Dated: November, 1988
THE ASIAN COALITION PROPOSES THAT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON COMMIT ITSELF TO THE SERIOUS SCHOLARLY INQUIRY OF THE ASIAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE BY (1) THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES PROGRAM WITHIN THE COLLEGE OF LETTERS AND SCIENCES AND (2) THE SUPPORT OF THIS PROGRAM’S DEVELOPMENT AS A VITAL CENTER FOR SCHOLARLY RESEARCH AND TEACHING OF ASIAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCES.
Asian American Studies examines the life experiences of Asian peoples in the United States—their families and communities, their unique history of acculturation, immigration, naturalization, and their economic, political and cultural impact on American society. As an interdisciplinary field, Asian American Studies applies the research methods and findings of traditional academic disciplines, such as history, sociology, anthropology, and literature, to understanding the experiences and societal significance of Asians in the United States.
Asian Americans are the fastest growing non-white minority group in the United States. Between 1970 and 1980 the number of Asians in America grew by 141% and between 1980 and 1985 the number of Asian Americans continued to increase by another 50%, reaching a total of some 5.1 million people. By the year 2000 it is projected that America’’ Asian population will reach 10 million, about 4% of the total U.S. population. This dramatic growth has also been reflected on college and university campuses across the nation. From 1976 to 1986, Asian American enrollment at institutions of higher education in the United States increased 136%, constituting the greatest increase of any American racial or ethnic group, including whites. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Asian Americans, as of spring semester 1988, are the largest racial minority group, representing 2.2% of the student enrollment.
Demographics, however, are neither the only nor the most important criterion by which toe measure the significance of Asian Americans to American society. Our understanding of race and ethnicity in American history will remain incomplete at best, and perhaps flawed, if scholars leave unattended the study of Asians in America. The untied States has always been a multi-racial society and it is only through historical and theoretical studies of race and ethnicity that we can begin to understand the complex and changing racial conceptions of the American identity. For example, for over a century Asian Americans have been at the center of the legal debate in the areas of immigration and naturalization, where formal articulation of American identity is at stake. As early as 1870, Congress officially excluded Chinese from becoming United States citizens. The American government consistently denied naturalization rights to Japanese, Korean, Filipino, and all other Asian immigrants who arrived after the Chinese. In a similar vein, the racial implications of the Fourteenth Amendment is significantly broadened by an understanding of the historical context of Yick Woo vs. Hopkins (1886) and of Chin Bak Kan vs. U.S. (1893), two cases before the Supreme Court which established the 19th century parameters of the equal protection clause. Half a century later, Hirabayashi vs. U.S. (1943) and Korematsu vs. US (1944), Supreme Court challenges to the wartime internment of Japanese Americans, established race as a suspect category requiring the strict scrutiny of the court, thereby laying the groundwork for all subsequent decisions on desegregation. By repeatedly challenging these racially restrictive laws in the courts, Asian Americans pushed to redefine the meaning of race and equality in American law and society.
The Asian American experience is also significant for American social and economic history. Asians played a central role in the economic development of the West Coast and Hawaii. In the 19th century, Asians played an important but hitherto unacknowledged role in shaping the lands west of the Rockies, mining, diking the great California deltas, building railroads, and introducing commercial fishing and new crops to western agricultural markets—particularly fruits, vegetables, and other cash crops. That Asians were the largest non-European immigrant group in the California and Pacific Coast labor markets by the 1860s was a significant factor in the organization and structure of labor policies and practices on the West Coast with significant national ramifications for labor politics. In studies of current relationships between race and class, the Asian American experience is critical to the understanding of such current sociological theories as split labor markets, the middle man minority, and the ethnic enclave economy.
Finally, responsible scholars cannot overlook the Asian American experience in their study of America’s international, political, or cultural relations with the countries of Asia. For example, America’s past and current relations with Japan cannot be completely understood without studying the dynamics of racial attitudes of both countries. American attempts to prohibit Japanese immigration to the United States, the racially explicit “Yellow Peril” ideology, and the racially oppressive treatment of Japanese in the U.S. complicated and strained U.S.-Japan relations and played a significant role in the slide towards World War II, the conduct of the war and, of course, the internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans.
The Untied States has engaged in six wars in Asia in the last century. These include the Spanish- American War, the Philippine “Insurrection,” the Boxer Rebellion, World War II, the Korean War, and Indochina War. In each of these wars, American attitudes towards Asians and Asian Americans have been inextricably bound.
Asians in America have often been the transmitters of culture in both directions. Diverse yet significant Asian intellectual and political leaders from Yung Wing who attended Yale in the 1860s and became one of China’s first modern diplomats, to the Japanese communist leader Katayama Sen, to Sun Yat-Sen spent considerable time studying in the United States. Others such as Carlos Bulosan, a self-educated farm worker and labor organizer, became well known both in the U.S. and his native Philippines for his powerful literary accounts of the hard lives of farmworkers in America. In the area of culture and aesthetics, Yone Noguchi, the father of the renowned Asian American sculptor Isamu Noguchi lived in America and became a disciple of Walt Whitman; he later returned to Japan to translate Whitman’s poetry and ideas. Likewise, Carl Sadakichi Hartmann came to the Untied Stated as a teenager, became a disciple of Whitman and later an influential colleague of Jack Kerouac and an important member of the “Beat generation.” A study of these figures provides a better understanding of the Asian influences in American intellectual life. Others such as Isamu Noguchi and I.M. Pei have continued the Asian American tradition of shaping the physical landscape.
Asian Americans have a rich literary tradition that begins with the first Asian immigrants. Much of this literature, written both in Asian vernaculars and in English, has been lost to us. A major effect needs to be undertaken to retrieve such lost literature, both for what it can tell us about the historical experiences of Asians in America and in order to establish a critical aesthetic tradition against which current Asian American literature can be read. A more sophisticated view of the rich Asian American literary tradition will expose more Americans to the works of such writers as Maxine Hong Kingston, John Okada, Louis Chu, Hisaye Yamamoto, Wendy Law-Yone, Bharati Mukherjee, Tran Van Dinh, Joy Kogawa; poets such as Mei-Mei Berssenbrugge, Garrett Hongo, Lawson Inada, Michael Ondaatje, Wing Tek Lum, Cathy Song, Genny Lim, and David Henry Hwang. Their works deepen one’s understanding of the human condition, drawing explicitly from the Asian American experience.
Fertile ground exists for studying Asians in Wisconsin and the Midwest in general. The experiences of various Asian American populations in Wisconsin, and Madison’s recent Asian immigrants, remain virtually untouched areas for scholarly study. Nearby Chicago, with its deep-rooted Chinese, Indian, Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese communities offers excellent, and often overlooked, resources for scholars and students of the Asian American experience. The rapidly growing Hmong populations in Madison, Minneapolis, and other areas of the Midwest provide important opportunities to compare trends in the experiences of “older” Asian immigrants, for example,, Japanese, Chinese, and Filipino, to those more recent immigrants from Asia. Furthermore, it was in the Midwest that many of the interned Japanese –Americans settled after the war.
Asian American Studies has added importance for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Commensurate with the forthcoming ethnic studies requirement, Asian American Studies courses will not only introduce students on this camps to the Asian American experience, but will challenge them to think critically about the past and present impact of race, nationality, and cultural differences in American society. Asian American Studies will also allow Asian American students to learn about and reclaim their histories and cultures by having their experiences accurately reflected and represented in the curriculum.
Asian American Studies has received increasing attention as a discipline of growing interest and importance. Several peer institutions have already developed Asian American Studies teaching and research programs, including Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Cornell, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, Los Angeles. The establishment of a mid-west centered Asian American Studies Program at the University of Wisconsin- Madison would reinforce its leadership role among this nation’s institution of higher education.
(The Asian Coalition acknowledges Prof. Robert Lee, Brown University, for his assistance in producing this portion of the proposal).
