Director’s Note
Even before the start of the 2019-2020 academic year, we prepared to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Asian American Studies Program (AAST) at the University of Maryland (UMD) in Spring 2020. I include some of the highlights here. AAST reached a new record number of minors and hosted a Minors Dinner as beginning part of the anniversary celebration. We offered new courses including South Asian American Intersectionalities and Solidarities, Asian American Creative Writing, and Korean American Society and Culture. Dr. Terry Park organized a screening of NBC’s Sunnyside and Q&A session with co-creator Kal Penn and a comedy stand-up performance and Q&A session with Karen Chee (writer for NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers). Jessica Lee, who has worked in AAST for over 10 years, transitioned to be the AAST program coordinator. Two new endowments were also established. The Juanita Tamayo Lott Endowment in Asian American Studies to support activities around federal public policy and education and the Major General Antonio Taguba Profiles in Leadership Endowment with donors General Tony Taguba, Mencie and Ernest Hairston, and Juanita Tamayo Lott.
As with the rest of the world, all planning and programming came to a halt with the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown. Despite moving to complete remote learning, AAST continued to stay engaged and supportive of our students and communities. Dr. Terry Park created the COVID-19 and Anti-Asian Racism: Contexts, Resources, Reflections website with students from his Introduction to Asian American Studies course. Dr. Janelle Wong was featured in new articles about coronavirus-fueled racism and America’s deep-seated anti-Asian biases. I gave a few invited talks on the detriments of the model minority myth and to be an Asian American during a time of pandemic. We engaged in a second pandemic of social injustice. At the start of the George Floyd protests and movement, AAST issued a statement of solidarity with the movement for Black Americans. We created a team of students, staff, and faculty to continue gathering educational resources, conducting research projects, and offering concrete actions for black racial justice.
Without a clear end to two pandemics in sight, we are particularly grateful to all our students, staff, and faculty for their resilience, generosity, and care. Thank you to our faculty for quickly adjusting their courses and to our students who tenaciously remained engaged in online learning. A special thank you to our AAST staff and undergraduate students who seamlessly transitioned to keeping everything running smoothly while working remotely. I am grateful for the commitment and support of the AAST community built over the last 20 years. They prove vital during these difficult times at the University of Maryland and in our communities more broadly.
Courses and Enrollment
In FY20, AAST had reached a new record number of 72 minors in the program. AAST offered 28 interdisciplinary courses with over 600 enrolled students. New courses included South Asian American Intersectionalities and Solidarities, Asian American Creative Writing, and Korean American Society and Culture, which expanded the diverse groups included in the Asian American and Pacific Islander pan-ethnic community and the ways in which Asian Americans are perceived and express in a changing racial and cultural climate
AY 2018-2019
| 61 Minors Enrolled | 15 Minors Awarded |
|---|
AY 2019-2020
| 72 Minors Enrolled | 19 Minors Awarded |
|---|
Summer 2019
| Course | Seats Offered | Seats Issued |
|---|---|---|
| AAST398L | 20 | 15 |
Fall 2019
| Course | Seats Offered | Seats Issued |
|---|---|---|
| AAST200 | 40 | 37 |
| AAST201 | 60 | 49 |
| AAST222 | 40 | 37 |
| AAST233 | 30 | 22 |
| AAST298A | 10 | 1 |
| AAST378 | 2 | 2 |
| AAST388 (0101) | 2 | 2 |
| AAST388 (0201) | 2 | 1 |
| AAST398D | 35 | 29 |
| AAST398E | 30 | 30 |
| AAST398F | 25 | 7 |
| AAST398J | 25 | 9 |
| AAST398M | 55 | 55 |
| AAST498N | 20 | 5 |
| Fall Total | 396 | 316 |
Winter 2020
| Course | Seats Offered | Seats Issued |
|---|---|---|
| AAST398L | 20 | 18 |
Spring 2020
| Course | Seats Offered | Seats Issued |
|---|---|---|
| AAST200 | 40 | 40 |
| AAST201 | 60 | 58 |
| AAST233 | 30 | 29 |
| AAST378 | 2 | 2 |
| AAST388 (0101) | 2 | 1 |
| AAST388 (0201) | 2 | 2 |
| AAST398G | 25 | 17 |
| AAST398J | 28 | 23 |
| AAST443 | 40 | 40 |
| AAST498B | 20 | 17 |
| AAST498K | 20 | 16 |
| AAST498M | 20 | 19 |
| Spring Total | 309 | 300 |
Program Highlights
Through Chinatown’s Eyes: April 1968: Film Screening and Discussion | September 17, 2019
Join AAST and MICA for a screening and discussion of Through Chinatown's Eyes: April 1968. Penny Lee, co-producer, will discuss the film and its significance in our history and for today.
