OAKLAND, Calif. –When Dr. Rowena Tomaneng was pursuing her doctorate at a southern California higher education institution in the early 1990s, everything seemed to flow smoothly.
Or, so she thought. After all, Tomaneng had already earned a master’s degree in English literature and enjoyed a comfortable network of mentors that included several academicians of color. Also, she felt certain that a career in education and in teaching was her calling.
But her doctoral studies came to a screeching halt – at least, for a while – when she drew scathing rebukes for her writings and for citing intellectuals such as bell hooks.
“I was told that my work wasn’t academic enough,” said Tomaneng, who’s now president of Berkeley City College. “The handful of professors of color among my mentors were, unfortunately, non-tenured. So, they couldn’t defend me. There I was, presenting my work but being told I couldn’t write, that I couldn’t look to the work of certain scholars.”
Tomaneng added, “Emotionally, I was completely torn up.”
Her remarks came last week during the annual conference of the Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education (APAHE). Since its 1987 inception, the organization has developed programs and addressed issues impacting Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). It has evolved from a group of almost exclusively Californians into one with national reach.
Unlike many academic meetings in this country, however, the APAHE conference remains distinctive for attracting quite a few undergraduates who not only attend, but also present papers and put on panel discussions covering myriad topics. This year, for instance, about one-third of the record 750 attendees were undergraduates.
