“The Elusive Asian American Self:

Authority in the Intercultural Classroom”

By Celestine Woo

• As a graduate student, Woo, an Asian American, realized she had difficulty asserting authority
and originality in her writing. This realization led her to question cultural assumptions
underlying modes of education, particularly the two outlined by Paulo Freire:

1) “banking” mode – characterizes students as passive,

unimaginative, lazy, and in need of direct guidance by
the teacher; “learning” occurs mainly through
memorization; the teacher is the main authority.

2) “problem-posing” mode – characterized by students’

self-expression and questioning of authority; focuses
on active, student-centered learning; teacher is more
of a facilitator; the student has authority over
learning.

• According to Woo, an emphasis on the problem-posing mode may become problematic when
viewed through a cultural lens. Many international students have cultural backgrounds that
view the teacher as the sole authority and frown upon questioning of authority and overt self
expression.

• American culture, on the other hand, typically characterizes the ability to question authority,
express oneself, and generate “original” ideas as indicators of intelligence, drive, motivation,
focus, and potential for success. Therefore, American instructors often use the problem-
posing mode, emphasizing self-awareness and expression in their classrooms.

• Many American instructors are frustrated by “banking” students, whom they perceive as lazy,
as unwilling to take charge of their own learning. Conversely, many students (both
international and American) who possess the banking mentality sometimes perceive problem-
posing instructors as lazy because of an expectation that imparting wisdom to the student is
the teacher’s responsibility.

What We Can Take From This Article:

• We must be prepared to work with students from a variety of cultural backgrounds whose
notions about education may vary greatly. Recognizing the existence and value of different
cultural ideas is imperative if we wish to teach international students how to express
themselves in the American classroom. Devaluing one view of education while proposing
another is counterproductive.

• We must teach self awareness to students instead of assuming it is an ingrained trait. We

should discuss in class what self expression accomplishes, how it differs from culture to
culture, and ways students may express themselves in ways necessary for success in the
American setting.

• We must realize that the other extreme of timidity in the classroom is not ideal either. As
Woo says, “personal catharsis is not the ultimate aim of [the] class” (144). While one of our
Beth Wilkerson
ENGL 885 – 2/10/09
aims as teachers is to encourage self expression, our main goal should be to help them teach
themselves to learn and succeed.

Beth Wilkerson
ENGL 885 – 2/10/09