Opportunities and Assimilation in the Lived Experiences of Filipino Teachers in New York City’s Alternative High Schools: A Phenomenological Study
Keywords:
Filipino teachers, lived experience, acculturation, cultural capital, social identity theory, glocalization, alternative education, phenomenologyAbstract
Globalization has intensified the movement of teachers across borders, yet how these educators experience the opportunities and assimilation demands of a new educational system remains underexamined for the Filipino diaspora specifically, and almost entirely unexamined within the alternative-education settings that serve some of a host system’s most vulnerable learners. This study explored the lived experiences of Filipino teachers working in New York City Department of Education District 79–the city’s citywide district for alternative, transfer, and second-chance high school programs–during school year 2023–2024. Using a descriptive phenomenological design informed by Acculturation Theory, Social Identity Theory, Cultural Capital Theory, and Glocalization Theory, the author collected semi-structured, Google-Forms-administered interview data from 15 Filipino high school teachers with at least five years of experience across District 79 schools, including West Side High School, Bronx Regional High School, Tenzer High School, and others, and analyzed the data using Colaizzi’s (1978) descriptive phenomenological method. Two domains of experience emerged. In terms of opportunities, participants described professional advancement, cultural engagement and collaboration, positive workplace dynamics, educational growth and support, and gains in personal and family well-being. In terms of assimilation, participants described adaptation and resilience, cultural integration in teaching, community and support, professional recognition and acceptance, and cultural awareness and understanding–the last of which surfaced direct encounters with racism and discriminatory treatment. Findings informed a proposed Inclusive Integration and Professional Empowerment framework built around professional development, administrator cultural-competence training, mentorship, and inclusive policy.
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