Wei Ming Dariotis

Critical Mixed Race Studies, queer and mixed race science fiction and  fantasy literature and media, community-based arts and culture, Chinese American literature and culture, Asian American San Francisco, Asian American women in academia, anti-racist academia and academic leadership, anti-racist assessment, JEDI faculty development, Ethnic Studies pedagogies, and Ethnic Studies composition.

My name is Wei Ming Dariotis, and although I am comfortable being addressed as Wei Ming by colleagues in informal settings, my late colleague and friend, Dr. Dawn Mabalon, taught me that as a woman of color I am an aspirational role model for other women and feminine identified people and thus I should claim my title: so, my preferred form of address by colleagues in formal settings is Dr. Dariotis (i.e, in any situation in which  you would use the formal title of a white man, please use mine).  I was formerly full professor — which makes me one of the only 2% of full professors across the nation who are Asian American women — of Asian American Studies, affiliate faculty with the Educational Leadership Doctoral program, and faculty director of CEETL, the Center for Equity and Excellence in Teaching and Learning at San Francisco State University. I identify as a Chinese-Greek-Swedish cis-gender bisexual/queer woman. Born in Australia, I was raised in San Francisco. I currently live and labor on the unceded/unyielded territory and traditional home of the Ramaytush Ohlone people, whose work and creativity in shaping this land, and its plants and animals for 15,000 years impacts me and my family daily. We—a Black, Asian American, European American, American Indian, mixed race family—live in San Francisco’s Bayview District, because it is one of the last places of refuge for the 5.2% of San Franciscans who are Black.  Living here, we recognize the deep segregation of this City due to histories of redlining and current forced shifting of populations.  I appreciate this Indigenous tradition of land acknowledgements, which non-Indigenous people have been being requested to honor for hundreds of years, because I am as ashamed of not having known, as a child, the names of the Ohlone peoples, as I am of having teased my Chinese mother for her inability to say words like "Palo Alto." I use the pronouns she/her and the Chinese gender-neutral pronoun ta — despite my imposter syndrome as someone who only studies Chinese — as a way of reclaiming the mother tongue I once rejected.

Wei Ming Dariotis was Faculty Director of the Center for Equity and Excellence in Teaching and Learning (2019-2022), Professor of Asian American Studies (1999-2022), and affiliate faculty of the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program at San Francisco State University (2016-2022). With Laura Kina and Camilla Fojas, she coordinated the Inaugural Critical Mixed Race Studies Conference (DePaul University, 2010), and co-founded the Journal of Critical Mixed Race Studies.

Critical Mixed Race Studies (CMRS)

Dr. Dariotis co-authored the definition of the field of Critical Mixed Race Studies and co-founded the Critical Mixed Race Studies Conference and the Journal of Critical Mixed Race Studies. In addition to her anthology (co-edited with Laura Kina), War Baby | Love Child: Mixed Race Asian American Art, with Laura Kina. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, 2013, her CMRS publications include “Critical Mixed Race Studies: Rooted in Love and Fire” (with Nicole Leopardo and Kira Donnel) in Multiracial Experiences in Higher Education (Stylus Publishing, 2021); “Obama and Hopes for a Post-Racial U.S.: The Voices of Mothers,” with Grace Yoo. Obama and the Biracial Factor: The Battle for a New American Majority (Policy Press, 2012); “Crossing the Racial Frontier: Star Trek and Mixed Heritage Identities.” A Science Fiction Phenomenon: Investigating the Star Trek Effect (McFarland Publishing, 2008); ‘My Race, Too, Is Queer’: Mixed Heritage Chinese Americans Fight For Race and Gender Marriage Equity” (CHSA, 2007); “Interracial Cha-Cha: Pilipino American Mixed Heritage Studies,” with Stephanie Schroeder. Pin@y Educational Partnerships: A Filipina/o American Studies Sourcebook (Phoenix Publishing House International, 2007); and  “On Growing Up Queer and Hapa.” Multiracial Child Source Book (Mavin Foundation, 2003). Her most iconic and frequently cited article is “Hapa: The Word of Power,” The Mixed Heritage Center: Information and Resources for People of Mixed Heritage, 2008. Reprinted as “The Power of Words,” in Mixed Heritage: Social Issues Firsthand (Greenhaven Press, 2009).