The Clarice Visiting Artist Series: Abigail Washburn and Wu Fei | September 26, 2019
What do you get when you cross a 2,000-year-old court instrument from the royal banquets of China’s Qin dynasty, an early banjo style of the Appalachian Mountains and two close friends who have mastered their respective styles to the point of utter virtuosity? The result is Abigail Washburn and Wu Fei’s stunning string duo, a cultural commingling of songs and storytelling rooted in traditional Appalachian and Chinese music. Fei is classically trained in the guzheng, a Chinese 21-string zither, but she has honed her improvisational voice with experimental musicians the likes of John Zorn and Billy Martin. Meanwhile, Washburn continues to push the boundaries of the traditional clawhammer technique while serving as “one of the world’s most accommodating virtuosos,” according to The New York Times. By threading their shared interest in the traditional fabric of their cultural roots into inspired original compositions, the pair speaks a musical language more powerful than any single dialect. They will perform and speak for students in UMD’s Asian American Studies program.
2019-2020 Chandni Kumar Annual Lecture | October 3, 2019
This year AAST invited Sandy Dang, co-founder and principal of 11plus Philanthropy, to be the featured speaker for the 3rd Chandni Kumar Annual Lecture on Asian Americans and Activism. Sandy presented a talk titled “Turning War and Refugee Experiences into a Positive Force to Build a Strong AAPI Community”, highlighting ways in which painful experiences of war and refugee migration can be transformed into hope and activism for the AAPI Community.
Heather Kim (‘20, Journalism, AAST minor) was awarded the Student Impact Award in recognition of her work in furthering social justice issues on campus. More than 130 students, staff, and faculty were in attendance, making it a standing room only event!
AAST Minor Dinner | November 6, 2019
AAST co-curricular programming this year focused on celebrating its 20th anniversary. We hosted a Minors Dinner to give a chance for minors to get to know one another and AAST staff/faculty. We also distributed new AAST program sweatshirts to mark the anniversary celebration. Sweatshirts were also distributed to all faculty affiliates.
Susan Lieu Guest Performance | November 5, 2019
Vietnamese American playwright, producer, and performer, Susan Lieu, visited a special joint class (AAST398E and AAST498M) to share excerpts of her show “140 LBS: How Beauty Killed My Mother” and provide students with insight into her storytelling process. Students were invited to attend her live performances on November 6 and 7 at Joe’s Movement Emporium, at which Dr. Terry Park facilitated a deeply engaging post-show talkback with Susan.
Sunnyside Screening with Kal Penn | December 6, 2019
Exclusive screening of a DACA-focused episode of the NBC/Hulu TV show Sunnyside, followed by a Q&A with co-creator and actor Kal Penn. Moderated by Dr. Terry Park. Cosponsored by the Asian American Studies Program, Office of Multicultural Involvement and Community Advocacy, U.S. Latino/a Studies Program, and Undocumented Student Program.
Parasite: A Discussion | February 24, 2020
Featuring Kevin Kim, Graduate Coordinator for AAPI Student Involvement and Doctoral Candidate in American Studies and Dr. Terry Park of the Asian American Studies Program
Karen Chee Comes to UMD! | March 6, 2020
comedy stand-up performance by Karen Chee (Named by Entertainment Weekly as one of 11 "Asian American comics to watch" in 2020, Karen Chee's stand-up comedy and writing has taken her from The New Yorker and McSweeney's to the Golden Globe Awards to NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers, where she's featured in a regular segment called “What Does Karen Know?”) followed by a Q&A facilitated by Terry Park, Karen’s senior thesis advisor at Harvard University.
Development
In development activities, AAST had its most successful Giving Day with a record number of donors and raised $8,350. Two new endowments were also established. The Juanita Tamayo Lott Endowment in Asian American Studies for $25,000 to support activities around federal public policy and education. The Major General Antonio Taguba Profiles in Leadership Endowment for $45,000 with donors Juanita Tamayo Lott, General Tony Taguba, and Mencie and Ernest Hairston was to endow the Taguba scholarship.
