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Regional Formation

Regional Formation

Regional Formation - 1970s-2010

Introduction

Regional history glimpses how local organizations—like universities and colleges—influence and adapt to national events. Within this chapter timeline, we select regional events surrounding the formation of Asian American Studies in the Midwest. Using Census data, we document the demographic growth of the Asian population in Indiana from 1970 through 2010. We commemorate the activism of Midwest students, faculty, and staff who have championed and built Asian American Studies efforts at their home institutions.

0.1%1970 - Indiana’s Asian American population reaches 9,646, constituting about 0.1% of Indiana’s total population of 5,195,392.(1)

0.4%1980 - Indiana’s Asian American population climbs to 24,355, constituting about 0.4% of Indiana’s total population of 5,490,224.(2)

0.7%1990 - Indiana’s Asian American population rises to 37,617, forming about 0.7% of Indiana’s total population of 5,544,159.(4)

1989—University of Michigan Establishes First Midwest Asian/Pacific Islander American Studies Program

In 1989, the University of Michigan Ann Arbor becomes the first public research university in the Midwest to establish a program focused on Asian and Pacific Islander Americans. Born from student activism, the initiative—now called Asian/Pacific Islander American Studies program—hires two faculty in 1989 and offers courses in Asian American history and literature in 1990.(3)

Haven Hall, home of Asian/Pacific Islander American Studies at the University of Michigan. • Barera, Michael. “University of Michigan August 2013 185 (Haven Hall).” Wikimedia Commons, 10 Aug. 2013. Shared under CC (BY-SA 4.0).

1991—University of Wisconsin Madison Institutes the Midwest’s Second Asian American Studies Program

University of Wisconsin Madison establishes its Asian American Studies Program and names Professor Amy Ling (English) as director. The effort is thanks to the activism of the Asian Coalition—a group of activists, community members, and university students, faculty, and staff who wrote the program proposal in 1988. Student activism at University of Michigan and University of Wisconsin Madison inspires other Midwestern universities and colleges to create their own Asian American Studies programs.(5)

April 9-May 7, 1995—Northwestern University Hunger Strike for Asian American Studies

Seventeen Northwestern University Asian American students engage in a 29-day hunger strike after university administration rejects a 200-page proposal to create an Asian American Studies Program. Student activists instigate the hunger strike to force administrators to establish the program. They demand that the university recognize Asian Americans as a minority group on campus. Nationwide, Asian American student groups stand in solidarity with the Northwestern University strikers. The Northwestern hunger strike ends on May 7 after student activists accept administrators’ proposal to offer four Asian American Studies courses in the next academic year.(6) By 1999, Northwestern establishes an Asian American Studies Program and hires two faculty members—Ji-Yeon Yuh (History) and Dorothy Wang (English). By fall 2000, Northwestern’s program offers a minor in Asian American Studies.(7)

1997—The Ohio State University Establishes Its Asian American Studies Program

Originally housed in the Division of Comparative Studies, the Ohio State University’s Asian American Studies program starts as a minor in 1997. Two junior faculty members—Judy Wu (History) and Steve Yao (English)—co-build curriculum, programming, and organizational structure. Today, Ohio State’s program is housed in the Center of Ethnic Studies, and Professor Namiko Kunimoto (Art History) leads Asian Americans in the Heartland—a community oral history and mapping project to document central Ohio Asian communities.(8)

2000—University of Illinois Urbana Champaign Institutes its Asian American Studies Program

Starting in the early 1990s, Asian American student organizations, faculty, staff, and administrators collectively press University of Illinois Urbana Champaign (UIUC) for more programming and funding for Asian Pacific Americans. By fall 1997, UIUC organizes a faculty task force—the Asian American Studies Committee—to build an Asian American Studies program. In fall 2000, the Asian American Studies Committee fills six tenure-track joint faculty appointments in English, Anthropology, Educational Policy Studies, History, and Sociology, and Theatre.(9) By 2016, UIUC’s program becomes a department, establishes an undergraduate major, and offers minors at the undergraduate and graduate levels.(10)

