Comparative Student Data

FY21 Course Offerings & Enrollment

* Though almost all courses started full, significant numbers of students dropped courses throughout the semester during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Program Highlights

Webinar: Asian Americans in Racial Justice Work | October 12, 2020

Liberation for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) must start with the fight against anti-Blackness. But how do we do this work in solidarity with one another? What challenges and possibilities must we acknowledge and confront as Asian Americans in our work for racial justice? When and where do we enter this conversation, participate in this resistance, take up space on the streets, amplify our demands, and uplift our brothers and sisters in thoughtful and impactful ways?

Dr. William Ming Liu and Dr. Rossina Zamora Liu present a critical dialogue on Asian Americans in racial justice work. In this presentation, we consider the ways in which we, as Asian Americans, grapple with the contradictions of our proxy privileges as “model minorities” and anti-Asian racism as “perilous perpetual foreigners.” How do these precarious positionalities facilitate, and at once, impede our fight against anti-Blackness? What is the function of anti-Black racism within the context of white supremacy, white privilege, and power, and how are we complicit in perpetuating it? How do we resist and fight against it? And importantly, how do we move forward in pursuit of cross-racial solidarity with BIPOC communities?

This event is brought to you by the Asian American Studies Program (UMD) and the Office of Multicultural Involvement and Community Advocacy (UMD).

Webinar: The South Asian American Experience in the DMV | November 5, 2020

A panel discussion on current themes and issues surrounding South Asian Americans in the DMV featuring Darakshan Raja (Co-founder, Justice for Muslims Collective), Jyoti Mohan, PhD (Historian & Author), and Lakshmi Sridaran (Executive Director, South Asian Americans Leading Together). This event is brought to you by the Asian American Studies Program (UMD), the Office of Multicultural Involvement and Community Advocacy (UMD), the South Asian Student Association, and the Asian American Student Union.

AAST Open Class Series | Spring 2021

This Spring, several AAST classes welcomed guest speakers into their classroom and select AAST class sessions were be open to the UMD community. Some guest speakers included Ted Gong, Executive Director of the 1882 Project Foundation and President of DC chapter of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance; Darlene Kehaulani Butts, President of Ke Ali’i Maka’ainana Hawaiian Civic Club of WDC; Grande Lum, Professor and Provost at Menlo College; and Keith Chow, editor-in-chief of the pop culture blog The Nerds of Color and a co-editor of the Asian American Comics Anthologies Secret Identities and Shattered.

2020-2021 Chandni Kumar Annual Lecture | February 4, 2021

This year AAST invited Neel Saxena: a leader, collaborator, advocate, fundraiser, and Chief Advancement Officer at Fair Chance, to be the featured speaker for the 4th Chandni Kumar Annual Lecture on Asian Americans and Activism.

Neel highlights a journey working in and with Asian American nonprofits, lessons learned through that journey, and the authentic experience of leading an Asian American nonprofit. The talk gives an honest perspective of the experiences working at an entry level position to an Executive Director at an Asian American nonprofit, followed by a Q&A session. This lecture is part of The Chandni Kumar Annual Lecture on Asian Americans and Activism, established by the Kumar Family out of a desire to empower and inspire student activism and engagement for the Asian American community.

Neel Saxena has 20 years of experience leading national & local nonprofits and local government, centered on issues around youth development, equity, language access, and nonprofit capacity building. He serves on the board at the Asian Pacific American Film in DC. His language access, Census, and Asian American advocacy has been recognized by local governments. A son of Indian immigrants, partner, father, he has degrees from the University of Maryland and American University.

As part of the annual speaker event, Patrick Peralta was awarded the Student Impact Award. The virtual event made it possible for many alumni to participate in a way they normally would not in person.

Webinar: Day of Remembrance: BLM and JLA | November 5, 2019

Japanese Latin Americans (JLA) won a major victory at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and are seeking redress for World War II-era injustices. African Americans and the diverse Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement made major advances last year in their efforts to redress over 400 years of injustices. How can these groups and others work together to achieve their goals?

A discussion by civil rights attorney Dr. Jerome Reide, Grace Shimizu from the Japanese Peruvian Oral History Project, human rights activists Aniya Butler and Law-rel Butler, and Phil Tajitsu Nash from the Asian American Studies Program.

This program is sponsored by the Juanita Tamayo Lott Endowment in Asian American Studies.

