About this Group
The field of Asian American Studies has rapidly grown from its early beginnings in California in the 1960s. As the field expands, it seeks to include the experiences and voices of Asian Americans from all parts of the country. No longer are Asian Americans concentrated solely on the East or West coast - rather, those working in Asian American Studies have begun to analyze the "Asian American experience" as it is affected by many different factors, such as region. The Midwest has become a particularly rich site for such study. Starting with the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1991, Asian American Studies centers and programs have been established at a number of Big Ten Schools, including Northwestern, the University of Michigan, the Ohio State University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), and this past year, the University of Minnesota. On November 12, 2000, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign hosted a CIC meeting, "Asian American Studies in the Big Ten," which included representatives from nearly all the Big Ten schools. This initial meeting built or strengthened networks in the field of Asian American Studies among the Big Ten Universities. (More information on this gathering can be found at http://www2.uiuc.edu/unit/aasincic/).
On February 3, 2006 the group gathered to emphasize two dimensions of Asian American Studies:
- the state of scholarly research and teaching in Asian American Studies, particularly as it takes on a regional focus
- the importance of productive relationships between faculty and Asian American advising and student services within the CIC.
From these discussions, the group agreed to increase communication, share best practice and continue towards valuable collaboration with each other. |