Her CMRS presentations include Presenter and Panel Chair, ““Building a CMRS Program: The SFSU Model,” on the panel, CMRS Pedagogy as Resistance, Reclamation, and Reimagination. Critical Mixed Race Studies Conference, University of Maryland, March, 2018; and Presenter and Panel Chair, “Transceivers: Teaching CMRS, a Pedagogy Project,” at Critical Mixed Race Studies Conference, University of Southern California, April 2017.

Anti-Racist JEDI Pedagogy and Academia

As the lead developer of the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Pedagogies of Inclusive Excellence (JEDI PIE) Institute, Dr. Dariotis has emerged as a leader in anti-racist pedagogy at SF State, for which she consults widely across campus. In her role as Faculty Director of CEETL, Dr. Dariotis co-coordinated the annual Faculty Retreat on the themes of “How to Be an Anti-Racist University” (2020) and “To Serve the People: Pedagogies for the City’s University” (2019). Her anthology (co-edited with Kieu Linh Valverde), Fight the Tower: Asian American Women Scholars’ Resistance and Renewal in the Academy (Rutgers University Press, 2020) illuminates the role and resistance of Asian American women in academia.

She presents on Asian Americans and anti-racism in academia, including in the following forums: w/ Russell Jeung and Shriya Basu, “Asian American Faculty,” CFA General Assembly Meeting, Saturday, April 10th, 2021; “Creating an Anti-Racist University During the Pandemic,” Association of Asian American Studies Conference, Thursday, April 8, 2021; “Asian American Faculty,” CSU Long Beach New Department Chairs Learning Community, Thursday, April 8th, 2021; CSU Department Chairs Forum - Event #1, Faculty Evaluation Panel Discussion, November 6, 2020; w/Kieu Linh Valverde, “How do Asian American women scholars resist and renew higher education?” Future Trends Forum with Bryan Alexander, September 10, 2020;  Presenter and Moderator, “Fierce Alliances for a New Academia: Remembering, Rebelling, and Rebuilding,” Association for Asian American Studies, San 

Francisco, March, 2018; and Presenter, “Diverse Faculty and Academic Freedom,” American Association of University Professors, Seattle, July 25, 2013.

Asian American Literature

Dr. Dariotis serves on the editorial board of Asian American Literatures: Discourses and Pedagogies and has served as a special guest editor for two issues: Special Issue Aiiieeeee! at 45, Asian American Literature: Discourses and Pedagogies, Vol. 10, 2020 (with Tara Fickle) and Special Issue on Asian American Mixed Heritage Literature, Asian American

Literature: Discourses and Pedagogies, Vol. 3, 2012. Her publications include “Teaching Edith Eaton,” in Asian American Literatures: Discourses and Pedagogies (2010) and “Developing a Kin-Aesthetic: Multiraciality and Kinship in Asian and Native North American Literature” in Mixed Race Literature (Stanford, 2002) .

Presentations include “Pacific Seminar,” organized by Christine Hong, UC Santa Cruz, May 27, 2011 and “Teaching Edith Eaton: Multiple Approaches,” American Literary Association, May 27-30,  2010 in San Francisco, CA.

