Congratulations to our 2021-2022 AAST Minors!
Please join us in congratulating the students who have completed the Asian American Studies minor during the 2021-2022 academic year! This year, 25 exceptional students from majors across the campus completed the minor. Read below for excerpts that some students shared about their experience in the program. We are so proud of our AAST minors!
Francesca Calla Bruce, '23
Computer Science | Asian American Studies
"FAST class with Gem Daus inspired me to minor in AAST. It was great taking classes where I was able to navigate my identity. I also enjoyed AAST200 and AAST351 with Professor Binod Paudyal, every class had great conversations!"
Tara Choudhary, '23
Computer Science | Asian American Studies
"The AAST minor definitely has had a great impact on me during my time at UMD. It has served as an outlet every semester where I can escape from my tech heavy classes, but also a place where I can share and listen to AAPI stories and cultures. Before he left, I took 3 classes back to back with Dr. Terry Park and his classes were by far my most memorable—I thoroughly enjoyed his teaching style and ways of understanding students."
Kianna Chow, '22
Landscape Architecture | Asian American Studies
Henry Covington, '22
Computer Science | Asian American Studies
"After being disconnected from my heritage from not being able to meet any of my native Filipino family, the AAST classes have helped validate my identity confusions and for my Asian American identity. The most impactful words I've heard in my classes was from Gem in Filipino American History and Identity, "identity is not math". So even though I'm half Filipino and third generation that makes me no less a Filipino and Asian American."
Theresa Anne Enriquez, '22
Sociology | Asian American Studies
Emanuel Gancayco, '22
Mechanical Engineering | Asian American Studies
Amy Guan, '22
Communication | Asian American Studies
Danny Hemani, '22
Neurobiology and Physiology | Asian American Studies
Emilyn Hyre, '22
Marketing, Operations Management Business Analytics | Asian American Studies
"I feel like I am not only studying AAST but also experiencing. I think studying a diversity discipline has pushed me to break molds and stereotypes that I know my community faces. And also empower those who are of the minority and make sure they are heard."
Dahye Kang, '22
Biological Sciences, Criminology & Criminal Justice | Asian American Studies
"Taking my first AAST class my freshman year is what encouraged me to pick up the minor and become involved in Asian American spaces on campus. Coming into college, I never thought about my Asian American identity beyond surface level concepts. But taking AAST classes forced me to reflect upon my experiences as an Asian American and really helped shape my cultural competency toolkit."
Swarnapali Keppetipola, '22
Neurobiology, Physiology, Spanish | Asian American Studies
"As a future physician, I hope to apply the concepts and information I have learned in AAST classes to inform how I treat my patients. Learning about topics like cultural hegemony and power structures, and hearing the stories of the unheard have undoubtedly expanded my worldview. What I have learned has helped me to grow as an individual and gain a deeper understanding of myself as an Asian American woman and what it means to be a minority living in America."
Brandon Kim, ‘22
Computer Science | Asian American Studies
"The minor has impacted me in a multitude of ways. At first, I took the class with intentions of having an upper level requirement fulfillment for my CS major. After taking classes with Dr. Terry Park, Dr. Derek Iwamoto, Professor Yeram Cheong, Professor Janelle Wong, and many more, their passion and interest made me fall in love with learning about not only my heritage but that of Asian Americans subgroups as well. "
Grace Kim, '22
Computer Science | Asian American Studies
"Being in the AAST minor has allowed me to connect deeper with my Asian American identity and meet unique friends and teachers that support me in my endeavors."
Jenny Kim, '23
Psychology | Asian American Studies
Nicole Lam, '22
Communication | Asian American Studies
Jordan Moreno, '22
Sociology | Asian American Studies
“It definitely gave me a better understand[ing] of cultures and people I knew little about originally. It [has] helped reinforce that people are more alike than they are dissimilar and that the US has along way to go before things are truly equal for everyone. I plan to use [this knowledge] when working on projects that affect everyone in a community and try to be more exclusive when approaching projects or discussion.”
Naga Nagesaran, '22
Computer Science | Asian American Studies, Statistics
M Pease, '22
Psychology | Asian American Studies, Public Leadership
“The classes and community in the AAST program have been among the most impactful of my undergraduate years, helping me to expand my worldview and better understand how history and social power inform my identities and the experiences of my community today. I'll always remember when Gem brought Filipino food to AAST363; best class 😊. I hope to continue to bring an intersectional social justice lens to my work and use what I have learned in AAST to center community and challenge systems and structures, especially in counseling psychology, to create a better world.”
Arushi Patel, '22
Computer Science | Asian American Studies
Rushil Shetty, '22
Computer Science | Asian American Studies
Hannah Shim, '22
Communication | Asian American Studies
Annabelle Treadon, '22
Communication (Social Influence) | Asian American Studies
"For me, the AAST minor opened a door to understanding my Asian American identity. Not only have I learned more about the history of Asian America, but also of the community’s various cultures and their resilience. Every AAST course I’ve taken has been led by amazing faculty with a passion for what they teach and a classroom of students who push me to think deeper. I will miss being in such a supportive community."
Alythia Vo, '22
Neurobiology and Physiology, Spanish | Asian American Studies, US Latino Studies
"Growing up, I never learned much about Asian American history in school. Pursuing the minor in college has been one of the best decisions I've made because I have gained so much knowledge about various APIDA issues which then propelled me to join AASU. My experiences through the minor program have formed the foundation of my advocacy efforts on campus as part of AASU."
Joy Xu, '22
Accounting, Information Systems | Asian American Studies
"It has been very fulfilling to learn more about my heritage and to hear from other Asian Americans who have shared similar experiences to mine. I particularly enjoyed the Asian American Politics class that I took with Janelle Wong. I will use the things I have learned in my AAST classes to provide context for issues currently impacting the Asian American community."
Jenny Jianyi Yang, '23
Accounting | Asian American Studies
Zelda Zhao, '22
Fire Protection Engineering | Asian American Studies
"AAST helped improve my ability to think critically, especially about thoughts and ideas that had been ingrained in me since I was young. All of the classes I’ve taken have not only been fun, but also taught me more about the erased stories of Asian Americans."
Group picture of students who completed the minor with Dr. Binod Paudyal and Dr. Julie Park at the AAST 2022 End of Year Celebration on May 5.