UMD Asian American Studies

The Asian American Studies Program (AAST) at the University of Maryland is an ethnic studies program that focuses on the histories, identities, and experiences of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Initially started by student activism and dedicated faculty, AAST now teaches over 750 students every year and actively engages 100 minors. AAST offers a vibrant program of study and support to University of Maryland students as they learn how to navigate multiple and intersecting identities, how racial categories are continually (re)constructed with various consequences, and how representation and inclusion are vital yet often remain elusive. AAST provides social, political, cultural, psychological, and historical approaches to understanding our diverse and rapidly growing community. As the fastest growing race-ethnic group with members from many different origins, the experiences of Asian Americans also speaks to how migration and transnationalism affect identity and belonging.

AAST’s Mission

TO FOSTER EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH AND EDUCATION ABOUT ASIAN AMERICANS IN THE UNITED STATES. 

AAST focuses on the lives, history, and culture of Asian Americans from a comparative point of view. Specifically, we study persons who have immigrant and ancestral ties to any region of Asia and the Pacific.

Though there is no single Asian American identity, community, or experience, we believe that Asian American Studies provides a special opportunity for inquiry based on collaboration across fields and disciplines of academic study.