November 2000—Inaugural Committee on Institutional Cooperation Conference on Asian American Studies

Thirteen universities convene at the first conference focused on the state of Asian American Studies in the Midwest. Asian American Studies scholars form The Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) consortium to promote collaboration among Asian American Studies programs and increase its visibility of research and teaching at Midwestern universities. Since that first conference, Midwest programs—like IUB’s Asian American Studies Program—have relied on the CIC over the years to share teaching and research resources, navigate common organizational challenges, and receive mentorship on how to grow their programs.(11)

As of 2020, most CIC member institutions have Asian American Studies programs. University of Iowa and University of Chicago do not, but both universities provide Asian American resources to its students in varying forms. In 1996, University of Chicago founds the Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture, which offers Asian American Studies classes under its Critical Race and Ethnic Studies undergraduate program. The University of Iowa inaugurates the Asian Pacific American Cultural Center in 2003 to provide to Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander-themed programming, fellowship, and community building.(12)

Since that first conference, Midwest programs—like IUB’s Asian American Studies Program—have relied on the CIC over the years to share teaching and research resources, navigate common organizational challenges, and receive mentorship on how to grow their programs.

2003—University of Minnesota and Twin Cities Communities Collaborate to Design Asian American Studies Program

In 1998, faculty, staff, and students collaborate with Twin Cities artists, leaders, and activists to organize the Asian American Studies Initiative at the University of Minnesota. This collaborative designs an Asian American Studies Program to reflect Minnesota’s unique Asian communities and histories. The Regents of the University of Minnesota in 2003 approves an Asian American Studies Program and undergraduate minor.(13)

2004—Michigan State University Approves Interdisciplinary Specialization in Asian Pacific American Studies

After 20 years of university and community advocacy, Michigan State University (MSU) approves an interdisciplinary specialization in Asian Pacific American Studies in fall 2004. Asian American students collaborate with several Asian Pacific American faculty associations beginning in 1990 to offer Asian Pacific American courses to interested students. By 1995, MSU hires its first Asian American Studies specialist, Dr. Victor Jew (History) to regularly teach the Asian American History course. Following Dr. Jew’s hire, MSU’s Provost approves three additional Asian American specialist hires in established academic departments (English, Anthropology, and Sociology).(14)

2007—Purdue University Offers Asian American Studies Minor

Efforts to generate an Asian American Studies Program begin in 1994, thanks to the Asian American Network of Indiana (AANI), a student-faculty collective that organizes the first Asian American Studies courses at Purdue University. The Council on Asian American Studies organizes an Asian American Studies Program under the School of Interdisciplinary Studies and offers an interdisciplinary minor beginning in 2007.(15)

2008—The Pennsylvania State University Houses Asian American Studies in Department of Asian Studies

After a several meetings in academic year 2007-2008, a faculty committee at Penn State University recommends that an Asian American Studies concentration be housed in the Department of Asian Studies. Penn State’s model illustrates the field’s growing research and interest Asian Americans experiences through transnational lens—understanding the history and culture of Asians in the United States within the global movement of people and ideas into, around, and outside of Asia. As of 2020, Penn State is working towards an Asian American Studies minor within the undergraduate Asian Studies major.(16)

The Old Botany Building, home of Penn State's Asian Studies Department. Penn State. “Old Botany Building.” Flickr, 10 Aug. 2016. Shared under CC (BY-NC-ND 2.0).

2010—Indiana’s Asian American Population Hits 1.6 Percent

Indiana’s Asian American population reaches 102,474, or 1.6 percent, of Indiana’s total population of 6,482,802.(17)

2010—University of Illinois Chicago Celebrates ASAM Launch

University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) officially launches its Asian American Studies Program and minor on September 23, 2010, marking the Midwest’s newest addition within the Committee of Institutional Cooperation (CIC) consortium for Asian American Studies. Advocating since 1991, university activists achieve significant milestones in their mission for a program: two tenure-track faculty Asian American Studies hires in 2002, creation of several advisory committees in 2005 and 2007, and program proposal submission to UIC’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 2009.(18)

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Regional Formation