The University of Massachusetts Boston has received a $6 million anonymous gift to help fund its Asian American studies program, the Boston Globe reports.
The money will fund the university’s first endowed professorship for Asian American Studies, awarded to Shirley Tang. Tang grew up in Hong Kong and immigrated to the United States in her 20s. As an Asian American Studies professor, she is known for her work in digital storytelling.
“I have always believed that teachers and professors play very important roles in society, culture, and history,” Tang said in an interview with the Boston Globe. “It is humbling to say, but inspiring to be part of.”
Students say they appreciate the way Tang helps them connect with their identities.
“In some courses, I’m expected to leave parts of myself at the door before I come into the class and then just receive knowledge that the professor gives,” Kim Soun Ty told the Boston Globe. “With Professor Tang’s course, I was able to bring my whole self into the course, and I didn’t have to leave behind parts of my identity.”
The University of Massachusetts is one of the few university systems that has an Asian American Studies program. But other colleges throughout the country are preparing to add similar programs.
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