——————————————————————————–
Asian American Studies Program: Structure and Implementation
The establishment of the Asian American Studies Program in the College of Letters and Sciences will be divided into three phases. Phase I involves building the foundation of the program by securing a directory and a facility for the program and taking the necessary steps towards establishing the initial curriculum. Phase II includes further development of the program, and Phase II addresses long term planning.
The description of each phase includes a statement of goals and recommendations.
Phase I (Fall 1989- Fall 199)
1.Form an Asian American Studies University Committee
2.Select an Interim Director
3.Appoint support staff and a subcommittee to aid the Interim Director
4.Develop the hiring policy
5.Recruit adjunct and visiting lecturers to teach Asian American Studies courses
6.Establish the main duties of the Asian American Studies University Committee
7.Establish the main duties of the Permanent Director
Asian American Studies University Committee
The Committee will consist of 3 students, 5 faculty, and 3 staff. Committee members will serve staggered 2 year appointments. Their first responsibilities will be the search for and appointment of an Interim Director. Once this appointment is secured, the Committee will search for a Permanent Director for the Asian American Studies Program. Working closely with the Dean of Letters and Sciences, the Committee’s duties will include advising the Permanent Director and approving plans such as faculty appointments, curriculum, and replacement of Director if such conditions arise. The Committee shall be appointment by the Chancellor and the Asian Coalition.
Interim Director
The Interim Director will be a full-time employed faculty or staff member whose appointment will last for one full year (renewable for 1 year). The Interim Director is responsible for overseeing all immediate goals and needs of the program. Office space will be provided for the Interim Director and staff.
The main duties of the Interim Director will include developing the curriculum for the first year that Asian American Studies courses are offered (Fall 1990- Spring 1991). The curriculum will include a 3 credit course “Introduction to the Asian American Experience.” In addition, relevant courses will be included form other departments. The Interim Director will also oversee the recruitment of adjunct and visiting lecturers, and initiate the hiring of faculty. The Interim Director will begin a program of community outreach and seek sources for future funding/ grants.
Subcommittee and Interim Support Staff
The subcommittee and interim support staff will be appointed by the Interim Director. The duties of the staff and subcommittee will be to assist the Interim Director in administration and decision making processes. The subcommittee will include at least one student member and one faculty/ staff member of the Asian American Studies University Committee. The support staff will include academic staff and graduate student assistants.
Hiring Policy
Every effort will be made to hire faculty and staff who have a significant personal and professional background in the Asian American experience. A national search will be conducted to aid in the success of these efforts. This policy will be recognized as being in compliance and fulfillment of the University of Wisconsin’s Affirmative Action policies.
Joint and Adjunct Faculty, and Visiting Lecturers
The Interim Director and subcommittee are responsible for recruiting joint and adjunct faulty, and visiting lecturers to each the first Asian American Studies courses to be offered in the Fall semester, 1990.
Duties of the Asian American Studies University Committee
After selection of the Interim Director, the Committee will study possible sites for a center and being a nationwide search for a Permanent Director. At this point, the Committee will primarily concern itself with long term and future goals.
The Asian American Studies Program will be centrally located, appropriate to its humanities/ social sciences emphases. Adequate space will be provided for the following: an office for the director, offices for academic staff, a main lounge, a meeting room, and a reading library. The space will accommodate the general office equipment and supplies, including journals, books, and computers.
The Permanent Director
The Permanent Director will be selected through a nationwide search and will be appointed as a full time tenured faculty member. The duties of the Director will include teaching, research, and administration of the program. The Director’s credentials will include extensive experience in Asian American Studies, an active role in the Asian American community, broad knowledge of all areas of Asian American Studies, and a commitment to work with other ethnic studies programs and racial minority organizations.
The Director’s first responsibility will be to work with Asian American Studies Program faculty in the continued development of the curriculum, hiring the support staff, and establishing the program as a working office.
Phase II (Fall 1990- Fall 1993)
1.Continue faculty recruitment
2.Expand curriculum
3.Develop certification requirements
4.Continue visiting lecturers program
5.Begin university and community outreach programs
6.Acquire library materials
7.Contribute to new student orientation
8.Network with other programs
9.Search for extramural funding
10.Evaluate progress
Faculty Recruitment
Recruitment of faculty is a key element in ensuring the success of the program. In addition to a nationwide search for prospective faculty, the Director and the Committee will look within the University of Wisconsin system for faculty who are qualified and willing to reach Asian American Studies courses. The administration will offer added incentives to current University of Wisconsin faculty and faculty at other universities in order to encourage the recruitment of new Asian American Studies faculty. Criteria include enthusiasm for teaching and research, experience, education, social and cultural awareness.
Research assistantships will be made available to demonstrate support for faculty in their research.
Three types of faculty positions will be made available. Full time, joint, and adjunct faculty. The full time faculty member is fully dedicated to teaching Asian American Studies courses and conducting research. Joint faculty will hold an appointment within the Asian American Studies Program and another department. The adjunct faculty member makes commitments to each Asian American Studies courses on a semester basis.
The targeted number of faculty for phase II is 4 full time equivalent faculty.
Curriculum Development
In order to establish the curriculum for the ethnic studies requirement, a goal of 5 courses offered by Fall 1993 has been set. The content of courses offered depends on the faculty recruited. A list of possible courses is provided in Appendix IV.
Certification Requirements
Undergraduate students who have pursued Asian American Studies in depth will receive a Certificate in Asian American Studies from the University of Wisconsin- Madison. The requirement will include 15 credits of approved Asian American Studies courses.
Visiting Lecturers Program
The visiting lecturers program will be continued, with additional funds provided to support research.
University and Community Outreach
The public awareness program will include a series of public lectures, seminars, workshops, conferences, films, and other cultural events. The purpose is to stimulate public interest and awareness. Participation of faculty, students, staff, administration, visiting lecturers, and the community will be encouraged.
Library Acquisitions
Quality research and teaching of Asian American Studies requires adequate Asian American resources. The University of Wisconsin- Madison will aggressively expand its existing library and archival collections of Asian American source material. Asian American periodicals and newspapers will be significantly enhanced. Primary course material, including manuscripts, journals, correspondence, and scripts of leading Asian American literary political, and intellectual figures, will be acquired. The University of Wisconsin- Madison will also conduct an oral history project for Wisconsin’s Asian American population. This could be expanded to include the entire Midwest Asian American population. Other important acquisitions will include Asian American films, music, visual and performing arts, and other forms of Asian American cultural expression.
New Student Orientation
The new student orientation program will introduce new students to the Asian American Studies Program. A brochure explaining the program, the ethnic studies requirements, and other resources available for academic, social, and personal support will be distributed during Summer Orientation and Registration (SOAR) and the fall registration week. In addition, regular open houses at the Asian American Studies Program throughout the year will be held to increase visibility.
Networking
Networks with other Asian American Studies programs throughout the nation and other ethnic studies groups on campus will be established to share invaluable insight and encourage cooperation in teaching and research. This cooperation may take the form of joint courses. A newsletter will be circulated nationwide.
Extramural Funding
Extramural funding, both from the private and public sector, will be investigated in order to help support the program. Individual support and contributions for library acquisitions will also be pursued.
Phase III (Fall 1993 onward)
1.Recommendations to the Director and Committee include:
2.Seek financial support for students in the form of scholarships, work study, loans, and graduate student assistance.
3.Develop a degree program for students wishing to major in Asian American Studies, including a requirement for BS/BA, MA and PhD candidates.
