As part of the Asian American Studies Program 10th Year Anniversary Celebration, we've created a memory book of the voices of past and present students. Here are their stories.
Current Students
2006
2004
2003
2001
2000
1999
1998
1996
1994
If you would like to share your memories please email to aasp@uiuc.edu
My freshman year at the University of Illinois, I enrolled in a course titled Asian American Identities. As cliché as it sounds, the course changed my life. Simply stated, everything came together, and I came to comprehend and embrace my Asian American identity. As I prepare to graduate and endeavor on my post-graduate plans toward my life goals as an Asian American political activist, I appreciate the opportunities that the Asian American Studies Program at UIUC has provided me, and humor myself as to the decisions I would be making now if the impact of that one course had been absent in my life.
It was freshman year in my AAS 100 class taught by Professor Martin Manalansan. The documentary film, “Who Killed Vincent Chin”, was showing. When Ronald Ebens (one of the murderers) claimed that spending one night in a holding cell and not having a “pillow” was horrifying, our AAS class erupted in disbelief – some even in anger. I slowly turned my head glancing at other student’s shocked expressions. As I sat quietly in class, a small spark ignited me to become more passionate within Asian American history and activism. AAS planted a foundation for my activeness within the Asian American community on campus.
I came to UIUC in August 2005 and have been with AAS for nearly two years as a graduate research assistant. Among my fondest memories include my many conversations with Mary Ellerbe and Kent Ono, as well as taking my first AAS course last year with Moon-Kie Jung. I am fortunate to be a part of such a dynamic and supportive community, and therefore look forward to giving back to the Program in the future.
I first learned about the Asian American Studies program my sophomore year, when I took an internship class with Sharon Lee. It was a small class of only about eight students, and was one of the best and most fun classes I've taken. Sharon was an awesome instructor and all my classmates were interesting individuals. I learned so much in that class, including the activism that brought forth the Asian American Studies program at Berkeley and later how UIUC got its program. I loved getting to know my classmates and discussing my ideas about the Asian American community today. Being the only Indian in a class mix of Taiwanese, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese and Korean, I got so much insight about our different cultures but also finding that we were all similar in some ways. It was harmonious, in one word, and that class led me to be more interested in other Asian American activities on campus, such as Unseen Unheard. I definitely feel that I've taken away a lot from AAS 290.
It’s been great to see how much the program has grown in the past few years. As a freshman, I took a class about Filipino Americans. This was the first class at the University specifically about Filipino Americans. For me, it was the first time I had been exposed to the realities of Philippine American history. With the growth of the program, every student now has the opportunity to learn about the history, psychology, literature, and culture of all Asian American groups. The program has helped me shape my views on equity and diversity and has strengthened my own identity as an Asian American.
I remember asking my high school history about the anti-Chinese sentiment in nineteenth century California that was briefly mentioned in our textbook. He attributed the cause to the Chinese willingness to undercut the white workers by working for ‘slave’ wages and eating rats, which white workers were unwilling to do. As the only Asian student class, I felt extremely uncomfortable and chose not to participate from then on.
When it came time for me to decide where I wanted to go for college, I knew I wanted to attend a university that valued diversity not just in demographics, but in its academic life as well. My decision to come to UIUC was greatly influenced by the presence of such a strong Asian American Studies Program. Here, I knew that I would find supportive faculty and a community where I could feel safe. Asian American Studies has not only equipped me with the paradigms to understand my place in America, but has given me the courage to be seen and heard.
Asian American Studies 402, Asian American Education, was my first AAS course, taken as a senior. During my previous years at the University of Illinois, I was heavily involved in the AA community, however, never once took an AAS course. I can say with full confidence, that AAS 402 was one of the best classes I have taken here at the University of Illinois. Professor Yoon Pak and Professor Sharon Lee's passion for issues in Asian American education was contagious. Affirmative action, marginalization in the classroom, and the history of Asian American Studies programs were among the interesting topics touched upon. And despite my involvement in the Asian American community here on campus, there are certain lessons I learned through this course that I had not yet learned through my involvement. These are issues and ideas that can be observed and applied in every day life, and will stay with me long after I leave this institution. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to enroll in the course, Asian American Education. And I furthermore wish the AAS department the best of luck, with many more anniversary celebrations to come in the future! Thank you.
