A working group established at Harvard to discuss Asian American Studies is calling on the administration to establish a formal program in the field encompassing both Asian American and Pacific Islander studies, reports the Harvard Crimson.
Harvard currently has only two tenure-track faculty members whose work relates to Asian and Pacific American studies, according to the group.
“Asian and Pacific American studies is huge,” English associate professor Ju Yon Kim said. “To have only two classes a year that cover this means that there are going to be things that end up falling off the syllabus.”
A student echoed Kim’s sentiment, adding that currently Pacific Islander studies is not explicitly mentioned in the group’s working name.
“The study of Pacific Islands [at Harvard] is next to nothing,” said Shelly D. A. Preza ’17 who emphasized the importance of making Pacific Islander Studies part of any discussion about Asian American Studies.
Tynan Jackson, 19, urged the University to be a leader in the field.
“I just don’t understand why Harvard, one of the most prestigious universities in the world, would not want to be a pioneer in Asian American studies and be able to celebrate these histories,” he said.