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Requested Budget
Staff Salaries
Phase I
Phase II
Director/ Associate Professor
12 months: 42,000 + fringe benefits (.24): 10,080 = 52,080
52,080
52,080
Administrative Specialist
12 months: 24,500 + fringe benefits (.24) 5,580 = 30.080
30,080
30,080
Administrative Assistant
12 months: 18,000 + fringe benefits (.24) 4,320 = 22,320
22,320
22,320
Visiting Professor
12 months: 26,000 + fringe benefits 6,240 = 32,240
32,240
32,240
Project Assistant
12 months: (.50) 10,697 + fringe benefits (.18) 1,925 = 12,622
–
12,622
Research Assistants (2)
12 months: (.5) 10,000 + fringe benefits (.18) 1,800 = 11,800 (x2)
–
23,600
Joint Faculty (2)
12 months: (.5): 17,500 + fringe benefits (.24) 4,200 = 21,700 X 5
–
108,500
Subtotal:
136,720
281,442
Consultants
Airfare: 2 persons X 500 = 2,000
Perdiem: 50/day X2 days X 4 people = 400
Fees: 4 persons X 200 = 800
2,000
400
800
2,000
400
800
Travel (conferences, meetings)
Airfare: 2 trips X 500 = 1,000
Perdiem: 50/day X 2 days X 2 trips = 200
Other: registration fees, etc. = 300
1,000
200
300
1,000
200
300
Recruitment Expenses
Airfare: 4 persons X 500 = 2,000
2,000
2,000
Supplies and Expenses
Office supplies, mail, subscriptions, 10,000
Newsletters, printing/ copying, telecommunications)
10,000
10,000
Capital Expenses
Computer equipment, supplies, copy machine,
Office furniture) = 25,000
25,000
TOTAL
178,420
298,142
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Appendices
APPENDIX I: Statistics
APPENDIX II: Recommended Asian American Studies University Committee
APPENDIX III: Suggested Course offerings
Appendix I: Statistics
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Appendix II: Recommended Asian American Studies University Committee
We have identified a number of people who would bring a high degree of commitment and experience to an Asian American Studies University committee. We highly recommend the Chancellor’s consideration of:
Peter Chen, Graduate Student, Chemistry Dept.
Peggy Choy, Program Coordinator, Southeast Asian Studies Center
Kathy Chung, Undergraduate Student, WSA Women’s Affairs Director
Prof Elizabeth Ellsworth, School of Education, Curriculum and Instruction, Women’s
Studies
Prof Herbert Hill, Afro- American Studies, Industrial Relations
Wendy Ho, Dissertator, English Dept., Women’s studies, and Lecturer, English Dept.
UW- Whitewater
Lon Kurashige, Graduate Student, History Dept.
Prof Mary Layoun, Comparative Literature Dept.
Prof Hamilton McCubbin, Dean, School of Family Resources and Consumer Sciences
Prof Nellie McKay, Afro- American Studies, English Dept.
Prof James Moy, Theater and Drama Dept.
Prof Emiko Ohnuki- Tierney, Anthropology Dept., Vilas Professor
Easwari Pal, Undergraduate Student, Comparative literature Dept.
Prof Steve Stern, History dept.
Joan Varney, Graduate Student, TA, CAVE, and Women’s Studies
Prof James D. Vigil, Director, Chicano Studies Program, Anthropology Dept.
Prof Craig Werner, Afro- American Studies
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Appendix III – Suggested Course Offerings
I. Introduction to the Asian American Experience
This introductory course will cover the historical “roots” of Asians in America—the causes and sources of Asian immigration the U.S., the experience of these “pioneers,” and their major role in the development of the Western states. It will also examine the U.S. response to these Asian immigrants and the relationship to broader patterns of American nativism and racism. The course would conclude by analyzing contemporary issues, including identity, self-worth, sex role stereotyping, influence of the mass media, and the “model minority” stereotype.
II. Asian American Literature
This course will study Asian American experience and identity through the writings of Asian American authors such as Maxine Hong Kingston, Nellie Wong, Mitsuye Yamada, Frank Chin, Bharati Mukherjee, Louis Chu, Wendy Law-Yone, John Okada, Carlos Bulosan, and Richard Kim. A Comparative study with other minority literature or traditional Asian literature could be done.
III. Asian American Psychology
A critical analysis of historical, institutional, and cultural aspects of the Asian American experience, including the effects of exclusion from U.S. citizenship, the World War II internment, and the pressure to assimilate. This course will analyze the mental health issues related to living a bicultural lifestyle, family problems, institutional racism, development of autonomy, and the stigma of the “model minority” and its consequences.
IV. Asian American Women
This course will explore the history and lives of Asian women in America with the aim of understanding major socioeconomic and political issues: immigration patterns, gender roles, ethnic identity, family and community, work, feminism, and cultural expression.
V. Asian Americans and U.S. Foreign Policy
This course will explore the similarities and differences between the traditional cultures of Asia and the Asian American cultures. It will critically examine the impact of U.S. foreign policy on Asian Americans, such as the immigration laws, World War II internment, and U.S. trade policies.
VI. Asian American Families and Communities
This course will examine the demographics, the values, the socio-psychological impact of the acculturation/ assimilation process on the Asian American family.
VII. Asian Americans: Images and Stereotypes in the Media
This course will use a socio-cultural and historical framework to examine and analyze the images of Asian Americans in film, video, print media, and TV. Stereotypic characterizations will be analyzed. Film and media theory will provide a context for assessing the impact of these images on viewer and strategies for constructing more realistic and authentic images of Asian Americans will be addressed.
Dated: November, 1988
THE ASIAN COALITION PROPOSES THAT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON COMMIT ITSELF TO THE SERIOUS SCHOLARLY INQUIRY OF THE ASIAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE BY (1) THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES PROGRAM WITHIN THE COLLEGE OF LETTERS AND SCIENCES AND (2) THE SUPPORT OF THIS PROGRAM’S DEVELOPMENT AS A VITAL CENTER FOR SCHOLARLY RESEARCH AND TEACHING OF ASIAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCES.
Asian American Studies examines the life experiences of Asian peoples in the United States—their families and communities, their unique history of acculturation, immigration, naturalization, and their economic, political and cultural impact on American society. As an interdisciplinary field, Asian American Studies applies the research methods and findings of traditional academic disciplines, such as history, sociology, anthropology, and literature, to understanding the experiences and societal significance of Asians in the United States.
Asian Americans are the fastest growing non-white minority group in the United States. Between 1970 and 1980 the number of Asians in America grew by 141% and between 1980 and 1985 the number of Asian Americans continued to increase by another 50%, reaching a total of some 5.1 million people. By the year 2000 it is projected that America’’ Asian population will reach 10 million, about 4% of the total U.S. population. This dramatic growth has also been reflected on college and university campuses across the nation. From 1976 to 1986, Asian American enrollment at institutions of higher education in the United States increased 136%, constituting the greatest increase of any American racial or ethnic group, including whites. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Asian Americans, as of spring semester 1988, are the largest racial minority group, representing 2.2% of the student enrollment.
Demographics, however, are neither the only nor the most important criterion by which toe measure the significance of Asian Americans to American society. Our understanding of race and ethnicity in American history will remain incomplete at best, and perhaps flawed, if scholars leave unattended the study of Asians in America. The untied States has always been a multi-racial society and it is only through historical and theoretical studies of race and ethnicity that we can begin to understand the complex and changing racial conceptions of the American identity. For example, for over a century Asian Americans have been at the center of the legal debate in the areas of immigration and naturalization, where formal articulation of American identity is at stake. As early as 1870, Congress officially excluded Chinese from becoming United States citizens. The American government consistently denied naturalization rights to Japanese, Korean, Filipino, and all other Asian immigrants who arrived after the Chinese. In a similar vein, the racial implications of the Fourteenth Amendment is significantly broadened by an understanding of the historical context of Yick Woo vs. Hopkins (1886) and of Chin Bak Kan vs. U.S. (1893), two cases before the Supreme Court which established the 19th century parameters of the equal protection clause. Half a century later, Hirabayashi vs. U.S. (1943) and Korematsu vs. US (1944), Supreme Court challenges to the wartime internment of Japanese Americans, established race as a suspect category requiring the strict scrutiny of the court, thereby laying the groundwork for all subsequent decisions on desegregation. By repeatedly challenging these racially restrictive laws in the courts, Asian Americans pushed to redefine the meaning of race and equality in American law and society.
