Week 2

Karen Nguyen

A02

            In Transformative Disjunctures in the Academy by Linda Trinh Vo, Vo talks about a lot of different issues that Asian American Studies face as well as what women of color of to face. Of the numerous issues Vo talks about, I will be focusing on the marginalization of the Asian American Studies.

            The marginalization of the Asian American Studies is not surprising to say the least. Typically, whenever there are financial cutbacks, newer studies do not get the funding they deserve as the school fights to keep the traditional studies so the faculty positions offered in the newer studies are very little (Vo 123). However, this is nothing new, even though it is very wrong, colleges and universities have been doing it for a very long time. Furthermore, I can understand why people find it easier to marginalize Asian American Studies in comparison to the other new studies. The study has few faculty and resources, as a result of budget cuts, and since they fall within different studies as well, American Studies, Asian Studies, and Ethnic Studies, it makes sense that they would have one of the three studies absorb Asian American Studies. However, what administrators need to understand is that they have to at least make sure that within the other studies, the subject is getting the attention it deserves and offers an appropriate amount of classes on the subject. They cannot just be done with the study after having another study absorb it and have it slowly disappear after a couple years. Students have the right to learn about Asian American Studies, especially considering how Asians make up 5.6% of the US population (Asian Matters for America by the East-West Center). Just because we are a model minority and do not stand out as much as other minorities, it does not mean we do not exist and should be forgotten.

Question: Colleges have been cutting funding to newer studies for years, it is nothing new. However, do you think that if colleges had other studies absorb the newer studies but allowed the students to specialize in the absorbed studies, say Asian American Studies, do you think that is enough exposure to the topic?

References:

Asia Matters for America by the East-West Center. (n.d.). Retrieved April 09, 2017, from http://www.asiamattersforamerica.org/asia/data/population/states

Stockdill, Brett C.; Danico, Mary Yu Eds. 2012. Transforming the Ivory Tower: Challenging Racism, Sexism, and Homophobia in the Academy. University of Hawaii press: Honolulu, Hawaii