Students at Dartmouth University called for the strengthening of the existing Ethnic Studies program and the re-establishment of a formal Asian American Studies program, reports The Dartmouth.
A decision on the proposal is expected in late April.
Members of the Asian/American Students for Action presented a formal proposal to the vice provost for academic initiatives, Denise Anthony. The students says their proposal draws from many existing programs while adding a formal Asian American Studies program. They also say it could succeed in expanding more institutional support for faculty of Ethnic Studies and bring in more Asian American Studies professors into the mix.
“Students really want to have courses that talk about their experiences and heritage in the United States,” said Fariha Khan who is associate director of Asian American studies at the University of Pennsylvania. “It’s important to really understand the complexity of the Asian American experience. It’s critical in terms of intellectual growth to understand race and model minority politics when we talk about the American experience.”
