About this episode

Dr. Niral Shah discusses the complexities of Asian American identity in mathematics education and the impact of racial narratives on students.

Dr. Niral Shah joins the TODOS Podcast to explore the complexities of Asian American identity in mathematics education. Reflecting on his experiences as a South Asian student and teacher, Shah unpacks how racialized narratives like the model minority myth both hypervisibilize and dehumanize Asian learners. He introduces the metaphor of a “bubble level” to describe how racial discourse positions Asian and Black students at opposite ends of a spectrum, with whiteness centered as the norm. The conversation delves into Shah’s research on race and STEM, including his Harvard Educational Review article “Asians Are Good at Math” Is Not a Compliment, and is informed by thinkers such as Vijay Prashad, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Zeus Leonardo. Shah also shares a parenting story about his son calling out white supremacy on the playground, offering a vision of anti-racism grounded in nuance and empathy. This episode addresses classroom practice, intra-Asian diversity, anti-Blackness, and the importance of moving beyond binaries to humanize all students. Episode transcript is here . Reflection transcript is here .

People in this episode

Guest: Dr. Niral Shah

Topics covered

• Asian American identity
• mathematics education
• racial discourse
• anti-racism
• intra-Asian diversity
• classroom practice

Keywords

• model minority myth
• race and STEM
• anti-Blackness
• whiteness
• nuance and empathy

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Asians Are Good at Math Is Not a Compliment

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