The Asian American Studies Program at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign has been 'home' for me the last few years. It has provided me with the space and resources to grow intellectually and politically. For that, I am grateful. The program has given me the opportunities to teach, do research, and travel to national conferences. Most important, it has fostered a caring, non-competitive, and vibrant environment for critical scholarship and pedagogy. I have been fortunate to be a part of an emerging program that encourages different ways of articulating Asian American discourse in the 21st century.
When I first applied to UIUC, I immediately scoured the website for evidence of a thriving Asian American Studies Program because I knew I could not survive without an AAS community. I’ve found a family in APAGSO, the AAS Program and the AACC. The Program influences and stimulates me as much as my primary discipline, creating a richer intersection of ideas, questions and meaning, all the more nurtured through APAGSO. This program provides the necessary courses, mentorship and opportunities not otherwise provided by the institution. Congratulations on an amazing milestone!
The Asian American Studies program has really grown in the 4 years I've been here and is making its presence known. When I first got here, the Asian American community seemed dispersed. I'm glad to see the construction of the cultural house stimulated a rapid fire growth of the Asian American programs that help this generation of Asian Americans in their discovery of a cultural beginning. While there is still lot to be done, in my eyes, I truly believe that the University of Illinois is playing an instrumental role in empowering Asian Americans today.
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Although I didn't major or minor in Asian American studies, I still have fond memories of the team of individuals that holds the program together and pushes it toward greater focus. I remember once while I was working as an intern at the Asian American Cultural Center, randomly sitting in on a book discussion with Asian American graduate students. They invited me into their fold and instantly made me feel that the network of support for Asian American students at the University of Illinois is very strong. I remember the lively and honest discussions in the Asian American Education course I took with Dr. Yoon Pak and Sharon Lee. I also remember being riveted by the movie "Don AKA Bonus," which we watched in class. The hard experience of this Californian Cambodian youth is part of what prompted me to move to the Bay Area to learn more about Southeast Asian Americans' relationship to education. I remember meeting Christen DePouw many times at what was then called the Green Street Coffeehouse to talk about my summer research paper about Laotian American youth. I also remember presenting at my first conference, hosted by the Asian Pacific American Graduate Students' Organization at UIUC. This conference was organized by a family of hardworking people such as Sarah Park. Sarah and Christen's friendship and my relationships with others involved with the University of Illinois Asian American Studies make me excited about the future of the program. After ten years of growth, I am optimistic that it will continue to provide key opportunities for mentorship and refine the focus of the discipline. The perpetual fight for legitimacy of Asian American scholarship and the need for self-conscious critique of our place in the nation's racial politics are reasons enough to celebrate this anniversary and then keep going.
From serving as Head Coordinator in the Asian American Association Fashion Show, to participating on the APAC board, to raising AA awareness through my sorority (and countless things in between), the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign’s AAS program has been nothing but superior to me. For four years, I stood up for, raised awareness, and strived to be a leader in the Asian-American community. But in those four glorious undergrad years the most important lesson I learned was to be proud to be an Asian-American. With the achievement of the Asian American Culture House my senior year, I felt it stood as a tribute to the entire past and present of the AA community- to the hard work put in by the alumni, but also as a beacon of hope for future Asian American U of I students to come. We have amazing diversity at the U of I, but most of all, we have unity. No other institution in the world can compare. I’m thankful to be a part of it.
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What I remember most about my experiences with the AASP internship program are the people. The faculty and staff at the Asian American Studies Building were awesome. For such a long time, I grappled with my identity and being half Asian. Before the internship, I had a hard time identifying with a group that I was often categorized as part of. Sharon and Kent were especially open to listening to my experiences and guiding me through my studies and research. They opened doors to an array of topics within the Asian American community and yet let me focus on my own identity exploration. By the end of the semester, I realized that being mixed race and Asian American is possible. I didn't have to choose one side, and I was finally comfortable with myself. Being a part of the AASP internship taught me so much about the Asian American community and about myself. I miss my mentors and thank them for their encouragement. It's an experience I will never forget.
