Equity in action starts with a leader's critical consciousness in relation to their identities, ideologies, and positionalities. In this essay, the following factors: ideologies, identities, and positionalities are explained and emphasized as they are essential factors that impact equity work. Leaders who center equity must explore their own…

This chapter provides critical insights into transformative leadership, a leadership approach guided by equity, social justice, and emancipatory education, based on the practices of eight Asian American women in community college administration. The authors engaged in critical narrative inquiry and conducted semi-structured interviews with each…

The factors of identities, positionalities, and ideologies are critical on how leaders lead, guide, engage, and communicate with their constituencies to create equitable learning experiences for students. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to gain understanding of the experiences of three Asian American community college presidents'…

Background/Context: Community colleges are seen as malleable institutions that work closely with high schools, vocational programs, employers, and community organizations to provide an education for all members of their local community. As an extension of the community, the education provided must address larger social changes (i.e., Affirmative…

Home to the nation's largest Latinx (15 million), Asian American NHPI (almost 7 million) and the 5th largest Black (2.8 million) populations, California is our nation's most diverse and populous state. This diversity is one of the state's greatest assets, yet, representation of racially minoritized leaders in California's colleges and universities…

Home to the nation's largest Latinx (15 million), Asian American NHPI (almost 7 million) and the 5th largest Black (2.8 million) populations, California is the nation's most diverse and populous state. This diversity is one of the state's greatest assets, yet, representation of racially minoritized leaders in California's colleges and universities…

In January 2024, the Campaign for College Opportunity published the report "Still Left Out: How Exclusion In California's Colleges & Universities Continues To Hurt Our Values, Students, and Democracy." The report documents the lack of representation and diversity among the senior leadership, faculty, and academic senates in the…

In the wake of post-COVID-era anti-Asian hate, Asian American employees at a two-year community and technical college have been grappling with mental health challenges while steadfastly carrying out their responsibilities. The purpose of this study was help create a supportive system so Asian American employees could achieve their professional…

This basic qualitative study contributes to what is known about mentoring in higher education: the mentoring experiences of minority women leading in academic and student affairs at Pacific Island community colleges (PICC). This study examined the mentoring experiences of these minority women leaders and related mentorship to their leadership…

Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions can align their support systems for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students and veterans to create conditions for AAPI student veterans to thrive in college.

This study investigates the associations between institutional and labor market contexts and first-time community college enrollment patterns across racial and gender lines from 2017 to 2021. The findings demonstrate that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing racial and gendered disparities in community college access, particularly affecting…

Collaborations between 2- and 4-year funded AANAPISIs with shared student and community profiles offer unique opportunities to leverage resources to efficiently and effectively serve their students.

The purpose of this study was to explore the mentorship women of color leaders provide other women of color seeking leadership advancement in Student Services at California community colleges. Specifically, the interviews and observations were designed to capture the identity-conscious strategies, related to the intersection of race and gender,…

This qualitative research utilized the descriptive case study approach to examine the lived experiences of twelve 1.5- or 2.0-generation Hmong American women who occupy leadership positions in public schools (K-12) and colleges (community colleges, state colleges, and universities) in California. It delved into their gendered, racial,…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Asian Americans who became chief executive officers (CEOs) of a California Community College District. This study discussed the experiences, the influence of Asian culture, the perception of Asian Americans, and the challenges encountered by Asian American CEOs. To…