The Asian American experience is also significant for American social and economic history. Asians played a central role in the economic development of the West Coast and Hawaii. In the 19th century, Asians played an important but hitherto unacknowledged role in shaping the lands west of the Rockies, mining, diking the great California deltas, building railroads, and introducing commercial fishing and new crops to western agricultural markets—particularly fruits, vegetables, and other cash crops. That Asians were the largest non-European immigrant group in the California and Pacific Coast labor markets by the 1860s was a significant factor in the organization and structure of labor policies and practices on the West Coast with significant national ramifications for labor politics. In studies of current relationships between race and class, the Asian American experience is critical to the understanding of such current sociological theories as split labor markets, the middle man minority, and the ethnic enclave economy.
Finally, responsible scholars cannot overlook the Asian American experience in their study of America’s international, political, or cultural relations with the countries of Asia. For example, America’s past and current relations with Japan cannot be completely understood without studying the dynamics of racial attitudes of both countries. American attempts to prohibit Japanese immigration to the United States, the racially explicit “Yellow Peril” ideology, and the racially oppressive treatment of Japanese in the U.S. complicated and strained U.S.-Japan relations and played a significant role in the slide towards World War II, the conduct of the war and, of course, the internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans.
The Untied States has engaged in six wars in Asia in the last century. These include the Spanish- American War, the Philippine “Insurrection,” the Boxer Rebellion, World War II, the Korean War, and Indochina War. In each of these wars, American attitudes towards Asians and Asian Americans have been inextricably bound.
Asians in America have often been the transmitters of culture in both directions. Diverse yet significant Asian intellectual and political leaders from Yung Wing who attended Yale in the 1860s and became one of China’s first modern diplomats, to the Japanese communist leader Katayama Sen, to Sun Yat-Sen spent considerable time studying in the United States. Others such as Carlos Bulosan, a self-educated farm worker and labor organizer, became well known both in the U.S. and his native Philippines for his powerful literary accounts of the hard lives of farmworkers in America. In the area of culture and aesthetics, Yone Noguchi, the father of the renowned Asian American sculptor Isamu Noguchi lived in America and became a disciple of Walt Whitman; he later returned to Japan to translate Whitman’s poetry and ideas. Likewise, Carl Sadakichi Hartmann came to the Untied Stated as a teenager, became a disciple of Whitman and later an influential colleague of Jack Kerouac and an important member of the “Beat generation.” A study of these figures provides a better understanding of the Asian influences in American intellectual life. Others such as Isamu Noguchi and I.M. Pei have continued the Asian American tradition of shaping the physical landscape.
Asian Americans have a rich literary tradition that begins with the first Asian immigrants. Much of this literature, written both in Asian vernaculars and in English, has been lost to us. A major effect needs to be undertaken to retrieve such lost literature, both for what it can tell us about the historical experiences of Asians in America and in order to establish a critical aesthetic tradition against which current Asian American literature can be read. A more sophisticated view of the rich Asian American literary tradition will expose more Americans to the works of such writers as Maxine Hong Kingston, John Okada, Louis Chu, Hisaye Yamamoto, Wendy Law-Yone, Bharati Mukherjee, Tran Van Dinh, Joy Kogawa; poets such as Mei-Mei Berssenbrugge, Garrett Hongo, Lawson Inada, Michael Ondaatje, Wing Tek Lum, Cathy Song, Genny Lim, and David Henry Hwang. Their works deepen one’s understanding of the human condition, drawing explicitly from the Asian American experience.
Fertile ground exists for studying Asians in Wisconsin and the Midwest in general. The experiences of various Asian American populations in Wisconsin, and Madison’s recent Asian immigrants, remain virtually untouched areas for scholarly study. Nearby Chicago, with its deep-rooted Chinese, Indian, Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese communities offers excellent, and often overlooked, resources for scholars and students of the Asian American experience. The rapidly growing Hmong populations in Madison, Minneapolis, and other areas of the Midwest provide important opportunities to compare trends in the experiences of “older” Asian immigrants, for example,, Japanese, Chinese, and Filipino, to those more recent immigrants from Asia. Furthermore, it was in the Midwest that many of the interned Japanese –Americans settled after the war.
Asian American Studies has added importance for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Commensurate with the forthcoming ethnic studies requirement, Asian American Studies courses will not only introduce students on this camps to the Asian American experience, but will challenge them to think critically about the past and present impact of race, nationality, and cultural differences in American society. Asian American Studies will also allow Asian American students to learn about and reclaim their histories and cultures by having their experiences accurately reflected and represented in the curriculum.
Asian American Studies has received increasing attention as a discipline of growing interest and importance. Several peer institutions have already developed Asian American Studies teaching and research programs, including Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Cornell, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, Los Angeles. The establishment of a mid-west centered Asian American Studies Program at the University of Wisconsin- Madison would reinforce its leadership role among this nation’s institution of higher education.
(The Asian Coalition acknowledges Prof. Robert Lee, Brown University, for his assistance in producing this portion of the proposal).
Asian American Studies Program: Structure and Implementation
The establishment of the Asian American Studies Program in the College of Letters and Sciences will be divided into three phases. Phase I involves building the foundation of the program by securing a directory and a facility for the program and taking the necessary steps towards establishing the initial curriculum. Phase II includes further development of the program, and Phase II addresses long term planning.
The description of each phase includes a statement of goals and recommendations.
Phase I (Fall 1989- Fall 199)
- Form an Asian American Studies University Committee
- Select an Interim Director
- Appoint support staff and a subcommittee to aid the Interim Director
- Develop the hiring policy
- Recruit adjunct and visiting lecturers to teach Asian American Studies courses
- Establish the main duties of the Asian American Studies University Committee
- Establish the main duties of the Permanent Director
Asian American Studies University Committee
The Committee will consist of 3 students, 5 faculty, and 3 staff. Committee members will serve staggered 2 year appointments. Their first responsibilities will be the search for and appointment of an Interim Director. Once this appointment is secured, the Committee will search for a Permanent Director for the Asian American Studies Program. Working closely with the Dean of Letters and Sciences, the Committee’s duties will include advising the Permanent Director and approving plans such as faculty appointments, curriculum, and replacement of Director if such conditions arise. The Committee shall be appointment by the Chancellor and the Asian Coalition.
Interim Director
The Interim Director will be a full-time employed faculty or staff member whose appointment will last for one full year (renewable for 1 year). The Interim Director is responsible for overseeing all immediate goals and needs of the program. Office space will be provided for the Interim Director and staff.
The main duties of the Interim Director will include developing the curriculum for the first year that Asian American Studies courses are offered (Fall 1990- Spring 1991). The curriculum will include a 3 credit course “Introduction to the Asian American Experience.” In addition, relevant courses will be included form other departments. The Interim Director will also oversee the recruitment of adjunct and visiting lecturers, and initiate the hiring of faculty. The Interim Director will begin a program of community outreach and seek sources for future funding/ grants.
Subcommittee and Interim Support Staff
The subcommittee and interim support staff will be appointed by the Interim Director. The duties of the staff and subcommittee will be to assist the Interim Director in administration and decision making processes. The subcommittee will include at least one student member and one faculty/ staff member of the Asian American Studies University Committee. The support staff will include academic staff and graduate student assistants.
Hiring Policy
Every effort will be made to hire faculty and staff who have a significant personal and professional background in the Asian American experience. A national search will be conducted to aid in the success of these efforts. This policy will be recognized as being in compliance and fulfillment of the University of Wisconsin’s Affirmative Action policies.
Joint and Adjunct Faculty, and Visiting Lecturers
The Interim Director and subcommittee are responsible for recruiting joint and adjunct faulty, and visiting lecturers to each the first Asian American Studies courses to be offered in the Fall semester, 1990.
