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The Asian American Studies Program is one of the biggest and most diverse programs in the country. With 15 core faculty members and 9 affiliates, AASP offers instruction, research, and mentorship in the field, with strengths in cultural studies and performance studies.The University of Illinois and Filipino Studies
UIUC is a fertile ground for holding this kind of conference for two reasons. First, UIUC occupies an important niche in the history of Filipinos in the U.S. The U.S. colonial government in the Philippines in the early 20th century sent several pensionados or government scholars to study at several land grant universities and colleges. Most of these scholars eventually returned to the Philippines and occupied important social and political positions. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was one of those that received and educated them. This is the reason why the Philippine Student Association, founded in 1906, is the oldest Asian American student group on campus.
Second, UIUC is home to four leading Filipino and Filipino American Studies scholars. These scholars are deeply engaged with relevant research as well as being leaders in their respective fields.
Professor Lisa Cacho (Asian American Studies/Latina/o Studies Programs) is interested in the cultural and literary interface between Filipino and Mexican Americans.
Professor Jose B. Capino (Department of English and Cinema Studies Program) examines film as a vehicle for the histories and cultures of American colonialism, Philippine postcoloniality and Filipino immigration to the U.S.
Professor Augusto Espiritu (Department of History and Asian American Studies Program) conducts historical research on Filipino intellectuals and recent Filipino American dissident political movements.
Professor Martin F. Manalansan IV (Department of Anthropology and Asian American Studies Program) is engaged with ethnographic research on the sexual and gender dimensions of Filipino immigration.
