The Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies Program (AAADS) is dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of historical and contemporary experiences of Americans of Asian ancestry, and the framing of this knowledge and critical understanding within local, national, and global contexts. Tracing its genealogy to the Third World Strike and the formation of the field of Ethnic Studies in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Asian American Studies program initially centered on domestic U.S. concerns regarding the political, economic, and cultural challenges confronting people of Asian descent and their struggles for inclusion and advancement in U.S. society. While retaining its original commitment to community empowerment through socially engaged research, teaching, and service, the program has broadened its scope to encompass issues of transnationality and diaspora in response to geopolitical and demographic shifts.
Reflecting the collective strengths of our faculty, our curriculum offers students a deeper understanding of the histories and contemporary realities of the different ethnic groups that comprise the “Asian American” category. Through classroom-based and experiential learning, our students engage with critical issues such as labor, migration, health, representation and cultural production, education, religion, class, gender, generation, law, public policy, and social activism.
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