Conference reflects on Asian American Studies obstacles

At IU-Purdue’s first Asian American Studies Graduate Student Conference, graduate students gained an insight to the obstacles and complexities of Asian American Studies.

This weekend, graduate students from IU, Purdue and other schools came to IU to find others outside of their academic discipline with an interest in Asian American Studies.

“Graduates doing something with Asian American Studies are isolated in different places,” said Joan Pong Linton, interim director of Asian American Studies and associate professor of English. “It’s a great chance to get together some sort of a community.”

IU and Purdue do not have graduate programs in Asian American Studies. However, this fall IU began its undergraduate minor in the subject.

The Council on Institutional Cooperation’s Asian American Studies Consortium recognized this and initiated the IU-Purdue conference.

“In the Midwestern area the programs are fledging,” said Yolanda Zepeda, associate director for academics and international programs at the Committee on Institutional Cooperation. “Asian American Studies doesn’t have the established institutional support. Faculty and staff don’t have lots of peers to exchange resources.”

Keynote speaker Josephine Lee, associate professor of English at the University of Minnesota, gave a speech at the conference titled “A Rough Guide to Asian American Studies.”

“Universities are not in a position to open new programs, which weighs on us heavily,” Lee said. “It hints to a rough journey. I wish I had a guide book, but my journey has not been smooth or polished.”

One of the reasons why Asian American Studies programs are not vastly offered is because the subject matter is not “pure,” Lee said. It is an interdisciplinary program that integrates subjects such as English and sociology, Lee said.

In spite all of the obstacles Asian American studies faces, it is a wonderful and interesting time to work in this field, Lee said.

“The events of the past year have shown the complexity of global economic, political and social interconnection between the U.S. and Asia,” Lee said.

At the university level, Asian American Studies is necessary because of population changes.

IU administrators recognize the need for programs such as Asian American Studies, Lee said.

“It shows our commitment in not only Asian American Studies, but also in ethnic studies,” said Bennett Bertenthal, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “We want them to thrive and expand at IU.”