Duties of the Asian American Studies University Committee
After selection of the Interim Director, the Committee will study possible sites for a center and being a nationwide search for a Permanent Director. At this point, the Committee will primarily concern itself with long term and future goals.
The Asian American Studies Program will be centrally located, appropriate to its humanities/ social sciences emphases. Adequate space will be provided for the following: an office for the director, offices for academic staff, a main lounge, a meeting room, and a reading library. The space will accommodate the general office equipment and supplies, including journals, books, and computers.
The Permanent Director
The Permanent Director will be selected through a nationwide search and will be appointed as a full time tenured faculty member. The duties of the Director will include teaching, research, and administration of the program. The Director’s credentials will include extensive experience in Asian American Studies, an active role in the Asian American community, broad knowledge of all areas of Asian American Studies, and a commitment to work with other ethnic studies programs and racial minority organizations.
The Director’s first responsibility will be to work with Asian American Studies Program faculty in the continued development of the curriculum, hiring the support staff, and establishing the program as a working office.
Phase II (Fall 1990- Fall 1993)
- Continue faculty recruitment
- Expand curriculum
- Develop certification requirements
- Continue visiting lecturers program
- Begin university and community outreach programs
- Acquire library materials
- Contribute to new student orientation
- Network with other programs
- Search for extramural funding
- Evaluate progress
Faculty Recruitment
Recruitment of faculty is a key element in ensuring the success of the program. In addition to a nationwide search for prospective faculty, the Director and the Committee will look within the University of Wisconsin system for faculty who are qualified and willing to reach Asian American Studies courses. The administration will offer added incentives to current University of Wisconsin faculty and faculty at other universities in order to encourage the recruitment of new Asian American Studies faculty. Criteria include enthusiasm for teaching and research, experience, education, social and cultural awareness.
Research assistantships will be made available to demonstrate support for faculty in their research.
Three types of faculty positions will be made available. Full time, joint, and adjunct faculty. The full time faculty member is fully dedicated to teaching Asian American Studies courses and conducting research. Joint faculty will hold an appointment within the Asian American Studies Program and another department. The adjunct faculty member makes commitments to each Asian American Studies courses on a semester basis.
The targeted number of faculty for phase II is 4 full time equivalent faculty.
Curriculum Development
In order to establish the curriculum for the ethnic studies requirement, a goal of 5 courses offered by Fall 1993 has been set. The content of courses offered depends on the faculty recruited. A list of possible courses is provided in Appendix IV.
Certification Requirements
Undergraduate students who have pursued Asian American Studies in depth will receive a Certificate in Asian American Studies from the University of Wisconsin- Madison. The requirement will include 15 credits of approved Asian American Studies courses.
Visiting Lecturers Program
The visiting lecturers program will be continued, with additional funds provided to support research.
University and Community Outreach
The public awareness program will include a series of public lectures, seminars, workshops, conferences, films, and other cultural events. The purpose is to stimulate public interest and awareness. Participation of faculty, students, staff, administration, visiting lecturers, and the community will be encouraged.
Library Acquisitions
Quality research and teaching of Asian American Studies requires adequate Asian American resources. The University of Wisconsin- Madison will aggressively expand its existing library and archival collections of Asian American source material. Asian American periodicals and newspapers will be significantly enhanced. Primary course material, including manuscripts, journals, correspondence, and scripts of leading Asian American literary political, and intellectual figures, will be acquired. The University of Wisconsin- Madison will also conduct an oral history project for Wisconsin’s Asian American population. This could be expanded to include the entire Midwest Asian American population. Other important acquisitions will include Asian American films, music, visual and performing arts, and other forms of Asian American cultural expression.
New Student Orientation
The new student orientation program will introduce new students to the Asian American Studies Program. A brochure explaining the program, the ethnic studies requirements, and other resources available for academic, social, and personal support will be distributed during Summer Orientation and Registration (SOAR) and the fall registration week. In addition, regular open houses at the Asian American Studies Program throughout the year will be held to increase visibility.
Networking
Networks with other Asian American Studies programs throughout the nation and other ethnic studies groups on campus will be established to share invaluable insight and encourage cooperation in teaching and research. This cooperation may take the form of joint courses. A newsletter will be circulated nationwide.
Extramural Funding
Extramural funding, both from the private and public sector, will be investigated in order to help support the program. Individual support and contributions for library acquisitions will also be pursued.
Phase III (Fall 1993 onward)
- Recommendations to the Director and Committee include:
- Seek financial support for students in the form of scholarships, work study, loans, and graduate student assistance.
- Develop a degree program for students wishing to major in Asian American Studies, including a requirement for BS/BA, MA and PhD candidates.
Requested Budget
| Staff Salaries | Phase I | Phase II |
| Director/ Associate Professor 12 months: 42,000 + fringe benefits (.24): 10,080 = 52,080 |
52,080 | 52,080 |
| Administrative Specialist 12 months: 24,500 + fringe benefits (.24) 5,580 = 30.080 |
30,080 | 30,080 |
| Administrative Assistant 12 months: 18,000 + fringe benefits (.24) 4,320 = 22,320 |
22,320 | 22,320 |
| Visiting Professor 12 months: 26,000 + fringe benefits 6,240 = 32,240 |
32,240 | 32,240 |
| Project Assistant 12 months: (.50) 10,697 + fringe benefits (.18) 1,925 = 12,622 |
– | 12,622 |
| Research Assistants (2) 12 months: (.5) 10,000 + fringe benefits (.18) 1,800 = 11,800 (x2) |
– | 23,600 |
| Joint Faculty (2) 12 months: (.5): 17,500 + fringe benefits (.24) 4,200 = 21,700 X 5 |
– | 108,500 |
| Subtotal: | 136,720 | 281,442 |
| Consultants Airfare: 2 persons X 500 = 2,000 Perdiem: 50/day X2 days X 4 people = 400 Fees: 4 persons X 200 = 800 |
2,000 400 800 |
2,000 400 800 |
| Travel (conferences, meetings) Airfare: 2 trips X 500 = 1,000 Perdiem: 50/day X 2 days X 2 trips = 200 Other: registration fees, etc. = 300 |
1,000 200 300 |
1,000 200 300 |
| Recruitment Expenses Airfare: 4 persons X 500 = 2,000 |
2,000 | 2,000 |
| Supplies and Expenses Office supplies, mail, subscriptions, 10,000 Newsletters, printing/ copying, telecommunications) |
10,000 | 10,000 |
| Capital Expenses Computer equipment, supplies, copy machine, Office furniture) = 25,000 |
25,000 | |
| TOTAL | 178,420 | 298,142 |
Appendices
APPENDIX I: Statistics
APPENDIX II: Recommended Asian American Studies University Committee
APPENDIX III: Suggested Course offerings
Appendix I: Statistics
Appendix II: Recommended Asian American Studies University Committee
We have identified a number of people who would bring a high degree of commitment and experience to an Asian American Studies University committee. We highly recommend the Chancellor’s consideration of:
Peter Chen, Graduate Student, Chemistry Dept.
Peggy Choy, Program Coordinator, Southeast Asian Studies Center
Kathy Chung, Undergraduate Student, WSA Women’s Affairs Director
Prof Elizabeth Ellsworth, School of Education, Curriculum and Instruction, Women’s
Studies
Prof Herbert Hill, Afro- American Studies, Industrial Relations
Wendy Ho, Dissertator, English Dept., Women’s studies, and Lecturer, English Dept.
UW- Whitewater
Lon Kurashige, Graduate Student, History Dept.
Prof Mary Layoun, Comparative Literature Dept.
Prof Hamilton McCubbin, Dean, School of Family Resources and Consumer Sciences
Prof Nellie McKay, Afro- American Studies, English Dept.
Prof James Moy, Theater and Drama Dept.