FY2020
| $ | 93,429.71 | Private gifts |
|---|---|---|
| $ | 89,990.00 | Calvin J. Li Fellowship Endowment |
| $ | 183,419.71 | Total |
FY2019
| $ | 62,195.00 | Private gifts |
|---|---|---|
| $ | 51,000.00 | Calvin J. Li Fellowship Endowment and Chandni Kumar |
| $ | 113,195.00 | Total |
2019 AAST End-of-Year Banquet (Front row from right: Juanita Tamayo Lott, Lee Sarmiento, Mencie Hairston. Back row from right: Antonio Taguba, Julie Park, William Cohen, Timothy Ng, Pete Sarmiento)
Faculty Work
Dr. Terry Park
Dr. Terry K. Park, professional-track lecturer, created the COVID-19 and Anti-Asian Racism: Contexts, Resources, Reflections website with students from his Introduction to Asian American Studies course.
Dr. Julie Park
Dr. Julie Park was an invited speaker at the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s AAPI Heritage Month event and gave a talk titled, “Asian Pacific Americans and the Model Minority Myth's Origin and Persistence.” She was also an invited speaker at the UMGC’s AAPI Heritage Month event and presented a talk titled, “To Be Asian American During a Time of Pandemic.”
Dr. Janelle Wong
Janelle Wong is featured in the NBC News article, "Some students say colleges not doing enough to combat coronavirus-fueled racism." She was also quoted in a Vox article published on April 21, 2020 on “How the coronavirus is surfacing America’s deep-seated anti-Asian biases.”
Dr. Cixin Wang
Dr. Cixin Wang, AAST Affiliate Faculty and Associate Professor in the Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education, was part of a team of researchers from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) to investigate the impact of discrimination against Asian Americans amid the coronavirus outbreak. The received a grant funded by the National Science Foundation.
Phil Tajitsu Nash
Phil Tajitsu Nash, adjunct instructor, dialogues in a podcast with a former colleague and friend, Emil Guillermo, on the impacts of Covid-19 on Asian Americans.
AAST put out a Statement of Solidarity with the Movement for Black Americans. We have created a team of students, staff, and faculty to continue gathering educational resources, conducting research projects, and offering concrete actions for black racial justice.
People
In March 2020, Jessica Lee transitioned from the Business and Planning Coordinator to Program Coordinator, after Anne Bautista left the university to pursue a community organizing position. Jessica has been with the program for 10 years and we are confident that she will thrive in her new role and the students will benefit from her knowledge and warmth.
Michelle Magalong, a new Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow in Historic Preservation at the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation became a new AAST affiliate.
Congratulations to our 2019-2020 AAST Minors!
Please join us in congratulating the students who have completed the Asian American Studies minor during the 2019-2020 academic year. This year, 19 exceptional students from majors across the campus completed the minor. Read below for excerpts from their experience in the program. We are so proud of our AAST minors!
Julian Avenilla '20
Julian identifies as Filipino-American whose pronouns are he/him/his. He hails from Germantown, Maryland, which is about 45 minutes outside of Washington D.C. Being a mecca of diverse identities, the D.C. Metro area shaped him into a life-long learner who enjoys trying new foods, attending cultural celebrations, and enjoying free events in cities. He recently moved to Los Angeles, where he’ll start his first job as a Tax Consultant for Deloitte. Outside of work, he hopes to be both a dad (one day) and a leader in the Asian-American community. Some other causes that matter to him include advocacy against domestic violence and raising awareness for pancreatic cancer. Julian especially loves the NBA, evening drives, and hearing people’s life stories.
Andrew Deng '20
Andrew is a General Biology major with minors in Asian American Studies and Statistics. During his time at UMD, he was involved in Mock Trial, the University Student Judiciary, and the Integrated Life Sciences Honors Program. His Asian American identity is built on understanding the internal and external narratives that shaped is life. To that end, he really appreciated AAST courses taught by Professors Andy Yeh and Terry Park.
Ming Gault ‘20
Ming is a transnational and transracial adoptee raised in Prince George's County. Ming majored in Public Health Science with a minor in Asian American Studies. On campus, Ming was involved in the Taiwanese American Student Association, worked as a RA, and served as the Co-Marketing Director of Technica.
Ben Huynh '20
Ben is a Vietnamese American Family Science major. He enjoys playing tennis, basketball, and soccer. Ben’s research interests is on trauma.
Emily Jia '20
Emily is a second generation Chinese-American who is graduating this Spring with a Bachelor of Science in Information Science and a minor in Asian American Studies. After graduation she hopes to work in a field related to either user experience research or technology and information ethics.