Webinar: 2021 Multiracial Heritage Month with Eva Woolridge | March 31, 2021

The theme for the month is “Coloring Outside the Lines” which challenges the notion that people of certain races need to look a certain way for their identity to be validated. Instead of cursing the features we have or lack, we encourage folks to embrace and love their appearance as a reflection of their identity--without the need for outsiders’ acceptance. “Coloring Outside the Lines” dispels the idea that race exists as a monolith, and Multiracial folks should not be expected to conform to stereotypes in order to satisfy others’ curiosity. As the proportion of the population that identifies as mixed continues to increase exponentially, racial expectations and stereotypes are obsolete. Instead, others should recognize Multiraciality exists on a spectrum, and people should not pass judgement without knowing the whole story. 

Keynote Speaker : Eva Woolridge (she/her) is a biracial Black and Chinese-American photographer residing in Brooklyn, New York. Her photo series’ explore the sexual, spiritual, and emotional nature of femininity. In her work she transcends surface-level labels of people of color by conveying strength, perseverance, vulnerability and vitality using strong lighting and composition.

Upon graduating from University of Maryland, College Park, Woolridge completed her second social-consciousness photo narrative called Embrace Your Essence. Produced in 2015, the series focused on young women’ journeys toward self-love—defining what they find beautiful about themselves. Many of the narratives included illnesses, challenges to meet Western standards of beauty, and quirks that once negatively affected their self-esteem. This received international recognition and featured in Business Insider, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Huffington Post and more.

Woolridge continues to use visual narratives to convey a tone of a new, inclusive wave of feminine energy through her gaze as a queer, woman of color, while commenting on the social & cultural conditions of her communities.

Webinar: 2021 AAPIHM Opening Ceremony with Julia Rhee | April 1, 2021

The Asian American Studies Program, in partnership with MICA, welcomed Julia H. Rhee, a former community organizer and the proud daughter of Korean immigrants, as this year’s opening keynote speaker for Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. She most recently led as the Interim Executive Director for the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance, the largest advocacy organization in the country serving the LGBTQ AAPI community, and brings over a decades’ worth of experience in both the public and private sectors from the San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, and the Pacific Northwest.

Her leadership experience also includes ten years of management experience on two LGBTQ nonprofit boards, strategy consulting for reproductive and environmental justice organizations, and product management in technology. Julia is currently finishing her MBA with a focus on Data Analytics.

2021 AAST End of Year Celebration | May 6, 2021

This year, the Asian American Studies Program hosted its End of Year Celebration virtually, joined by students, faculty, staff, alumni, and members of the community. Maryland Delegate Kris Valderrama joined us, along with AAST minor Patrick Peralta, to present the Asian American Studies Program with a Maryland General Assembly Citation “in recognition of twenty years of Asian American education at the University of Maryland, and for inspiring students towards Asian American and Pacific Islander service, leadership, representation and advocacy.”

Dr. Timothy J Ng, Tuan Nguyen, and Major General Antonio Taguba (ret.) gave inspirational remarks following the recognition of the 2021-2022 AAST scholarship recipients, which gave tribute to the founding of the three Asian American Studies scholarships. Chandni Kumar ‘00 gave an uplifting charge to the 2020-2021 AAST Minors as she reflected on her activism along with a group of fellow undergraduate students that spurred the creation of the Asian American Studies Program at UMD, and how students can apply the same spirit of activism to the path they will take after graduating.

Dr. Terry Park

Dr. Terry Park wrote an article in The Nation: “Anti-Asian Violence in America Is Rooted in US Empire,” with Christine Ahn and Kathleen Richards.

 People

2021-2022 AAST Scholarship Recipients

Timothy J Ng Scholarship in Asian American Studies

The Timothy J Ng Scholarship in Asian American Studies encourages undergraduates who demonstrate strength in academics and leadership, especially where such achievement leads to improvement in the lives of Asian Americans.

Linh-Thong Huu Nguyen Memorial Scholarship

This memorial scholarship was established in 2008 by Tone’s brother and fellow Terp Tuan Nguyen to support undergraduates who are enrolled in the Asian American Studies Minor and demonstrate consistent academic achievement in their studies.

Major General Antonio Taguba Profiles in Courage and Leadership Scholarship

This scholarship recognizes undergraduates who demonstrate scholarship and outstanding leadership. Students are either Asian American Studies students or enrolled in the Army, Navy or Air Force ROTC program at the University of Maryland, and considering a career in federal public service, either civilian or military.

2020-2021 Asian American Studies Minors