Asian American Studies

In the Beginning

Between the fall of 1968 and the spring of 1969, the Third World Liberation Front led the longest student strike in U.S. history at San Francisco State College (now San Francisco State University), later followed by a strike at the University of California, Berkeley. The result was a movement that led to the institution-alization of ethnic studies programs in higher education. Black, Asian, Filipina/o, Latina/o, and Native American students who saw themselves as connected to the peoples of the Third World recognized a need to challenge Eurocentric interpretations of history and fought diligently to create a relevant curriculum.

Daniel Gonzales, an activist in the Third World Liberation Front and an associate professor at San Francisco State University, said that Asian American Studies—like ethnic studies in general—was founded on three core values: self-determination/inclusion, community advocacy, and community service. Self-determination was defined as the right and power of a people to make decisions and to take action consistent with their own best interests; in this particular case, this called for inclusion and representation of people of color in the university curriculum, student body, and faculty. On the second point, ethnic studies faculty members were expected to be advocates for and representatives of the needs of communities where they had primary sociocultural and political experience. Finally, ethnic studies programs were designed to be a bridge between the university and the community, one that involves students and faculty in constructive civic activism and direct service.

In 1969, Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University developed a mission statement and curriculum focused on the study of cultural heritage and historical development of Asian American communities. Early on, a clear and deliberate distinction was made between Asian (Area) Studies, a curriculum reflecting Western perspectives on the culture and history of Asia, and Asian American Studies, a curriculum emphasizing the primary perspectives of Asians in the United States.

The study of culture in Asian American Studies began as a study of production as well as heritage wherein Asian Americans engage in the rediscovery of their “roots” but also create culture in the U.S. setting. During the formative era of ethnic studies, Asian American Studies programs were concerned with meeting the cultural and personal identity needs of students interested in learning about Asian American experiences and working with secondary and college-level students, particularly those with plans to work in ethnic communities as teachers, counselors, health service and social workers, labor organizers, and lawyers.

Today's Programs

Nearly 40 years later, the core values and the spirit of the early mission still remain to inspire the general sentiment in Asian American Studies, but much has evolved with regard to research, scholarship, service, commitments, curriculum, and Asian American Studies programs.

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