Hyphenated Identity and Negotiated Intersectionality: A Memoir of A First-Generation Nigerian-American Male Teacher in An Inner City Title I Elementary School in Georgia

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Hyphenated Identity and Negotiated Intersectionality: A Memoir of a First-Generation Nigerian-American Male Teacher in an Inner City Title 1 Elementary School in Georgia

This dissertation is a memoir where I tell my stories of negotiating cultures, races, ethnicities, and identities in Nigeria, and in the United States as a first-generation Nigeria American teacher in an inner-city elementary school in Georgia. As a labeled African American upon entry into the United States, I did not understand the meaning of being Black because everybody in Nigeria is Black. In becoming Black, I became racialized, marginalized, and lumped into the African American ethnicity. I was rejected for not being Black enough in the United States nor Nigerian enough in Nigeria. Theoretically, I draw upon a wide array of works such as Reframing Blackness and Black Solidarities (Dei, 2017), the Rhizome of Blackness (Ibrahim, 2014), Americana (Adichie, 2014), and critical race psychoanalysis regarding the complexity of Black identities (Fanon, 1952/2008). Methodologically, I draw from A River Forever Flowing (He, 2003), What It Means to An American (Walzer, 1996), The Education of a British Protected Child (Achebe, 2009), Home and Exile (Achebe, 2000), The Story of a Young South African Martyr and his Struggle to Raise Black Consciousness (Woods, 1978), I Write What I Like (M. Biko, 1978), Between the World and Me (Coates, 2015), and Floating in Most Peculiar Ways (Chude-Sokei, 2012). Five discoveries have emerged from my dissertation inquiry. Experiencing triple marginalization--marginalized in Nigeria as an Igbo, in America as Black, being perceived not to be Black enough as an African American nor as an Igbo/Nigerian American, I feel constantly displaced to be “neither here nor there” (He, 2003, 2010, 2022), which characterizes my Igbo/Nigerian cultural and linguistic existence as a 1st Generation Nigeria-American dwelling in-between languages, cultures, and identities ( Baldwin, 2008; Dubois, 2014; Ibrahim, 2014; Imoagene, 2019; Greer, 2013). Although my life experience of the ethnic, political, cultural, religious rivalries and divisive politics in Nigeria did not teach me anything about being Black in the United States, it has shown me that Igbo heritages need to be preserved, protected, and propagated as I struggle to thrive as a Nigeria-America. Linguistic and cultural differences within Black heritages are often obscured, homogenized, or ignored in mainstream curriculum theories, practice, and policies, which colonizes African Diasporas as we struggle for racial, linguistic, and social justice. Although composing a memoir to understand my life experiences in Nigeria, in the United States, and in-between is excruciatingly painful and emotional, it liberates to make meaning out of deep personal experiences which could not be expressed otherwise. There is an increasing need to develop an African Diaspora curriculum (Hall, 2022; King 2022) which draws from historical, cultural, and linguistic experiences of Africans as exemplified in literary texts by African authors to “legitimize [African heritages and] epistemologies,” foster the “wellbeing of African-descended people,” flourish “human freedom from dehumanizing” (King, 2022) schooling, and create hopes and dreams for all. INDEX WORDS: Hyphenated identity, Negotiated intersectionality, A First-Generation Nigerian-American Male Teacher, Memoi

Do Linguistic and Cultural Differences Impact Students\u27 Perceptions of Pedagogical Power?