Prof Emiko Ohnuki- Tierney, Anthropology Dept., Vilas Professor
Easwari Pal, Undergraduate Student, Comparative literature Dept.
Prof Steve Stern, History dept.
Joan Varney, Graduate Student, TA, CAVE, and Women’s Studies
Prof James D. Vigil, Director, Chicano Studies Program, Anthropology Dept.
Prof Craig Werner, Afro- American Studies
Appendix III – Suggested Course Offerings
I. Introduction to the Asian American Experience
This introductory course will cover the historical “roots” of Asians in America—the causes and sources of Asian immigration the U.S., the experience of these “pioneers,” and their major role in the development of the Western states. It will also examine the U.S. response to these Asian immigrants and the relationship to broader patterns of American nativism and racism. The course would conclude by analyzing contemporary issues, including identity, self-worth, sex role stereotyping, influence of the mass media, and the “model minority” stereotype.
II. Asian American Literature
This course will study Asian American experience and identity through the writings of Asian American authors such as Maxine Hong Kingston, Nellie Wong, Mitsuye Yamada, Frank Chin, Bharati Mukherjee, Louis Chu, Wendy Law-Yone, John Okada, Carlos Bulosan, and Richard Kim. A Comparative study with other minority literature or traditional Asian literature could be done.
III. Asian American Psychology
A critical analysis of historical, institutional, and cultural aspects of the Asian American experience, including the effects of exclusion from U.S. citizenship, the World War II internment, and the pressure to assimilate. This course will analyze the mental health issues related to living a bicultural lifestyle, family problems, institutional racism, development of autonomy, and the stigma of the “model minority” and its consequences.
IV. Asian American Women
This course will explore the history and lives of Asian women in America with the aim of understanding major socioeconomic and political issues: immigration patterns, gender roles, ethnic identity, family and community, work, feminism, and cultural expression.
V. Asian Americans and U.S. Foreign Policy
This course will explore the similarities and differences between the traditional cultures of Asia and the Asian American cultures. It will critically examine the impact of U.S. foreign policy on Asian Americans, such as the immigration laws, World War II internment, and U.S. trade policies.
VI. Asian American Families and Communities
This course will examine the demographics, the values, the socio-psychological impact of the acculturation/ assimilation process on the Asian American family.
VII. Asian Americans: Images and Stereotypes in the Media
This course will use a socio-cultural and historical framework to examine and analyze the images of Asian Americans in film, video, print media, and TV. Stereotypic characterizations will be analyzed. Film and media theory will provide a context for assessing the impact of these images on viewer and strategies for constructing more realistic and authentic images of Asian Americans will be addressed.
Dated: November, 1988
THE ASIAN COALITION PROPOSES THAT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON COMMIT ITSELF TO THE SERIOUS SCHOLARLY INQUIRY OF THE ASIAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE BY (1) THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES PROGRAM WITHIN THE COLLEGE OF LETTERS AND SCIENCES AND (2) THE SUPPORT OF THIS PROGRAM’S DEVELOPMENT AS A VITAL CENTER FOR SCHOLARLY RESEARCH AND TEACHING OF ASIAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCES.
Asian American Studies examines the life experiences of Asian peoples in the United States—their families and communities, their unique history of acculturation, immigration, naturalization, and their economic, political and cultural impact on American society. As an interdisciplinary field, Asian American Studies applies the research methods and findings of traditional academic disciplines, such as history, sociology, anthropology, and literature, to understanding the experiences and societal significance of Asians in the United States.
Asian Americans are the fastest growing non-white minority group in the United States. Between 1970 and 1980 the number of Asians in America grew by 141% and between 1980 and 1985 the number of Asian Americans continued to increase by another 50%, reaching a total of some 5.1 million people. By the year 2000 it is projected that America’’ Asian population will reach 10 million, about 4% of the total U.S. population. This dramatic growth has also been reflected on college and university campuses across the nation. From 1976 to 1986, Asian American enrollment at institutions of higher education in the United States increased 136%, constituting the greatest increase of any American racial or ethnic group, including whites. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Asian Americans, as of spring semester 1988, are the largest racial minority group, representing 2.2% of the student enrollment.
Demographics, however, are neither the only nor the most important criterion by which toe measure the significance of Asian Americans to American society. Our understanding of race and ethnicity in American history will remain incomplete at best, and perhaps flawed, if scholars leave unattended the study of Asians in America. The untied States has always been a multi-racial society and it is only through historical and theoretical studies of race and ethnicity that we can begin to understand the complex and changing racial conceptions of the American identity. For example, for over a century Asian Americans have been at the center of the legal debate in the areas of immigration and naturalization, where formal articulation of American identity is at stake. As early as 1870, Congress officially excluded Chinese from becoming United States citizens. The American government consistently denied naturalization rights to Japanese, Korean, Filipino, and all other Asian immigrants who arrived after the Chinese. In a similar vein, the racial implications of the Fourteenth Amendment is significantly broadened by an understanding of the historical context of Yick Woo vs. Hopkins (1886) and of Chin Bak Kan vs. U.S. (1893), two cases before the Supreme Court which established the 19th century parameters of the equal protection clause. Half a century later, Hirabayashi vs. U.S. (1943) and Korematsu vs. US (1944), Supreme Court challenges to the wartime internment of Japanese Americans, established race as a suspect category requiring the strict scrutiny of the court, thereby laying the groundwork for all subsequent decisions on desegregation. By repeatedly challenging these racially restrictive laws in the courts, Asian Americans pushed to redefine the meaning of race and equality in American law and society.
The Asian American experience is also significant for American social and economic history. Asians played a central role in the economic development of the West Coast and Hawaii. In the 19th century, Asians played an important but hitherto unacknowledged role in shaping the lands west of the Rockies, mining, diking the great California deltas, building railroads, and introducing commercial fishing and new crops to western agricultural markets—particularly fruits, vegetables, and other cash crops. That Asians were the largest non-European immigrant group in the California and Pacific Coast labor markets by the 1860s was a significant factor in the organization and structure of labor policies and practices on the West Coast with significant national ramifications for labor politics. In studies of current relationships between race and class, the Asian American experience is critical to the understanding of such current sociological theories as split labor markets, the middle man minority, and the ethnic enclave economy.
Finally, responsible scholars cannot overlook the Asian American experience in their study of America’s international, political, or cultural relations with the countries of Asia. For example, America’s past and current relations with Japan cannot be completely understood without studying the dynamics of racial attitudes of both countries. American attempts to prohibit Japanese immigration to the United States, the racially explicit “Yellow Peril” ideology, and the racially oppressive treatment of Japanese in the U.S. complicated and strained U.S.-Japan relations and played a significant role in the slide towards World War II, the conduct of the war and, of course, the internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans.
The Untied States has engaged in six wars in Asia in the last century. These include the Spanish- American War, the Philippine “Insurrection,” the Boxer Rebellion, World War II, the Korean War, and Indochina War. In each of these wars, American attitudes towards Asians and Asian Americans have been inextricably bound.
Asians in America have often been the transmitters of culture in both directions. Diverse yet significant Asian intellectual and political leaders from Yung Wing who attended Yale in the 1860s and became one of China’s first modern diplomats, to the Japanese communist leader Katayama Sen, to Sun Yat-Sen spent considerable time studying in the United States. Others such as Carlos Bulosan, a self-educated farm worker and labor organizer, became well known both in the U.S. and his native Philippines for his powerful literary accounts of the hard lives of farmworkers in America. In the area of culture and aesthetics, Yone Noguchi, the father of the renowned Asian American sculptor Isamu Noguchi lived in America and became a disciple of Walt Whitman; he later returned to Japan to translate Whitman’s poetry and ideas. Likewise, Carl Sadakichi Hartmann came to the Untied Stated as a teenager, became a disciple of Whitman and later an influential colleague of Jack Kerouac and an important member of the “Beat generation.” A study of these figures provides a better understanding of the Asian influences in American intellectual life. Others such as Isamu Noguchi and I.M. Pei have continued the Asian American tradition of shaping the physical landscape.