Andrew Moy '20
Andrew Moy is a major in Psychology and double-minor in Asian American Studies and Chinese. He is currently the Program Coordinator at the International Leadership Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes the leadership development of Asian American college students, which also allows him to explore his interests in Asian American leadership and culture. With this experience, he's excited to see where his career will take him after graduating. When he's not hard at work, Andrew enjoys cooking, gaming, collecting sneakers, and browsing subtle asian traits.
Caz Nguyen '21
Caz a second-generation Vietnamese-American whose pronouns are "they" and "she." She is majoring in Psychology and minoring in French and Asian American Studies.
Jonathan Ortega '20
Jonathan Ortega is a kinesiology major and Asian American Studies minor. He is also the co-chair and national director for District VI within the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue Incorporated (FIND, Inc.) and is also involved with the Filipino Cultural Association at the University of Maryland, College Park and intramural sports at UMD.
Diksha Patel '20
Diksha has a Bachelors of Science in Biology and a minor in Asian American Studies. Throughout her college years, she got to explore many different student clubs and organizations. Some that have impacted her the most are MaryPIRG, a student activist group, and Bhakti Yoga, a spiritual and meditation group. Next, she will be taking a gap year to gather clinical and direct patient care experience, as well as study for the GRE. After which, she hopes to attend PA school and pursue a career as a Physican’s Assistant.
Jennifer Ann Strong '20
In addition to being an Asian American Studies minor, Jennifer is a double major in Biology and Health and Marginalized Communities, a major she created herself through the Individual Studies Department. In the Fall of 2020, she will enter the University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Class of 2024. As a physician, she hopes to address health disparities through working in underserved communities. In particular, she is incredibly passionate about women's health. She developed this passion through working at a women's health clinic in Greenbelt, MD for the past two years. Jennifer has also volunteered as an English tutor for elementary school students through Greenbelt CARES. In her free time, she likes to cook and spend time outdoors hiking.
Rosamae G. Vicencio '20
Rosamae is a Filipino American born and raised in Maryland. She is majoring in Psychology and minoring in Asian American Studies, and is heavily involved with the Filipino Cultural Association at UMD.
Timothy Yun '20
Tim was born in Korea and came to the States when he was 12 years old. He grew up in a normal family with loving and hardworking parents. Tim is a senior at UMD studying Information Science and Asian American Studies. He is a math tutor and enjoys soccer outside of school.
Ruxi Zhang '20
Ruxi is an international student from China majoring in Economics with a minor in Asian American Studies. Her career interest is in the field of public policy.
2019-2020 Completed AAST Minors not pictured above:
Dong Hoon (Tony) Baek ‘20
Major in Computer Science
Lucy Chen ‘20
Major in American Studies
Philip Han ‘20
Major in American Studies, Minor in U.S. Latina/o Studies
Joseph Liu ‘20
Double Major in Computer Science and Operations Management & Business
Yashashri Pendse ‘21
Major in Computer Science, Minor in Mathematics
Daphney Vargot ‘20
Major in Economics
2020-2021 Scholarship Recipients
Timothy J Ng Scholarship in Asian American Studies
Timothy J Ng (born 1950) retired in 2008 as Associate Vice President for Research and Professor of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture. Previously, he served as Acting Dean for Graduate Studies and Research, in addition to Interim Director of Asian American Studies (2004 - 2006) at a critical juncture for the program. Under his leadership, a permanent director position for Asian American Studies was established in 2006. The scholarship was endowed in 2008 by gifts from Dr. Ng, colleagues, and friends to honor his numerous contributions and efforts to advance Asian American Studies at Maryland.
Dominic Escobal
Dominic is a Pre-Med student who loves biology and dreams of traveling the world to find new experiences while also helping those who are not as fortunate. He is also a research assistant at the CAIP psychology lab and a volunteer for Terps for Change. Over winter break, he studied abroad in Taiwan for three weeks and realized that this world is way bigger than he can possibly imagine. He is this year’s president of the Filipino Cultural Association, which was the organization that introduced him to Asian American Studies and the AAPI community. Asian American Studies has helped him discover his identity as a Filipino American and introduced him to the deep history of perseverance and culture. It has changed how he perceives himself and the world around him, for better or for worse, and he would have been a different person today without AAST.
