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Asians at UIC demand courses in Asian studies

Shanthi Shankarkumar

About 250 Asian and Asian-American students held a rally at the University of Illinois's Chicago campaign last week asserting that the model minority myth might have led to school authorities being indifferent to initiating Asian American programs. It was the first rally of its kind by Asian students.

The protest hoped to draw the authorities's attention to the perceived neglect of Asian-American studies and other programs for Asian Americans at UIC. With 25,000 students, UIC is the largest and most diverse university in the Chicago area. Asian-Americans and Asians make up 23.5 percent of the student body.

The rally was precipitated by a recent university press release announcing an award the school received for supporting diversity. The release mentioned a number of minority groups but not Asian-Americans, who make up 20 per cent of the student body.

The Coalition for Asian-American Studies, which was formed last fall and which organized the rally, is demanding that, within two years, the university set up an Asian-American studies program with three faculty members specializing in Asian studies, a cultural center for Asian and Asian-American students, and an academic support network for Asian and Asian-American students.

The university already has special cultural centers and support networks for African-American students who make up 9.3 per cent of the total and Hispanic students who make form 13.6 per cent.

The students have been pressing for some kind of commitment from the administrators, who seem reluctant to promise anything before holding prolonged discussions with the students.

"We are disappointed that we have not got any kind of commitment from the school. But we know administrators can be slippery and will resort to rhetoric and other tactics to wear out the students," said John Park, 20 a graduate student and vice-president of the coalition.

According to Haley Naik, 20, a junior who is a second-generation Indian-American and President of the Coalition, Asian-Americans have been overlooked because of the traditional "model-minority myths" that seem to suggest that the group does not need the support and cultural recognition given to other communities.

"Asians are considered docile, meek, hard-workers who do well in school. We've encountered remarks even from faculty asking us why we need a support network when we do so well in academics," said Naik.

According to Professor Michael Ginsburg, associate vice-chancellor for student affairs, who termed the press release as "unfortunate", the school is ready to have a dialogue with the students but they have to explain to them what exactly they want.

"I am not sure they know what the counterpart services are for the other groups, so we are willing to teach them. We don't have an Asian-American cultural center, but they don't know what the other cultural centers do and how big they are, so we can't agree to give them one, until they know what one looks like," he said.

Asian-American students have been clamoring for more facilities, on the lines available for the other communities, since 1991 but it was only in December last year that a chancellor committee for Asian Americans was started.

"The Chancellor committee is the exception which proves the rule. We still don't even have an Asian-American Awareness week, which is a sad thing," he said.

Over the years two previous organizations have pushed for the same things, but, because of student turnover, nothing was achieved. This time the coalition has wide support from faculty and students and is determined that action and not just talk should be the end-result.

"We are trying this time to have a good number of freshmen who will continue the momentum. We have been offered discussions and task forces, so we are ready to do more talking. But we also know that there will be more pushing and shoving from our end," said Naik.

Asian-American studies programs have been booming all over the United States.

"Other universities are surprised that the UIC has no Asian-American program. If any university in Illinois should be spearheading the program, it should be UIC," said Park.

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