Qualitative study about the impact of culture and linguistic differences are essential to improving understanding of the relationship between teacher accent, pronunciation and student’s conceptualization of key content objective. Whether this relationship is explored through the lenses of applied linguistic, relational approach to the intractability of language within a social milieu such as school, or informal settings, teachers are often left to rely on their own intuition with minimal direction, if any at all. Linguistic and cultural differences may impact the nature and use of language, phonetic, and the meanings attached to words used in daily instruction. Teachers of different cultural and linguistic competence(persuasion) may not necessarily follow established laws advocated by American linguists. On the other hand, each language has special and inherent characteristics. Since the languages are individual and separate in nature, the need for an impact study has become increasingly necessary. Although teachers of record with English as a second language tend to have rich educational experiences resulting from exposure to multiple cultures and learning across international boundaries, yet linguistic and cultural differences tend to limit their influence or negatively impact the perception of student about their pedagogical power. The following questions will be explored: (1) Does the way the teachers words sound, how those words are formed or combination of sounds arranged in a sentence including the method by which the meanings are attached to particular words have significant impact on student’s perception of the teacher’s pedagogical power? (2) Does linguistic and cultural differences influence how students learn or conceptualize? This study will evaluate the nature and scope of this relationship to ascertain whether a negative or positive perception is predictive of student success or the lack of, has much to offer teachers and students in respect of learning outcomes, identifying appropriate pedagogical priorities for classroo

DEVELOPMENT OF AN INDIGENOUSLY MADE DIESEL INJECTOR TESTER

This work entails the design and construction of a diesel injector tester for proper spray pattern, leakages and pressure inspection. The mechanism is important as the injection system requires greater manufacturing precision and tight tolerance for the system to function efficiently. A diesel injector tester was designed with CREO Parametric CAD software after which the real hardware prototype was developed. The machine was tested and its performance was evaluated through the spray, pressure and leakage tests, respectively, as it worked perfectly. Conclusively, the machine was successfully completed having a unique ability of being modified as it can be utilized in any automobile workshop for proper diagnosis. Necessary recommendations were later made

Composite Counterstories~Memoir~Oral Histories~Ethnography with Young Children

This is a continuation of dialogue on pushing methodological boundaries as we continue to research on the counternarratives of curriculum of schools, neighborhoods, and communities in the U. S. South. In this session, a group of researchers present their dissertation works-in-progress. These researchers use composite counterstories (Solórzano & Yosso, 2002; Yosso, 2006; also, He & Ross, 2012; He, Ross, & Seay, 2015), memoir (Barrington, 1997; Birkerts, 2008; Ledoux, 1993; Roorbach, 2008; Zinsser, 1995, 2004), oral histories (Brown, 1988; Leavy, 2011; Ritchie, 2003) and ethnography (Clifford, 1977, 1988, 1997; Clifford & Marcus, 1986/2010; Madison, 2020; Marcus, 1998; Spradley, 1979, 1980; Van Maanen, 1988, 1995; Wolcott, 1999/2008) with young children as forms of curriculum inquiry into a wide array of topics such as Black skin, darkened curriculum: the Black children’s experience of mainstream schooling in racialized systems in the U. S. South; a memoir: being mixed, Black and Filipino, and multiracial in the U. S. South Georgia middle school; oral histories of Willow Hill Elementary--a historically Black school in Georgia; hyphenated identity and negotiated intersectionality: a memoir of a firstgeneration Nigerian-American male teacher in an inner city Title I elementary school in Georgia; educating Black males in Black-lives-matter movement space; counterstories: Back male teachers in rural Georgia; hearing silent voices: counternarratives of African American students overrepresented in special education programs in urban schools in Georgia; developing the culturally responsive/relevant/sustaining third-grade social studies curriculum: an ethnographic inquiry; doing ethnographic research with young children through multicultural children literature. These researchers explore creative ways to push methodological boundaries, perform dissertation writing and liberate academic writing by diving into life, writing into contradictions, and living against oppressions in schools, families, and communities in the U. S. South. Theoretical traditions and modes of expression are particularly explored. Innovative writings engendered from the inquiries will be demonstrated. Potentials, challenges, and future directions of creative inquiries and representations will be discussed

