During the 1980s, Asian American students at Harvard University staged a noisy protest petitioning the university to hire an Asian American studies professor. Hundreds of student signatures were collected. No professors were hired.
Twenty years later, Asian American students at Harvard University are still protesting for a permanent Asian American studies professor and ultimately a full-fledged Asian American Studies concentration.
Student advocacy related to the issue has surged and subsided over the years but never disappeared. As Harvard University continues to stress its commitment to diversity, student groups such the Asian American Association are becoming increasingly anxious.
Yuting P. Chiang, co-chair of the Asian American Association education and politics committee, told Harvard’s student newspaper, “Harvard prides itself on its diversity, but there’s a huge gap in discussion on Asian American Studies.”
Professors say undergraduate advocates have failed to provide the steady pressure needed for change in Asian American studies, and, according to members of the Asian American Association, the administration also doubts the program will lure many students to the field. Another significant complaint among faculty is that the school does not have the appropriate funds or resources to institute a full Asian American Studies concentration.
Harvard University’s course guide for this academic year lists only four Asian American Studies courses – all of them taught by the same visiting professor, Eric Tang, from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Tang suggests that Harvard’s reluctance to develop an Asian American Studies program stems from its conservative curricular background
