Dra. Emilie Santos Tumale

PhD in Sociology of Education

Emilie Santos Tumale (she/her/hers) is the incoming Program Coordinator of the New York Southeast Asia Network after having worked as the Project Coordinator for Sulo: The Philippine Studies Initiative at NYU. Emilie recently earned her Ph.D. in Sociology of Education at NYU Steinhardt. Hailing from the San Gabriel Valley in Los Angeles County, her doctoral studies allowed her to learn more about the Asian American community in the New York Metropolitan area. With her involvement in various Filipino American organizations in NYC, Emilie’s dissertation research involved further understanding how Filipino American college students conceptualize their ethnic identity in relation to their geographic contexts.

Emilie received her MA in Asian American studies from UCLA, where she taught courses on the Asian American Movement and the History of Asian Americans. Before attending NYU, she worked as a peer mentor for community college students pursuing STEM degrees. She also received her BA in Asian American Studies (Pilipino Studies concentration) with a minor in Education at UCLA.

Dissertation

From a Distant Shore: Filipino American College Student Perspectives on Race, Regionalism, and Meritocracy in Metropolitan New York

My dissertation research is rooted in my experiences moving to NYC from LA and building community among other Filipino Americans in the area. Upon mentioning my upbringing, I came across preconceived notions of what it means to be Filipino American from the West Coast and therefore different from NYC / the East Coast as a whole. These narratives tended to mention histories of migration from the Philippines, the density of Filipino populations, and the relative lack of knowledge on Filipinos in NYC. In turn, for my dissertation, I wanted to understand where these narratives came from, and how we can better understand the community conditions of Filipino Americans in other regions such as the New York metropolitan area.

Research Questions:

What are the experiences of Filipino American undergraduate students in the New York metropolitan area?
How do Filipino American undergraduate students in the New York metropolitan area conceptualize their identities in terms of race, ethnicity, and geographic context?
How do Filipino American undergraduate students’ perspectives on the Model Minority Myth inform their understandings of race and regionalism?

Implications:

Regional context shapes ethnic identity development of Filipino American undergraduate students in the New York metropolitan area.
- It’s important to consider regional dynamics in studying ethnic communities and their experiences in higher education.
Community building and organizing efforts within the Filipino diaspora are important, especially in regions with less visible or established communities
Understanding the experiences of Filipino American students can help practitioners and educators support their academic and organizational efforts

Read the Abstract

This dissertation explores the significance of geography and regionalism in shaping the Filipino American experience, a topic often overlooked in scholarly discourse. By focusing on Filipino American undergraduate students in the New York metropolitan area (including NYC, Long Island, and North Jersey), this study investigates how these students perceive their identities within the context of geography and the Model Minority Myth. Looking closely at the perceived differences between West Coast and East Coast Filipino Americans, this research sheds light on the unique dynamics of migration and assimilation in Metropolitan New York, one of the most racially diverse metropolitan areas in the United States.

My dissertation’s central argument is that regional context is important in the ethnic identity development and schooling of Filipino Americans. By analyzing the colonial legacy and racial demographics specific to the New York metropolitan area, the third chapter uncovers the enduring impact of U.S. imperialism on the Filipino American community in Metropolitan New York. The fourth chapter explores how Filipino American students articulate their Filipinoness in terms of regional differences, particularly between the West Coast and East Coast. The fifth chapter of this dissertation engages with Filipino American college students’ perceptions of the Model Minority Myth, challenging existing notions of Filipino American assimilation and Asian panethnicity.

Drawing from interviews with 43 Filipino American undergraduates in the New York metropolitan area, my research captures the diversity of the Filipino American community in terms of socioeconomic status, immigration status, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Overall, this interdisciplinary study provides valuable insight into the multifaceted experiences of Filipino Americans, and it contributes to a deeper understanding of migration, assimilation, and identity development.

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