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Alums push for program in Asian-American studies
Published: Friday, November 21st, 2008
When 17 students staged a sit-in on Nassau Hall in April 1995 to protest the lack of academic offerings in Asian-American and Latino studies, they easily got the attention of University administrators.
After the 36-hour sit-in, the University pledged to ...
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It's about time someone got the ball rolling!!
Asian-American Studies really should be in the Princeton curriculum. I would certainly have taken classes.
What about European-American Studies? Who can deny the contributions ("good" or "bad") that Europeans have made to this country?
As an Asian myself, I don't think this is a good idea. Because Asians work hard and actually succeed, they will never have the diversity cred of blacks, hispanics, and gays. So if they go down the same political "feel guilty and give us handouts" path, they will lose.
Wow Er,
It's amazing how some Asian-Americans are so desperate to rid themselves of their own culture that they would discourage further study of their rich heritage in the New World. Its proof of just how powerful the conformist ideology of whiteness is in America! I imagine that many Asians will think it silly to institute an Asian-American studies program, that's a sad thing. The WASPiness of Princeton is overwhelming, but gut check moments like this really demonstrate how conservative Princeton's campus is.
Let's not even discuss the author assertion that blacks/Latinos/gays are lazy and are failures who could never make it in life without their "diversity cred." Racist, homophobic, amazing.
Question: Why is it that the study of the white experience in America is fine, but when we want to focus on the unique experience of certain ethnic groups there is such an outrage? America is more than a white country, there is no singular narrative for our country's history. When will white people understand this? Why should this multi-ethnic country suppress the study of minorities in the United States just because white people feel bad about the role that some of them play at times in making things difficult for non-whites?
"What about European-American Studies? Who can deny the contributions ("good" or "bad") that Europeans have made to this country?"
- Right. Because we never learn about Europeans in history classes.
This initiative, along with the Center for African American Studies, is indicative of calcified, thirty-year-old, 1970s thinking. Get over the victimology already.
"Right. Because we never learn about Europeans in history classes."
And I guess we never learn about Asians either.
"What's next, Illegal Immigrant Studies? How about Muslim-American Jihadist Studies?"
...I'd take those classes. Especially if it keeps me from being grouped with a narrow-minded individual like yourself. Maybe if we took the initiative to learn more about everyone instead of worrying so intently about who we should and shouldn't dedicate classes to, we'd be better off as a community.
Princeton has the resources, and we have the gaps in curriculum. There's no excuse.
I think it's an excellent idea and I would take classes. There's Hellenic Studies at Princeton. Why not Asian Studies? Asian Studies would also cover quite a whole continent compared to Hellenic studies.