Welcome
By the mid-1990s, two significant trends became increasingly prominent across numerous colleges around the U.S. -- (1) a recognition of the growing importance of globalized international affairs and the political, economic, and cultural growth of the Asian American population and (2) demographic trends that included a large and diverse increase in the number of Asian and Asian American students enrolling in college. As a reflection of these developments, students and scholars pushed for the expansion of Asian Studies and Asian American Studies at their campuses.
In the late 1990s, students at UMass Amherst engaged in numerous forms of activism, including protests and occupying the administration building, to demand the creation of an Asian American Studies program. Their efforts successfully culminated with the creation of a new joint undergraduate program in Asian and Asian American Studies that was introduced in the spring of 2000. Since then, the Asian & Asian American Studies Certificate Program has graduated dozens of students from diverse personal and academic backgrounds who have gone on to apply their knowledge and skills in numerous careers and pursuits.
As U.S. society becomes more diverse, multicultural, and globalized, and in the context of the cultural and economic emergence of Asian countries such as China and India, the Asian & Asian American Studies Certificate gives students the opportunity to learn about the interconnections between two similar but unique sets of histories, cultures, and issues -- Asia and Asian America.
With course offerings and faculty specializing in numerous academic disciplines, the Certificate is designed to give students (1) an understanding of different Asian and Asian American ethnic groups and the range of historical, political, economic, demographic, and cultural issues related to their experiences and (2) interdisciplinary and multi-method research and learning skills. In turn, these skills will give the student a competitive advantage in both their studies at UMass and in whatever career they enter once they graduate.
Please refer to the menu on the right for links to more information about the Asian & Asian American Studies Certificate Program, including requirements of the certificate, frequently asked questions, and an updated listing of courses that count toward the certificate. For additional information about the Certificate, please contact:
C.N. Le, Director
Department of Sociology
Thompson Hall 508
Tel: 413-545-4074
Email:
What's New
Congratulations to the following students for completing the UMass Amherst Asian & Asian American Studies Certificate for 2010-2011:
- Anita Chao, Concentration in Asian American Studies
- Alex Chautin, Concentration in both Asian Studies and Asian American Studies
- Lisa Deng, Concentration in Asian Studies
- Andrea Ng, Concentration in Asian American Studies
- Nicole Selmanie, Concentration in Asian Studies
- Alyssa Wong, Concentration in Asian American Studies
- Lisa Wood, Concentration in Asian American Studies
All of them worked very hard throughout their courses and particularly with their Senior Seminar capstone projects. Completing the Certificate is an important accomplishment and one that they should definitely feel proud of. It is students like these who sustain the Certificate Program and help make it vibrant and dynamic. Best of luck to them all as they graduate, start their careers, and bring their knowledge and wisdom to their own communities.
The Asian & Asian American Studies Certificate Program (AAASCP) has completed another productive and successful 2010-2011 year. As listed above, we are very pleased that seven students completed the Certificate this year, which is same number as last year and again represents the continuation of an upward trajectory in recent years. This positive trends represents the payoff of the hard work that the AAASCP has put into promoting the Certificate around campus, as more and more students see the value of the Certificate's combination of providing them with a detailed understanding of the increasingly important political, economic, and cultural connections between Asia and Asian America, along with practical interdisciplinary and multi-methodological skills that they can use in their studies and their future careers.
The AAASCP prides itself on contributing to the rich and vibrant academic community of UMass Amherst and the Five Colleges. This year, the AAASCP was very proud to extend this reach to the entire nation by participating in the East Coast Asian American Union (ECAASU, the largest Asian American student organization in the country) annual conference, this year hosted by UMass. Organized by a dedicated team of students, staff, and faculty from UMass and the Five Colleges, this year's conference included approximately 1,200 attendees from all around the country (despite the cold February temperatures). Several AAASCP faculty conducted workshops on a wide variety of Asian- and Asian American-related issues. By almost all accounts, the conference was a big success and raised the profiles of the AAASCP, its students, faculty, and of UMass Amherst as well.
AAASCP faculty were also busy during the academic year in numerous other activities, projects, and events. A short list of them include a mini-symposium and fundraiser for the victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, a Five College panel that discussed various dimensions of the Amy Chua "Tiger Mother" phenomenon, the biannual research conference of the Asian Americans in New England Research Initiative, and several talks by scholars and activists visiting the UMass Amherst campus throughout the academic year.
As we continually impress upon our current and potential Certificate students, as American society becomes increasingly culturally diverse and globalized, those who have a detailed understanding of different racial/ethnic groups, of international socioeconomic issues, and multi-methodological and interdisciplinary research and analytical skills -- all of which the AAAS Certificate gives them -- will have a competitive advantage in their studies at UMass, in whatever career they enter once they graduate, and in applying their knowledge as community leaders in 21st century American society.
For an updated listing of upcoming talks, events, and other activities related to the certificate program, remember to check the Events & Activities Calendar and the Recent Announcements & Opportunities pages.