Asian Americans have a rich literary tradition that begins with the first Asian immigrants. Much of this literature, written both in Asian vernaculars and in English, has been lost to us. A major effect needs to be undertaken to retrieve such lost literature, both for what it can tell us about the historical experiences of Asians in America and in order to establish a critical aesthetic tradition against which current Asian American literature can be read. A more sophisticated view of the rich Asian American literary tradition will expose more Americans to the works of such writers as Maxine Hong Kingston, John Okada, Louis Chu, Hisaye Yamamoto, Wendy Law-Yone, Bharati Mukherjee, Tran Van Dinh, Joy Kogawa; poets such as Mei-Mei Berssenbrugge, Garrett Hongo, Lawson Inada, Michael Ondaatje, Wing Tek Lum, Cathy Song, Genny Lim, and David Henry Hwang. Their works deepen one’s understanding of the human condition, drawing explicitly from the Asian American experience.
Fertile ground exists for studying Asians in Wisconsin and the Midwest in general. The experiences of various Asian American populations in Wisconsin, and Madison’s recent Asian immigrants, remain virtually untouched areas for scholarly study. Nearby Chicago, with its deep-rooted Chinese, Indian, Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese communities offers excellent, and often overlooked, resources for scholars and students of the Asian American experience. The rapidly growing Hmong populations in Madison, Minneapolis, and other areas of the Midwest provide important opportunities to compare trends in the experiences of “older” Asian immigrants, for example,, Japanese, Chinese, and Filipino, to those more recent immigrants from Asia. Furthermore, it was in the Midwest that many of the interned Japanese –Americans settled after the war.
Asian American Studies has added importance for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Commensurate with the forthcoming ethnic studies requirement, Asian American Studies courses will not only introduce students on this camps to the Asian American experience, but will challenge them to think critically about the past and present impact of race, nationality, and cultural differences in American society. Asian American Studies will also allow Asian American students to learn about and reclaim their histories and cultures by having their experiences accurately reflected and represented in the curriculum.
Asian American Studies has received increasing attention as a discipline of growing interest and importance. Several peer institutions have already developed Asian American Studies teaching and research programs, including Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Cornell, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, Los Angeles. The establishment of a mid-west centered Asian American Studies Program at the University of Wisconsin- Madison would reinforce its leadership role among this nation’s institution of higher education.
(The Asian Coalition acknowledges Prof. Robert Lee, Brown University, for his assistance in producing this portion of the proposal).
——————————————————————————–
Asian American Studies Program: Structure and Implementation
The establishment of the Asian American Studies Program in the College of Letters and Sciences will be divided into three phases. Phase I involves building the foundation of the program by securing a directory and a facility for the program and taking the necessary steps towards establishing the initial curriculum. Phase II includes further development of the program, and Phase II addresses long term planning.
The description of each phase includes a statement of goals and recommendations.
Phase I (Fall 1989- Fall 199)
1.Form an Asian American Studies University Committee
2.Select an Interim Director
3.Appoint support staff and a subcommittee to aid the Interim Director
4.Develop the hiring policy
5.Recruit adjunct and visiting lecturers to teach Asian American Studies courses
6.Establish the main duties of the Asian American Studies University Committee
7.Establish the main duties of the Permanent Director
Asian American Studies University Committee
The Committee will consist of 3 students, 5 faculty, and 3 staff. Committee members will serve staggered 2 year appointments. Their first responsibilities will be the search for and appointment of an Interim Director. Once this appointment is secured, the Committee will search for a Permanent Director for the Asian American Studies Program. Working closely with the Dean of Letters and Sciences, the Committee’s duties will include advising the Permanent Director and approving plans such as faculty appointments, curriculum, and replacement of Director if such conditions arise. The Committee shall be appointment by the Chancellor and the Asian Coalition.
Interim Director
The Interim Director will be a full-time employed faculty or staff member whose appointment will last for one full year (renewable for 1 year). The Interim Director is responsible for overseeing all immediate goals and needs of the program. Office space will be provided for the Interim Director and staff.
The main duties of the Interim Director will include developing the curriculum for the first year that Asian American Studies courses are offered (Fall 1990- Spring 1991). The curriculum will include a 3 credit course “Introduction to the Asian American Experience.” In addition, relevant courses will be included form other departments. The Interim Director will also oversee the recruitment of adjunct and visiting lecturers, and initiate the hiring of faculty. The Interim Director will begin a program of community outreach and seek sources for future funding/ grants.
Subcommittee and Interim Support Staff
The subcommittee and interim support staff will be appointed by the Interim Director. The duties of the staff and subcommittee will be to assist the Interim Director in administration and decision making processes. The subcommittee will include at least one student member and one faculty/ staff member of the Asian American Studies University Committee. The support staff will include academic staff and graduate student assistants.
Hiring Policy
Every effort will be made to hire faculty and staff who have a significant personal and professional background in the Asian American experience. A national search will be conducted to aid in the success of these efforts. This policy will be recognized as being in compliance and fulfillment of the University of Wisconsin’s Affirmative Action policies.
Joint and Adjunct Faculty, and Visiting Lecturers
The Interim Director and subcommittee are responsible for recruiting joint and adjunct faulty, and visiting lecturers to each the first Asian American Studies courses to be offered in the Fall semester, 1990.
Duties of the Asian American Studies University Committee
After selection of the Interim Director, the Committee will study possible sites for a center and being a nationwide search for a Permanent Director. At this point, the Committee will primarily concern itself with long term and future goals.
The Asian American Studies Program will be centrally located, appropriate to its humanities/ social sciences emphases. Adequate space will be provided for the following: an office for the director, offices for academic staff, a main lounge, a meeting room, and a reading library. The space will accommodate the general office equipment and supplies, including journals, books, and computers.
The Permanent Director
The Permanent Director will be selected through a nationwide search and will be appointed as a full time tenured faculty member. The duties of the Director will include teaching, research, and administration of the program. The Director’s credentials will include extensive experience in Asian American Studies, an active role in the Asian American community, broad knowledge of all areas of Asian American Studies, and a commitment to work with other ethnic studies programs and racial minority organizations.
The Director’s first responsibility will be to work with Asian American Studies Program faculty in the continued development of the curriculum, hiring the support staff, and establishing the program as a working office.
Phase II (Fall 1990- Fall 1993)
1.Continue faculty recruitment
2.Expand curriculum
3.Develop certification requirements
4.Continue visiting lecturers program
5.Begin university and community outreach programs
6.Acquire library materials
7.Contribute to new student orientation
8.Network with other programs
9.Search for extramural funding
10.Evaluate progress
Faculty Recruitment
Recruitment of faculty is a key element in ensuring the success of the program. In addition to a nationwide search for prospective faculty, the Director and the Committee will look within the University of Wisconsin system for faculty who are qualified and willing to reach Asian American Studies courses. The administration will offer added incentives to current University of Wisconsin faculty and faculty at other universities in order to encourage the recruitment of new Asian American Studies faculty. Criteria include enthusiasm for teaching and research, experience, education, social and cultural awareness.
Research assistantships will be made available to demonstrate support for faculty in their research.
Three types of faculty positions will be made available. Full time, joint, and adjunct faculty. The full time faculty member is fully dedicated to teaching Asian American Studies courses and conducting research. Joint faculty will hold an appointment within the Asian American Studies Program and another department. The adjunct faculty member makes commitments to each Asian American Studies courses on a semester basis.
The targeted number of faculty for phase II is 4 full time equivalent faculty.
Curriculum Development
In order to establish the curriculum for the ethnic studies requirement, a goal of 5 courses offered by Fall 1993 has been set. The content of courses offered depends on the faculty recruited. A list of possible courses is provided in Appendix IV.
