

Ph.D. student, scholarship holder in language and literacies teaching
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
[email protected]

I am a first year Ph.D. student in the language and literacies program at OISE/UofT. During my master’s at OISE, I explored how Western influence affected Chinese doctoral students’ understanding of the West before they arrived in Canada, as well as their decision to choose Canada as a destination to advance their academic career.

Although my master’s thesis focused on the cultural awareness and identity development of a specific group of students who came to Canada as young people, I am still aware of the vital role of language education in training students to understand their culture and identity, as well as how language teaching can perpetuate stereotypes and deficient thinking towards marginalized students. Language always carries culture.

Recent studies have revealed that the implementation of language education policy can negatively impact marginalized communities and Indigenous peoples by promoting and maintaining white supremacy in political discourse. In my doctoral study, I am interested in the intersection of language education policy and linguistic hierarchy in Canada, more specifically racial and linguistic hierarchy in political discourse.

Works

Li, M (2022). Anti-Asian Racism at the University of Toronto. Education of Asian Canadians
Network (ACENet) https://www.acenetedu.ca/post/anti-asian-racism-at-the-university-of-toronto.

Luu, KN, Reid, M., Kang, P., Brittain, P., Li, M., Deki, K. (in press). Asian educators’ experiences during COVID-19: How rising anti-Asian hatred has impacted Asian Canadian teachers and leaders. Asian Canadian Educators Network (ACENet).

Deki, K., Reid, M., Luu, KN, Brittain, P. and Li, M. (in press). Examination of official Canadian university responses to the Atlanta murders that targeted Asian women. Asian Canadian Educators Network (ACENet).

Li, M., Luu, KN, Reid., M., Kang, P., Brittain, P. and Deki, K. (in press). Experiences of Chinese international high school students in their host families. Asian Canadian Educators Network (ACENet).