I signed up for the AASP internship because a friend and I wanted to learn our history. I felt that I didn't know my roots and hoped that being an intern at AASP would give me some perspective on how it all started.
The first day of class was a cold night and I remember going into the house feeling at home almost immediately. Other than my friend Mari, I knew no one else in the class and it was truly the first day of school.
We were directed to the back of AASP house into the conference area and we took a seat at the conference table. That is where Sharon Lee introduced herself and we went around introducing ourselves and explaining our involvement in the UIUC community. I felt intimidated with all the active APIA student community leaders in the room. I felt that up until this point I had done my best to assimilate into America without any concern of my "past".
When it came to my turn, I simply said my name "David Loreto" along with my major and my year.
Throughout the internship we learned many things, but we also taught each other. We shared each others experience with the label "Asian-American". We all added our own imprint on our collective definition. We laughed at each others accounts of miscommunication that sometimes left us lonely, sometimes left us distraught and always left us thinking.
We helped each other out; from getting the APIA community in Champaign Urbana in sync with the UIUC AASP like creating a bookcase display for the Champaign Public Library for Asian American History Month to holding down functions for the AASP, making sure that the egg roll tray was never barren.
I walked into the AASP building in a way looking for some answers and I walked out feeling like I gained a new home.
I worked as a GA for the AASP for two years. I have fond memories of working there, of having, in Sharon Lee, a supportive boss as well as a friend. I remember that awfully hot basement we were temporarily housed in, and of waiting in anticipation for the house to be completed so that we could move in. I remember spending many happy days sitting in front of the computer at my desk, watching the campus go by and the magnolia tree across the street bloom. Working there was a joy; it provided stability and long lasting friendships, and gave me the chance to learn so much about the stories and lives of Asian Americans in this country.”
My fond memories of AAS always include Sharon Lee, the former Assistant Director. Sharon made a huge difference to the studies program and assisted students with all the help she and AAS could provide. In addition, the AAS internship class that I took in 2004 broadened my knowledge in Asian American history and why it is so important to stay involved and vocal in our community. I am thankful for AAS for providing me with assistance in conferences and programs I partook in and hope future students will utilize the studies program
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I graduated from UIUC in 2003 with a B.A., majoring in Sociology and minoring in Computer Science. I fondly recall taking an Asian American studies course with Professor Moon-Kie Jung. I felt really empowered to be able to bring my own interests around issues of sexual orientation and gender identity into the classroom and I recall organizing a diverse panel of LGBT API students to speak in the class. I also did an independent study with Professor Jung in order to create time for me to increase my activist work on campus, particularly around LGBT concerns. I also recall working with Professor Ono in developing a very well-attended screening of several short films on multiraciality. Professor Ono facilitated a critical conversation following the films. I was always excited to see such support from Asian American role models and to see ways in which intersections of identity and inclusion of multiraciality could be truly affirmed in the academic realm. These experiences at UIUC have fueled my professional career as I work on diversity and social justice issues professionally, including part-time consulting as a trainer for the Organization of Chinese Americans, and also pursue my graduate degree at American University in International Training and Education.
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I attended UIUC from 1997 until 2001. I was one of the fortunate students to take several Asian American Studies courses when the program was just getting started. One of my fondest memories was taking an Educational Policy Studies course with Professor Yoon Pak. I was the only undergraduate taking her course. She gave me freedom to explore the Asian American voice through multi-media. I was so blessed to have the opportunity to interview Yuki Llewellyn about her childhood in the internment camps, discuss the struggles that UIUC gymnastics coach Yoshi Hayasaki underwent to coach the U.S. Olympics team in 1988, and reconnect with my own grandmother about World War II in the Philippines. Weaving their voices through the songs from the seminal album, "A Grain of Sand," I learned about their stories, experiences, and my own past, present, and future.
Thank you to Professor Esther Kim Lee who introduced me to the developing Asian American theater scene, allowing me to become part of Theater Mu in Minneapolis; to Political Science professor Wendy Tam for kicking my butt and making me work hard for my C; to English professor Juliana Chang for uncovering Jessica Hagedorn's voice; and to Anthropology professor Martin Manalansan for exploring Vietnamese soap operas.
