JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Dr. Mai Keisling has dedicated decades to teaching in Duval County Schools. She has also worked tirelessly to combat misinformation about Asian Americans.
“We decided that we’re going to work with also the state and the national level, trying to bring awareness to the whole issue. That is not really justifiable to blame the Asian Americans for this,” Dr. Keisling said.
In response to a surge of anti-Asian sentiment during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Keisling took action. In 2021, she helped form a coalition that organized a rally to raise awareness about the dangers of anti-Asian rhetoric. However, her efforts did not stop there.
MORE ASAIN AMERICAN & PACIFIC ISLANDER MONTH COVERAGE
“We were invited to different organizations and podcasts to talk about the topic, so that people are aware that we are just human beings who are here. We Asian Americans are contributing to society in many different ways. And so we have to be careful as we start putting the blame on someone,” she explained.
Dr. Keisling’s journey began in Vietnam, where she escaped with her family on a boat in 1981.
“After five or six days on the South China Sea, we were picked up by an ocean liner. When we got to the refugee camp in Malaysia, we traveled through three other refugee camps for 11 months before we arrived here on July 19, 1982. As a refugee, oh my God, it was very difficult,” she recalled.
Upon arriving in Jacksonville, Dr. Keisling had only her uncles and aunts for support.
“We had no idea what Jacksonville really was. No idea at all. When we got off the plane from San Francisco, we went to a processing center for two weeks before coming here. It was just like bridges, bridges, another bridge,” she said.
Initially, Dr. Keisling planned to become an engineer or a banker. However, Jacksonville University did not offer a full engineering program at the time, so she chose teaching as a viable option. She has been an art teacher at Paxon School for Advanced Studies for decades, and several of her former students now work at News4Jax.
“Teaching was very rewarding to me. It helps me connect to the community more than just making money. That’s something that I find very rewarding and satisfying. I see students graduating and becoming somebody else,” Dr. Keisling said.
While her connections with students remain strong, Dr. Keisling’s impact extends beyond the classroom.
“We chose to be here, and we were granted permission to be here. It is a privilege and an honor to do that, because it has become home now. So it is so important to tell everybody that Asian Americans are contributing from all different levels,” she emphasized.