Certification Requirements
Undergraduate students who have pursued Asian American Studies in depth will receive a Certificate in Asian American Studies from the University of Wisconsin- Madison. The requirement will include 15 credits of approved Asian American Studies courses.
Visiting Lecturers Program
The visiting lecturers program will be continued, with additional funds provided to support research.
University and Community Outreach
The public awareness program will include a series of public lectures, seminars, workshops, conferences, films, and other cultural events. The purpose is to stimulate public interest and awareness. Participation of faculty, students, staff, administration, visiting lecturers, and the community will be encouraged.
Library Acquisitions
Quality research and teaching of Asian American Studies requires adequate Asian American resources. The University of Wisconsin- Madison will aggressively expand its existing library and archival collections of Asian American source material. Asian American periodicals and newspapers will be significantly enhanced. Primary course material, including manuscripts, journals, correspondence, and scripts of leading Asian American literary political, and intellectual figures, will be acquired. The University of Wisconsin- Madison will also conduct an oral history project for Wisconsin’s Asian American population. This could be expanded to include the entire Midwest Asian American population. Other important acquisitions will include Asian American films, music, visual and performing arts, and other forms of Asian American cultural expression.
New Student Orientation
The new student orientation program will introduce new students to the Asian American Studies Program. A brochure explaining the program, the ethnic studies requirements, and other resources available for academic, social, and personal support will be distributed during Summer Orientation and Registration (SOAR) and the fall registration week. In addition, regular open houses at the Asian American Studies Program throughout the year will be held to increase visibility.
Networking
Networks with other Asian American Studies programs throughout the nation and other ethnic studies groups on campus will be established to share invaluable insight and encourage cooperation in teaching and research. This cooperation may take the form of joint courses. A newsletter will be circulated nationwide.
Extramural Funding
Extramural funding, both from the private and public sector, will be investigated in order to help support the program. Individual support and contributions for library acquisitions will also be pursued.
Phase III (Fall 1993 onward)
1.Recommendations to the Director and Committee include:
2.Seek financial support for students in the form of scholarships, work study, loans, and graduate student assistance.
3.Develop a degree program for students wishing to major in Asian American Studies, including a requirement for BS/BA, MA and PhD candidates.
——————————————————————————–
Requested Budget
Staff Salaries
Phase I
Phase II
Director/ Associate Professor
12 months: 42,000 + fringe benefits (.24): 10,080 = 52,080
52,080
52,080
Administrative Specialist
12 months: 24,500 + fringe benefits (.24) 5,580 = 30.080
30,080
30,080
Administrative Assistant
12 months: 18,000 + fringe benefits (.24) 4,320 = 22,320
22,320
22,320
Visiting Professor
12 months: 26,000 + fringe benefits 6,240 = 32,240
32,240
32,240
Project Assistant
12 months: (.50) 10,697 + fringe benefits (.18) 1,925 = 12,622
–
12,622
Research Assistants (2)
12 months: (.5) 10,000 + fringe benefits (.18) 1,800 = 11,800 (x2)
–
23,600
Joint Faculty (2)
12 months: (.5): 17,500 + fringe benefits (.24) 4,200 = 21,700 X 5
–
108,500
Subtotal:
136,720
281,442
Consultants
Airfare: 2 persons X 500 = 2,000
Perdiem: 50/day X2 days X 4 people = 400
Fees: 4 persons X 200 = 800
2,000
400
800
2,000
400
800
Travel (conferences, meetings)
Airfare: 2 trips X 500 = 1,000
Perdiem: 50/day X 2 days X 2 trips = 200
Other: registration fees, etc. = 300
1,000
200
300
1,000
200
300
Recruitment Expenses
Airfare: 4 persons X 500 = 2,000
2,000
2,000
Supplies and Expenses
Office supplies, mail, subscriptions, 10,000
Newsletters, printing/ copying, telecommunications)
10,000
10,000
Capital Expenses
Computer equipment, supplies, copy machine,
Office furniture) = 25,000
25,000
TOTAL
178,420
298,142
——————————————————————————–
Appendices
APPENDIX I: Statistics
APPENDIX II: Recommended Asian American Studies University Committee
APPENDIX III: Suggested Course offerings
Appendix I: Statistics
——————————————————————————–
Appendix II: Recommended Asian American Studies University Committee
We have identified a number of people who would bring a high degree of commitment and experience to an Asian American Studies University committee. We highly recommend the Chancellor’s consideration of:
Peter Chen, Graduate Student, Chemistry Dept.
Peggy Choy, Program Coordinator, Southeast Asian Studies Center
Kathy Chung, Undergraduate Student, WSA Women’s Affairs Director
Prof Elizabeth Ellsworth, School of Education, Curriculum and Instruction, Women’s
Studies
Prof Herbert Hill, Afro- American Studies, Industrial Relations
Wendy Ho, Dissertator, English Dept., Women’s studies, and Lecturer, English Dept.
UW- Whitewater
Lon Kurashige, Graduate Student, History Dept.
Prof Mary Layoun, Comparative Literature Dept.
Prof Hamilton McCubbin, Dean, School of Family Resources and Consumer Sciences
Prof Nellie McKay, Afro- American Studies, English Dept.
Prof James Moy, Theater and Drama Dept.
Prof Emiko Ohnuki- Tierney, Anthropology Dept., Vilas Professor
Easwari Pal, Undergraduate Student, Comparative literature Dept.
Prof Steve Stern, History dept.
Joan Varney, Graduate Student, TA, CAVE, and Women’s Studies
Prof James D. Vigil, Director, Chicano Studies Program, Anthropology Dept.
Prof Craig Werner, Afro- American Studies
——————————————————————————–
Appendix III – Suggested Course Offerings
I. Introduction to the Asian American Experience
This introductory course will cover the historical “roots” of Asians in America—the causes and sources of Asian immigration the U.S., the experience of these “pioneers,” and their major role in the development of the Western states. It will also examine the U.S. response to these Asian immigrants and the relationship to broader patterns of American nativism and racism. The course would conclude by analyzing contemporary issues, including identity, self-worth, sex role stereotyping, influence of the mass media, and the “model minority” stereotype.
II. Asian American Literature
This course will study Asian American experience and identity through the writings of Asian American authors such as Maxine Hong Kingston, Nellie Wong, Mitsuye Yamada, Frank Chin, Bharati Mukherjee, Louis Chu, Wendy Law-Yone, John Okada, Carlos Bulosan, and Richard Kim. A Comparative study with other minority literature or traditional Asian literature could be done.
III. Asian American Psychology
A critical analysis of historical, institutional, and cultural aspects of the Asian American experience, including the effects of exclusion from U.S. citizenship, the World War II internment, and the pressure to assimilate. This course will analyze the mental health issues related to living a bicultural lifestyle, family problems, institutional racism, development of autonomy, and the stigma of the “model minority” and its consequences.
IV. Asian American Women
This course will explore the history and lives of Asian women in America with the aim of understanding major socioeconomic and political issues: immigration patterns, gender roles, ethnic identity, family and community, work, feminism, and cultural expression.
V. Asian Americans and U.S. Foreign Policy
This course will explore the similarities and differences between the traditional cultures of Asia and the Asian American cultures. It will critically examine the impact of U.S. foreign policy on Asian Americans, such as the immigration laws, World War II internment, and U.S. trade policies.
VI. Asian American Families and Communities
This course will examine the demographics, the values, the socio-psychological impact of the acculturation/ assimilation process on the Asian American family.
VII. Asian Americans: Images and Stereotypes in the Media
This course will use a socio-cultural and historical framework to examine and analyze the images of Asian Americans in film, video, print media, and TV. Stereotypic characterizations will be analyzed. Film and media theory will provide a context for assessing the impact of these images on viewer and strategies for constructing more realistic and authentic images of Asian Americans will be addressed.