Asian American Studies in the Big Ten Universities
Ohio State University offers an undergraduate minor.
Pennsylvania State University doesn’t have a major, minor or specialization. Their program description states that “AAS has been relatively moribund at
Penn State.”
Purdue’s Asian American Studies minor was approved in Spring 2008. A search for a senior hire as Director of Asian American Studies is supposed to
take place in Fall 2009. Currently there is no program resources, and no space allocation.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison, which started its Asian American Studies program as early as 1991, offers an Asian American Studies certificate,
which requires a 2.75 GPA and 15 credits of coursework.
There was a general consensus at the meeting that the cutting edge of Asian American Studies lies in the Midwest. Representatives suggested that
while Asian American Studies was founded on the West Coast; the West Coast is old hat and The Big Ten and the Midwest are ushering in a new era of
Asian American Studies. They made some valid points to support this idea, but as of now, the CIC will lose funding after next year, The Big Ten is really
struggling to establish minors, majors, specializations and certificate programs.
It will be interesting to see if the Big Ten actually does become a central space of Asian Americanists, by creating majors and graduate courses, or if
interest in the field falls short. The Big Ten is in the beginning stages, with brand new minors and proposals being submitted for minors, certificate programs
and majors. But there seems to be student advocacy, at least at certain schools, fueling deeper interest in Asian American Studies.
Pennsylvania State University doesn’t have a major, minor or specialization. Their program description states that “AAS has been relatively moribund at
Penn State.”
Purdue’s Asian American Studies minor was approved in Spring 2008. A search for a senior hire as Director of Asian American Studies is supposed to
take place in Fall 2009. Currently there is no program resources, and no space allocation.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison, which started its Asian American Studies program as early as 1991, offers an Asian American Studies certificate,
which requires a 2.75 GPA and 15 credits of coursework.
There was a general consensus at the meeting that the cutting edge of Asian American Studies lies in the Midwest. Representatives suggested that
while Asian American Studies was founded on the West Coast; the West Coast is old hat and The Big Ten and the Midwest are ushering in a new era of
Asian American Studies. They made some valid points to support this idea, but as of now, the CIC will lose funding after next year, The Big Ten is really
struggling to establish minors, majors, specializations and certificate programs.
It will be interesting to see if the Big Ten actually does become a central space of Asian Americanists, by creating majors and graduate courses, or if
interest in the field falls short. The Big Ten is in the beginning stages, with brand new minors and proposals being submitted for minors, certificate programs
and majors. But there seems to be student advocacy, at least at certain schools, fueling deeper interest in Asian American Studies.
By Kenny Tanemura
Last month, the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC)-Asian American Studies held its annual meeting
at the Big Ten Center in Chicago. I was there representing Purdue University, along with colleagues James Xiao,
Patsy Schweickart, and Lisa Hanasono.
Most of the daylong meeting was devoted to giving time for representatives from the various Asian American
Studies programs in the Big Ten schools to provide updates and new information.
The day started with representatives from the University of Illinois at Chicago talking about their program. They
have an Asian American Studies major and minor in progress, but no designated space allocated yet for Asian
American Studies.
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign followed with an impressive course list and an established minor.
Meanwhile, Indiana University just got enough support from the college and the campus to start an Asian American
Studies minor, effective summer 2009.
Michigan State University has no major or minor in Asian American Studies, but it does have a “specialization,”
which is similar to a minor. This specialization was approved in 2004 after years of student advocacy.
The University of Minnesota also has a minor that was approved in 2003, but no major.
Northwestern University is one of the few that has a minor, as well as a proposal for an Asian American Studies
major. Hopefully their proposal will be accepted.
Last month, the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC)-Asian American Studies held its annual meeting
at the Big Ten Center in Chicago. I was there representing Purdue University, along with colleagues James Xiao,
Patsy Schweickart, and Lisa Hanasono.
Most of the daylong meeting was devoted to giving time for representatives from the various Asian American
Studies programs in the Big Ten schools to provide updates and new information.
The day started with representatives from the University of Illinois at Chicago talking about their program. They
have an Asian American Studies major and minor in progress, but no designated space allocated yet for Asian
American Studies.
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign followed with an impressive course list and an established minor.
Meanwhile, Indiana University just got enough support from the college and the campus to start an Asian American
Studies minor, effective summer 2009.
Michigan State University has no major or minor in Asian American Studies, but it does have a “specialization,”
which is similar to a minor. This specialization was approved in 2004 after years of student advocacy.
The University of Minnesota also has a minor that was approved in 2003, but no major.
Northwestern University is one of the few that has a minor, as well as a proposal for an Asian American Studies
major. Hopefully their proposal will be accepted.