I am so grateful to all the students who fought hard to establish the program. Thank you to Faisal, Anita, Jim, and Paula who kept the grassroots, activist voice alive at UIUC. Thank you to David Chih who was always there to support all the main APA activities I was trying to organize.
I took part in the curriculum committee to plan the Asian American minor at the UIUC in 1998 with Lena Choe when Dr. George Yu was the director before Asian American Studies became a program. I participated in unseen & unheard conference several times and presented. We also participated in a negotiation with the UIUC administration to fund the program with a threat of starting a hunger strike in front of the administration building. It was fun time to be Asian American on campus. My dissertation is on the Chinese and Chinese American students who studied at the UIUC from the time of Chinese Exclusion to the beginning of Cold War. There is a lot of information at the university archive on Asian American students and I encourage people to conduct research in this direction.
I can still feel the small thrill of excitement and fulfillment when I walked into the Asian American Studies house and heard the familiar voice of Mary Ellerbe welcoming me in. I spent many hours in that house attending AAS Executive Committee meetings as the group's undergraduate representative; hosting or attending educational events; working on the house computer to finish a class assignment, something related to Unseen/Unheard or my involvement with the Asian Pacific American Coalition, or a letter to the administration requesting funding for additional faculty lines; interviewing prospective faculty and trying to convince them to leave places like sunny California for the chance to be part of an exciting fledgling AAS program in the middle of the corn fields of Urbana-Champaign. This was back before AAS was a "Program" with a capital "P," before there was a minor in AAS, before there was ever talk of a major in AAS, before the house was literally picked up, and moved to be next to our new Asian American Cultural Center. It's amazing to see what has become of the "P"rogram since I first was a freshman in 1996.
Thank you to Professors Clark Cunningham, George Yu and Pallassana Balgopal for your unwavering and passionate commitment to the "P"rogram from the very beginning. (And thank you for your irreverent humor which always kept me laughing!) Thank you to Professor Juliana Chang for introducing me to "No No Boy" and the writings of Asian American authors who inspired me to be more reflective and expressive about my hyphenated experiences; to Professor Wendy Tam for exposing me to the world of Asian Americans in politics; to Professor Martin Manalansan, while I didn't have a class with him, we were neighbors and I can still smell the intoxicating aromas of cooking emanating from his apartment; and to one of my favorite professors of all time, Professor Balgopal who truly made his class a "family" experience.
I was privileged to get to know so many people--students, faculty and administrators--who in big and small ways were instrumental in establishing AAS at UIUC. AAS wouldn't be possible if it weren't for the cooperative effort of multiple generations of students, faculty and administrators advocating from multiple fronts. Thank you all, some of my fondest memories of UIUC come from working with you. Congratulations AAS to 10 years of growth and success! I look forward to the 20th Anniversary Celebration!
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Greetings from the past and present! My name is Alex Chu and I am an alumnus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It is so exciting to hear about the 10th anniversary of the Asian American Studies Program at UIUC. I was a part of the collaborative effort that lobbied for the Asian American Studies Program and the hiring of Asian American faculty and staff. As members of Asian Pacific American Coalition (APAC), my colleagues and I met with the Vice Chancellor and other key administration leaders during the 1995-1996 school year. We voiced about the need for Asian American Studies that would represent the cultural and literary distinctives of second and third generation Asian Americans. I enrolled in a class called "Asian American Experiences" with Professor Clark Cunningham in Spring 1996, which stirred a curiosity and passion in me to learn more about the progress and contributions of Asian Americans.
As an officer of Asian American Association and Taiwanese American Students Club, I also lobbied for an Asian American Dean who would serve as an advocate between the Asian American students on campus and the university administration. John Ying was hired as a result of our efforts, which helped pave the road for the inception of the Asian American Studies Program.
During my junior year of college, I co-directed the Intercollegiate Taiwanese American Students Association (ITASA) Conference for students throughout the Midwest. Our conference won the Asian American event of the year award in 1997-1998. We helped make a statement that the students at the University of Illinois were passionate about Asian American studies and relentless in making our dream a reality.