Part I & 2: Diving into Life and Writing into Contradictions​

In this dissertation works-in-progress session, a group of researchers present their dissertation studies on a wide array of topics such as Black children’s experience of racialized mainstream schooling in the US South; how Black high school males’ experience of the mainstream curriculum informs our ways of developing a culturally sustaining pedagogy; developing culturally sustaining pedagogy for African American students in rural Georgia; and oral histories of Black students and their descendants in the Willow Hill School in rural Georgia. These researchers explore creative ways to push methodological boundaries, perform dissertation writing, and liberate academic writing by diving into life and writing into contradiction in schools, families, and communities in the U. S. South. Through visual, graphic, multimedia, and performative presentations, the presenters will illustrate diverse forms of dissertation research and representations such as counternarratives, digital ethnography, critical race narrative inquiry, critical geography/critical dis/ability studies, critical portraiture, memoir, oral history, painting, dance, fiction, poetry, spoken word, and play. Theoretical traditions, forms of inquiry, and modes of expression are particularly explored. Innovative writings engendered from the inquiries are demonstrated. Potentials, challenges, and future directions of these inquiries and representations are also discussed

Pushing Methodological Boundaries~Liberating Academic Writing

In this symposium, multiethnic researchers from Georgia Southern University’s Ed. D. in Curriculum Studies program explore creative ways to push methodological and representational boundaries to liberate dissertation writing by diving into life and writing into contradiction in schools, families, and communities in the U. S. South. Through visual/graphic/multimedia presentations, reader’s theater, fictional narrative, freedom songs, poems, spoken word, drama, and play, the presenters will illustrate diverse forms of dissertation research and representations such as cultural studies/multipersectival cultural studies, critical geography/critical dis/ability studies, critical race narrative inquiry, personal~passionate~participatory inquiry, auto/biographical inquiry/currere, critical narrative inquiry, cross-cultural narrative inquiry, narrative multicultural inquiry, critical race photographic narrative inquiry, critical multiracial/mixed racial fictional auto/biographical inquiry, ethnographical inquiry, visual methodologies, visual/digital/sensory ethnography, visual/performative/graphic/picture/fictional narrative, photovoice, soundwalk, mobile podcasting, geotagging, poetic inquiry, womanist currere, critical portraiture, oral history, aesthetic/art-based inquiry, counternarrative, subaltern, indigenous, documentary, critical geography, speculative essay, speculative fiction, speculative memoir, speculative play, speculative poetry, and painting. Innovative writings engendered from the inquiries will be also demonstrated. Potentials, challenges, and future directions of various inquiries and representations are also discussed. Individual Presentations Within the Session: Presentation #1: Push Methodological Boundaries~Performing Dissertation Research~Liberating Academic Writing Ming Fang He & Peggy Shannon-Baker, Georgia Southern University Presentation #2: Teaching with Passion and Compassion in An Era of Fear, Injustice, and Political Uncertainty: A Narrative Inquiry into Elementary Teachers’ Experience in Georgia Erin Scroggs, Georgia Southern University Presentation #3: Black Skin, Darkened Curriculum: The Black Children’s Experience of Mainstream Schooling in Racialized Systems in the U. S. South Chanda Hadiman, Georgia Southern University Presentation #4: A Memoir: Being Mixed, Black And Filipino, and Multiracial in the U. S. South Georgia Middle School Nicole Moss, Georgia Southern University Presentation #5: “Their HighestPotential:” Oral Histories of Willow Hill Elementary--A Historically Black School in Georgia Laquanda Love, Georgia Southern University Presentation #6: Black Mothers, Black Sons: A Memoir Alethea Coleman, Georgia Southern University Presentation #7: Hyphenated Identity and Negotiated Intersectionality: A Memoir of A First-Generation Nigerian-American Male Teacher in An Inner City Title I Elementary School in Georgia Gerald Nwachukwu, Georgia Southern University Presentation #8: Educating Black Males in Black-Lives-Matter Movement Space Kimberly Hollis, Georgia Southern University Presentation #9: Counterstories: Black Male Teachers in Rural Georgia Brittany Jones-Turman, Georgia Southern University Presentation #10: Dissertation-Works-in-Progress Amanda Gonzales, Janet Cooks, Carmen Baker, Andrea Cramsey, Khristian Cooper, Lucia Benzor, Marianna Louise Anderson, and Cynthia Smith, Georgia Southern Universit