Asian American Culture and the Arts

A published poet and exhibited artist, Dr. Dariotis has also worked as an arts curator [APAture: A Window on the Art of Asian Americans (co-founder, 2000-2004); Atlas(t): Mapping San Francisco, a collaboration between Kearny Street Workshop and Galeria de la Raza, 2004; War Baby/ Love Child: Mixed Race Asian American Art (2013) at De Paul University Museum, Chicago, and at the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Diaspora, Seattle]. Her publications include, “Peace Profile: Laura Tevary Mam and The Like Me’s,” with Jonathan H.X. Lee. Peace Review: Journal for Social Justice, 2013; “Mixed Race Kin-Aesthetics in the Age of Obama.” Obama and the Biracial Factor: The Battle for a New American Majority (Policy Press, 2012); “POP! Reflections on Representing Asian American CULTURE,” with Valerie Soe and Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales. At 40 Asian American Studies @ San Francisco State (2009); and ‘My  Race, Too, Is Queer’: Mixed Heritage Chinese Americans Fight For Race and Gender Marriage Equity” (CHSA, 2007).

• Ph.D. University of California at Santa Barbara- English, emphasis on Asian American and African American Literature
• M.A. University of California at Santa Barbara, English
• B.A. University of Washington, English-Creative Writing (magna cum laude)

• 214 Second Year Written Composition: Asian American Studies 
• 216 Introduction to Asian American Literature 
• 218 Asian American Culture         
• 301 Asian Americans of Mixed Heritage 
• 322 Chinese American Language and Literature 
• 352 Filipina/o American Art, Literature, and Culture 
• 581 Asian American Women 
• 582 Asian American Women’s Literature and the Arts 
• 685 Projects in the Teaching of Asian American Studies 
• 688 Asian American Community Service Internship   
• 697 Proseminar in Asian American Studies 
• 822 Seminar: Asian American Literature and Arts 
• 833 Seminar: Asian American Family and Identity  
• ETHS 300 Writing in Ethnic Studies – GWAR 
• EDDL 930: Race, Gender and Class in Education 

• Asian American Literature: Discourse and Pedagogies (online journal), Editorial Board
• Asian American Women Artist Association, Advisory Board
• Journal of Critical Mixed Race Studies, Founding & Consulting Editor
• Kearny Street Workshop, Advisory Board
• Asian American Theater Company, Board of Directors (2001-11; President, 2001-03)

• Co-chair, Teaching Effectiveness Assessment (TEA) Task Force  
• School of Music EDI Task Force 
• WASC Writing Group 
• First Year Experience Committee (FYE) 
• Professional Development Council (PDC) 
• Committee on Writen English Proficiency (CWEP) 
• ASPIRE AANAPISI Advisory Council 
• AAS Scholarship Committee 
• Former CFA-SFSU Chapter President (2011-2013) 
• Former Academic Senate Vice Chair, Secretary, and APC/EPC Chair 
• Former member, GE Task Force 
• Former member, Writing Task Force 

2019 

with Kieu Linh Caroline Valverde and Wei Ming Dariotis. Fight the Tower: Asian American Women Scholars’ Resistance and Renewal in the Academy (Rutgers, 2019)

2014

• with Rebecca Carabez, Marion Pellegrini, Andrea Mankovitz, Michele J. Eliason and Wei Ming Dariotis. "Nursing students’ perceptions of their knowledge of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues: Effectiveness of a multi-purpose assignment in a public health nursing class." Journal of Nursing Education 54, no. 1 (2014): 50-53.
• with Reginald Daniel, Laura Kina, Wei Ming Dariotis, and Camilla Fojas. "Emerging paradigms in critical mixed race studies." Journal of Critical Mixed Race Studies 1, no. 1 (2014).

2013

co-edited with Laura Kina. War Baby|Love Child: Mixed Race Asian American Art. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press.