I moved to Urbana-Champaign in 1994 to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical/Community Psychology and was a little worried about what it would be like to be a South Asian American there. I was pleasantly surprised to find an active and vibrant student community. I got involved doing outreach to Asian American students through the counseling center. At that time, Asiantation was a new concept, there was no Asian American Studies (AAS) program, no Dean of Asian Pacific Affairs, no cultural center, and very few faculty members focusing specifically on AAS. In fact, students were protesting for more services and academic options. By the time I left the campus in 2000, the changes were rapid and exciting. There was more awareness and new people had been hired. I had attended innovative lectures on AAS, been fortunate enough to be the graduate student representative on the executive committee, and could see the hard work and vision of a diverse group of committed individuals paying off. The wonderful part is that the program and vision has continued to grow. On this tenth anniversary of the program, I send my best wishes for continued success!
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When I think of the Asian American Studies Program I think about the numerous people (both students and faculty) that worked hard to create the program and then through the years sustain and grow it. I have special admiration for Professor George Yu who I met early on in my career at the Governor's office. I remember his passion and his vision for the program. Its amazing to see how in ten years this program has grown to be one of the best in the United States.
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My fondest memory of the Asian-American Studies program was back in 1997 during a coffee meeting I had with Provost Larry Faulkner at the Espresso Royale, when he told me the university would be fully funding the program on an ongoing basis. As a young college student, the feeling that the power of everyone who had worked so hard to make it a reality, from the faculty, the staff, and the students over so many years had finally paid off was personally life-changing.
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When I arrived at the University of Illinois, like most freshman, I wanted to truly find myself. Nothing defined me as much as when I explored my cultural and historical heritage. However, in the early 1990s, you couldn’t take a class on Asian American History. Since we were more eager to learn than patient to wait, we taught ourselves. I
helped host the 1995 MAASU Conference which brought students from around the Midwest and speakers that filled a long weekend with knowledge and wisdom unavailable to us through the University. I notably remember introducing our keynote speaker Warren Furutani, the long time community advocate who was then elected to the Los Angeles Board of Education. I was inspired simply by his presence. This was the kind of educational programs we felt the responsibility to provide to our friends and the UIUC community at a time when Asian American Studies did not yet exist
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My fondest memories are of the people I met and the programs we started that have grown and developed. Betweeen Vida ("No closest is too big!"), Oliver ("Yeah, this jacket is from High School - so what?"), Rebecca ("Ms. Chinatown, baby!") , Gordon ("Is that 40 oz cold?"), Mary ("What we need is a teach in!"), My~ ("I can't do any more events or I won't graduate!") and Guia ("I dont need to fill out any forms..I am special.") the events are too many to name, but my favorite two were the retreat at the Allerton Conference center for new officers and Asiantation - Vida's brainchild. I have never learned so much from such a small, yet talented group of people. The lessons I learned with "The old skool gang" I have carried with me and have used almost often in my assignments to Vietnam, Colombia and Afghanistan.
Thanks for the memories gang - sorry I could not make it...see you next reunion.
I was a freshman at UIUC in '89 when I started to learn about my own Asian American history. But, even then, it was only through the stories that my friends and mentors Jody Lin and Karin Wang, previous AAA presidents before me, had shared. It was they who restarted the forgotten conversation from the 60's and early 70's on UIUC's lack of an Asian American Studies Program and Cultural Center. They inspired me to teach myself a history that had long been denied, even through all my years of formal education. This journey through self-discovery and restored ethnic pride revealed to me how far UIUC was behind the Movements that had occurred on the West and East coasts. By the end of my freshman year, I realized I could help to make change at UIUC by doing what I did best... organizing people, gaining trust, sharing vision, and inspiring stronger leaders than I could ever be. And so my career as a "student leader" began...”
I originally became involved in the fight for the Asian American Studies Program through my involvement in the Asian American Artists Collective. We were the ones on the fringes who got angry and got loud. So much of the struggle for us was about expressing and justifying our anger. Wrapped up in that, though, was the struggle to define and express our identities. We organized; we fought to be noticed and for visibility so that those who followed us wouldn't have to try as hard to convince themselves and others that their lives and experiences exist. We wanted a seat at the table and a voice in the discourse. Asian American Studies represents institutional recognition of the validity of our identities. When I see what has been accomplished with Asian American Studies at UIUC, I am convinced that the anger that inspired our activism has helped make our community a more visible part of the establishment.
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