Ethnic Studies Courses as a Developmental Context: A Systematic Review of Asian American Students’ Developmental Experiences

Ethnic Studies education is a promising intervention for promoting anti-racism and decolonization and fostering important developmental outcomes. However, little research documents Ethnic Studies course-taking among Asian Americans, who are particularly understudied despite their advocacy for Ethnic Studies and the implications of Asian American racialization for diversity-related educational policy. In this systematic review, we utilize the Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory and Asian Critical Race Theory to examine developmental outcomes among Asian Americans enrolled in Ethnic Studies courses. Across 23 records, Asian Americans (ages 7–39) reported six categories of outcomes associated with Ethnic Studies course-taking: ethnic-racial identity, critical consciousness, community and peer relations, family, psychological well-being and emotional experiences, and academic and professional development. Continued research on Ethnic Studies course-taking is needed to understand how education supports outcomes conducive to anti-racism, decolonization, and social transformation.