Dr. Cixin Wang, AAST affiliate faculty, and Dr. K. Anh Do, former Calvin J. Li Postdoc, and colleagues publish research on mental health seeking among Asian- and Latinx-American adolescents.

The following is an excerpt from the Washington Post article,“Good at math? Work hard? Some Asian Americans bristle at Andrew Yang’s use of stereotypes.”, published on September 16, 2019 by Amy B Wang.

“While it’s certainly dangerous to deploy stereotypes, Andrew Yang is also breaking stereotypes by seeking the presidential nomination,” said Janelle Wong, a professor of Asian American studies at the University of Maryland. 

In this issue, readers will find practical advice on 1) how to improve parent-teen communication and 2) how to solve problems effectively between parents and teens.

AAST Professor, Dr. Terry K. Park, publishes an article titled, ” The de/militarised frontier: the Korean demilitarised zone, the American DMZ border guard, and US liberal empire” in the peer-reviewed online journal Critical Military Studies.

An excerpt from Dr Janelle Wong's Commentary in The Chronicle of Higher Education:"Last week the Department of Justice, joined by the Department of Education, opened a new front in the fight over affirmative action, announcing an investigation into whether Yale discriminates illegally against Asian-American applicants. The move represents the latest attempt by the Trump administration to take aim at the longstanding practice of allowing race to be used as one of many factors, and never the primary or sole factor, in admissions at highly selective colleges and universities.

Dr. Cixin Wang, an AAST affiliate faculty member, and her recent publication is featured by the UMD College of Education in an article, "Influence of Perceived Cultural Barriers on Mental Health Help-seeking by Asian American Students."

Dr. Julie J. Park, an associate professor in the College of Education and an affiliate faculty member in AAST, “served as a consulting expert for Harvard in a case joined by the U.S. Department of Justice alleging discrimination against Asian-American applicants to the university. In an opinion piece in Inside Higher Ed, she argues that in a university filled with stratospheric GPAs and SATs, Harvard gives Asian Americans a fair shake.”

Dr. Cixin Wang, Assistant Professor in the Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education and Affiliate Faculty of Asian American Studies, was awarded a grant to develop an intervention for parents of Asian American adolescents who are struggling with mental health issues or bullying from peers.

Dr. Janelle Wong released her new book, “Immigrants, Evangelicals and Politics in an Era of Demographic Change,” showing that white evangelicals are more conservative than other whites on policy issues including welfare, climate change and immigration.

As immigration from Asia and Latin America reshapes the demographic composition of the U.S., some analysts have anticipated the decline of conservative white evangelicals’ influence in politics.

Memories of Militarism and War: Asian American Oral Histories From the DMV is an interactive, multimedia oral history project co-created by students enrolled in AAST201: Asian American History (Fall 2017), taught by Dr. Terry K Park.

The project features the stories of eleven Asian American residents of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area (colloquially known as the “DMV,” an acronym corresponding to the District of Columbia and parts of Maryland and Virginia), as well as Howard County, Maryland and Richmond, Virginia. These residents all experienced and survived various manifestations of war in the Asian-Pacific region in which the U.S. played a direct or indirect role. These wars include World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Laotian Civil War (known in the U.S. as the “Secret War”), and the Cambodian genocide (otherwise known as the “Killing Fields”).

Over 40% of Asian Americans reported experiencing discrimination. Being discriminated against is linked to many adverse physical and psychological outcomes. Authored by Dr. K. Anh Do, 2016-2018 Calvin J. Li Post-Doctoral Fellow, and Dr. Janelle Wong, professor of American Studies and Asian American Studies, this newsletter describes some unique types of racism and discrimination that Asian Americans face. It also includes tips and suggestions for parents to talk to their children about racism.