2012

• “Introducing Mixed Heritage Asian American Literature.” Mixed Heritage Asian American Literature. Spec. issue of Asian American Literature: Discourses and Pedagogies 3 (2012): i-iv. Click to read Introducing Mixed Heritage Asian American Literature online journal(link is external)
• with Grace Yoo, Ted Fang, and Janet Zola. “De-stigmatizing Hepatitis B in the Asian American Community: Lessons Learned from the San Francisco Hep B Free Campaign.” Journal of Cancer Education 27.1 (2012): 138-144.
• “Mixed Race Kin-Aesthetics in the Age of Obama.” Obama and the Biracial Factor: The Battle for a New American Majority. Ed. Andrew Jolivette. UK: Policy Press.
• with Grace Yoo. “Obama Mamas and Mixed Race: Hoping for âA More Perfect Union.’” Obama and the Biracial Factor: The Battle for a New American Majority. Ed. Andrew Jolivette. UK: Policy Press.
• “Smoke and Flowers: An Interview with Olivia Boler,” Mixed Heritage Asian American Literature. Spec. issue of Asian American Literature: Discourses and Pedagogies 3 (2012): 1-4. Click to read Smoke and Flowers online journal(link is external)

2010

• “Myths of Origin,” “Amerasians,” “Hapa and Folklore,” and “Interracial/Interethnic Marriage and Romance.” Mixed Heritage, Mixed Race Asian Americans Section. Encyclopedia of Asian American Folklore and Folklife. Ed. Kathy Nadeau and Jonathan Lee. Santa Barbara, Denver, and Oxford: ABC-CLIO.
• “Teaching Edith Eaton/Sui Sin Far: Multiple Approaches.” Asian American Literature: Discourses and Pedagogies 1 (2012): 70-78. Click to read Teaching Edith online journal(link is external)

2009  

• “Hapa: An Episodic Memoir.” Interracial Relationships in the 21st Century. Ed. Earl Smith and Angela J. Hattery. Durham: Carolina Academic Press.
• with Wesley Ueunten. “Overview of War and Its Effects: Past and Present Issues.” Encyclopedia of Asian American Issues Today. Ed. Grace Yoo. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood Publishing.
• with Valerie Soe and Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales. “POP! Reflections on Representing Asian American CULTURE.” At 40 Asian American Studies @ San Francisco State. Ed. Jeffery Paul Chan, et al. San Francisco: San Francisco State University.
• “To Be Hapa’ or Not to Be âHapa’”: What to Name Mixed Asian Americans?” At 40 Asian American Studies @ San Francisco State. Ed. Jeffery Paul Chan, et al. San Francisco: San Francisco State University.

2008

“Crossing the Racial Frontier: Star Trek and Mixed Heritage Identities.” A Science Fiction Phenomenon: Investigating the Star TrekEffect. Ed. Lincoln Geraghty. Jefferson, NC: McFarland Publishing, 2008

2007

• “Hapa: The Word of Power.” Multiracial America: An Emerging Voice. Mixed Heritage Center Spotlight.(link is external)
• “’My Race, Too, Is Queer’: Mixed Heritage Chinese Americans Fight for Race and Gender Marriage Equity.” Branching Out the Banyan Tree Conference Proceedings. Spec. issue of Chinese America: History and Perspectives (2007): 33-37.

2006

• Jeannie Barroga’s Walls: Context and Questions. A Study Guide for the Asian American Theater Company production of Walls. San Francisco: Asian American Theater Company.
• with Joemy Ito-Gates. “Talking to Young Children about Race and Racism.” Pact's Point of View" (newsletter from Pact, an Adoption Alliance).

2002

“Developing a Kin-Aesthetic: Multiraciality and Kinship in Asian and Native North American Literature.” Mixed Race Literature. Ed. Jonathan Brennan. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

2013 

with Laura Kina, curators. War Baby/Love Child: Mixed Race Asian American Art. Seattle: Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience, 8 Aug. 2013-19 Jan. 2014. 

2004 

member of curatorial collective. Atlas(t). Galeria de la Raza, San Francisco 

2000-2004 

Co-founder and member of curatorial collective. APAture: A Window on the Art of Asian Pacific Americans. Kearny Street Workshop, San Francisco.