Nabila Prasetiawan
Nabila is a Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PHPE) and Women’s Studies Double Major with an Asian American Studies Minor. On campus, she is involved in multiple different organizations, but most proud of her role as Vice President of the Student Government Association and the Performing Arts Director at the University of Maryland. Having just recently declared the AAST minor in the Spring, she is excited to continue exploring the intersections of her identity as an Indonesian and Muslim woman and to empower the AAPI community through civic engagement and advocacy. In the future, she hopes to attend law school and pursue a career in politics.
Linh-Thong Huu Nguyen Memorial Scholarship
Linh-Thong Huu Nguyen (Apr 21, 1974 - Feb 25, 2007) immigrated to the U.S. from Vietnam with his family at the age of one and grew up in Columbia, Maryland. “Tone” experienced early on the need for building bridges between communities through shared culture, beliefs, and values. In 1995, as a member of the Asian American Student Union, Tone and four fellow students led grass-roots, student-organized efforts that resulted in the university offering its first course in Asian American Studies. The scholarship honors Tone’s life and his key role in the collective efforts and vision of the five students that bravely advocated for an Asian American Studies Program at Maryland.
M PEASE
M (they/them) is a sophomore Psychology major minoring in Asian American Studies, Public Leadership, and Neuroscience. Their academic interests broadly encompass how research, policymaking, and activism can be used to combat systemic inequality and improve psychological health, especially for LGBTQ+ and racial minority populations. They work in two research labs and are conducting an honors thesis on transgender mental health. In terms of extracurricular involvement, M is a Resident Assistant, a member of the psychology department’s diversity committee, and the Workshops Director of the Help Center. They are deeply honored and grateful for the Linh-Thong Huu Nguyen Memorial Scholarship as they continue on to the second half of their undergraduate career. M plans to continue to work towards social justice and equity and, after graduation, to pursue graduate school in psychology. They hope to pursue a career with some combination of research, activism, and therapeutic practice with marginalized communities.
Annabelle Treadon
Annabelle is a University Honors student majoring in Communication with an emphasis on Social Influence. During her first year at UMD, she found a community of like-minded peers and professors within the Asian American Studies Program and it has since become her minor. Her interests include intercultural communication, working with children, art, and traveling. Currently, she teaches an English-as-Second-Language course for young immigrant students with a local organization. With the remainder of her time here at UMD, she looks forward to learning even more about Asian America, its diversity and her family’s heritage, before applying it to her future career.
Major General Antonio Taguba Profiles in Courage and Leadership Scholarship
Antonio Mario Taguba (born 1950) is a retired Major General having served 34 years on active duty. He is the second Filipino American to attain the rank of general officer in the U.S. Army. General Taguba is best known for authoring the Taguba Report, an internal U.S. Army report on detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, which was leaked and published in 2004. His courage and steadfast commitment to integrity in the face of adversity are admired by all who know him. Today, General Taguba gives generously of his time nationally and abroad to educate and mentor future generations of leaders. The Filipino Cultural Association at Maryland established this scholarship in 2008 to honor General Taguba and his dedication to young people.
Jung Oh
Jung is a rising Senior majoring in Government and Politics and minoring in Leadership Studies. Jung’s largest commitment is the Army ROTC Program at UMD. She represents the ROTC program in the Dean's Student Advisory Board, is iin Treble Choir, and has completed the Global Fellows Program in U.S. Diplomacy and Policy followed by an internship at the National Defense University's College of International Security Affairs. In her free time, she enjoys singing, painting, and working out. She hopes to commission as a Field Artillery Second Lieutenant, transfer to Military Intelligence, and attend law school. Every year at the Pan-Pacific American Leaders and Mentors Conference in D.C., she gets to talk to General Taguba. She is so honored to have received a scholarship in his name and on behalf of such an inspirational leader that works so hard to form communities and support systems among Asian-American military and civilian leaders!
Patrick Peralta
Patrick is a part of the Government and Politics Honors Program, and writing his thesis under the direction of Dr. Margaret Pearson. Patrick’s thesis focuses on the Philippines' pivot to China as a model of authoritarian power, and its concurrent exodus from U.S. foreign policy interests. He aims to expand on this work in the fall as a research assistant at The Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. On campus, Patrick is the Vice President of Administrative Affairs for the Asian American Student Union and a member of the Honor Council for the University Student Judiciary. After graduating from Maryland, Patrick hopes to receive a Fulbright Fellowship to study in Beijing, China, and conduct research analyzing authoritarianism in Asia. He also plans to go to law school with a concentration in human rights law, and work for the U.S. State Department doing public diplomacy. He is honored to receive this scholarship, as he hopes to champion human rights and public service as well as Major General Taguba has.