{"id":12974,"date":"2012-04-26T18:04:40","date_gmt":"2012-04-26T18:04:40","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2012-04-26T18:04:40","modified_gmt":"2012-04-26T18:04:40","slug":"Princeton-unveils-new-Asian-American-studies-class","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/?p=12974","title":{"rendered":"Princeton unveils new Asian American studies class"},"content":{"rendered":"

Against the backdrop of rising student interest in an Asian-American studies program, students interested in the field will have a chance to pursue their interests in a new course next fall.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Taught by English professor Anne Cheng, ENG 224: Asian-American Law, Bodies and the Everyday will examine the role of Asian-Americans in American constitutional history, focusing on both specific court cases and how the law affects everyday life. Second Circuit Court of Appeals judge Denny Chin \u201975 will attend many of the course\u2019s meetings and help Cheng teach the course.<\/p>\n

Though not the first course on Asian-American studies to be offered by the University, this class has the potential to be the foundation of a possible series of Asian-American studies courses. Involved students said they hope this series will one day evolve into a full-fledged Asian-American studies program.<\/p>\n

Given the recent push for a program at the University, the course has generated excitement and revitalized efforts to establish an Asian-American studies program at the University.<\/p>\n

The movement for a formal academic program got started in the 1970s and culminated in a 36-hour sit-in at Nassau Hall in 1995 by 17 students. The sit-in ended when University officials agreed to meet with the protesters and made several commitments, including a pledge to procure $6 million for the hiring of several new faculty members in Asian-American studies<\/strong> and Latino studies.<\/p>\n

But in a 2007 article, then-Dean of the College Nancy Malkiel told The Daily Princetonian that these plans were made before the protest and did not come as a result of the student demonstration.<\/p>\n

For Cheng, the results of the protest 17 years ago are still unclear. Though she noted that there were courses offered as a response to the sit-in, she said they were mostly one-time courses taught by lecturers or other junior academics who didn\u2019t remain.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore I came, I was very anxious not to be the first and only [faculty member specializing in Asian-American Studies] here, and I was reassured there would be other hires especially in other departments,\u201d said Cheng, who was hired in 2006. \u201cIt didn\u2019t happen, partially because of the economic downturn, but since I\u2019ve been here I\u2019ve been the only person.\u201d<\/p>\n

When she first arrived around six years ago, Cheng and other faculty created a proposal signed by faculty and alumni suggesting a certificate program in Asian-American studies.<\/strong> The American Studies program had just hosted a conference among faculty who were interested and talking about these issues. Cheng said the group never heard back.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am not so worried about the certificate question \u2014 fighting that battle has been draining and unproductive for the last several years,\u201d Cheng said. \u201cThe most important thing to do is just get a set of courses on the ground. These classes would then provide a foundation for building something fuller in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cheng submitted a proposal to the 250th Anniversary Fund \u2014 which is intended to raise money for innovation in undergraduate education<\/strong> \u2014 attempting to establish a suite of four courses to follow the course she will teach next term. In planning these courses for the next four years, Cheng focused on issues she believes are of particular interest to students.<\/p>\n

The suite would consist of courses such as \u201cAsian Cuteness and American Style,\u201d focusing on the popularity of Asian cuteness in cartoons, clothes and anime. Another potential course, \u201cAsian-American Avant-Garde,\u201d would look at a series of novelists, playwrights, artists, painters and architects.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAll these really incredible, important people who do amazing experimental things … We don\u2019t really think of them as Asian-American, like Maya Lin,\u201d Cheng said.<\/p>\n

The third course, \u201cCosmopolitan Conversion,\u201d would explore what it means to be cosmopolitan from the point of view of the Asian diaspora.<\/strong> Finally, \u201cChinatown, USA\u201d \u2014 which Cheng has previously taught \u2014 would look at novels, films and plays in which Chinatown plays a central role.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cheng said her long-term goal in establishing this set of courses is to establish a foundation for other departments to create their own sets of Asian-American related courses.<\/strong> She suggested that departments like history, politics, art and psychology could participate in a program, with all their courses cross-listed with American studies.<\/p>\n

\u201cAsian-American studies is very interdisciplinary by nature,\u201d Cheng explained. \u201cIt can\u2019t be represented by one person like me.\u201d<\/p>\n

A common factor Cheng and students see in the difficulty of establishing Asian-American studies courses is the turnover in the student body. Though there has been a struggle since the 1970s for an increased presence of Asian-American studies on campus, efforts must start anew every few years.<\/p>\n

\u201cStudents come in waves; they\u2019re kind of reinventing the wheel,\u201d Cheng said. \u201cI encourage them to have a sense of continuity \u2014 what is the history and what issues have been broached. Otherwise they\u2019re starting the effort every time.\u201d<\/p>\n

In response to that problem, the Asian American Students Association has focused on spreading awareness on campus. This is the first year it has had an Asian-American studies committee, created for the sole purpose of advancing Asian-American studies at Princeton, representatives of the organization said. AASA\u2019s active membership has doubled due to the change in organizational structure to attend to Asian-American studies, they noted.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving that institutionalized as part of AASA, we\u2019ll be able to have consistent effort year after year,\u201d Dan Chen \u201914, AASA vice president, said. \u201cBy not having specific people in charge of advancing the effort, it\u2019s hard to build upon what previous students did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last summer, Charles Du \u201913 and Tara Ohrtman \u201913, heads of AASA\u2019s Asian-American studies committee, began reaching out to professors both at Princeton and other schools. They have attended conferences both at Reunions and at the University\u2019s peer institutions, getting new perspectives on the best way to approach establishing an Asian-American studies program.<\/p>\n

\u201cStudents from other schools have contacted Tara and me offering their help, advice and resources,\u201d Du said, adding that Cornell, Penn, Columbia and Stanford all have strong Asian-American studies programs. \u201cPrinceton is going to be behind \u2014 we already are behind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Du is also a former staff writer for the \u2018Prince.\u2019<\/p>\n

AASA\u2019s work has also put it in touch with the Asian American Alumni Association of Princeton (A4P). Reactions to the new course and other recent efforts have been very positive. Mo Chen \u201980, Chair of A4P, said the new course was \u201cwonderful news for the entire student body and faculty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAsian-Americans are a major part of American history and culture, and everyone should have access to learning about it,\u201d Chen said in an email.<\/p>\n

Though AASA was in contact with Cheng while establishing the course, students emphasized that the suite of courses is entirely a result of Cheng\u2019s persistence.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlmost all the credit goes to Professor Cheng \u2014 she\u2019s been really instrumental in making this possible,\u201d Chen said. \u201cIt\u2019s helpful to have someone like her who\u2019s committed herself to the cause for many years to get this started.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the meantime, students are working on other ways to increase the presence of Asian-American studies on campus. AASA is expanding its fundraising and outreach efforts, as well as continuing the Asian-American reading group and attempting to establish a lecture series and website to house information on Asian-American related courses. For most, however, recognition from the University is still the main goal.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe important thing about the 250th fund is I want the University to show its support for this pedagogical mission,\u201d Cheng said. \u201cI want them to say, \u2018We recognize this suite of courses, and we support it.\u2019 I hope that they would \u2014 we\u2019re not asking for very much from them except for this recognition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Du also said the University’s support is essential.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the University doesn\u2019t support that, I don\u2019t know how we can say we are committed to full academic intellectual inquiry \u2014 or even that the University is committed to diversity,\u201d Du said.<\/p>\n

Continue reading at the dailyprincetonian.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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