2025-05-08
- The Jeffrey S. Tanaka Grant for Asian American Studies is awarded to U of I graduate students who are conducting research related to Asian American Studies. This year, the department is pleased to announce our award-winners: Inyoung Jang and Anirban Mukhopadhyay. Inyoung Jang is a PhD candidate in the School of Information Sciences here at the University of Illinois. She is working on their...
2025-04-03 - The Department of Asian American Studies invites you to join us for the 17th Annual Balgopal Lecture on Human Rights and Asian Americans next Thursday, April 10th, 2025. This year's prestigous talk features Dr. Nayan Shah, Professor of American Studies & Ethnicity and History at the University of Southern California. He has authored two award-winning books: Contagious Divides: Epidemics...
2025-03-10 - AAS honors professor emeritus George Yu, who passed away on Saturday, March 1, 2025.Prof. Yu taught at the University of Illinois from 1965 to 2005 and served as the founding director of the Asian American Studies Program from 1997 to 2002. He also served as director of the Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies from 1992 to 2004 and head of the Department of Political Science from 1987 to...
2025-03-06 - AAS celebrates Professor Emeritus Pallassana Balgopal on his most recent publication: "Theory and Practice of Social Group Work in Indian Society." Dr. Balgopal is a beloved member of both the Department of Asian American Studies and the University of Illinois School of Social Work. He is an educator, researcher, and practitioner with more than sixty years of teaching, curriculum development,...
2025-02-25 - AAS is thrilled to host filmmakers Cathy Linh Che and Jess X. Snow for an exclusive screening of their short film We Were the Scenery. Their film tells the story of Hoa Thi Le and Hue Nguyen Che and their escape to Vietnam by boat in 1975 as well as their arrival in the Philippines, where they were utilized as background extras during the filming of Apocalypse Now....
2025-02-20 - AAS is gearing up for an exciting Fall 2025 semester. Students currently will have nine AAS courses available for selection. All four core courses for our major and minor are being offered, as well as several new, exciting learning opportunities. AAS 258: Muslims in America and AAS 365: Asian American Media and Film haven't been offered since before COVID, and the...
2025-02-11 - Professor Junaid Rana recently released his newest publication: The Anthropology of White Supremacy: A Reader. This collection of twenty-four essays gives readers a thoughtful analysis of not only how anthropology can better help us understand white supremacy, but it provides insight on how to begin the arduous task of dismantling it. Rana serves as both an editor and contributor...
2025-01-28 - Graduate students have enough on their plates without having to worry about how they're going to fund their research. AAS is here to help! The Jeffrey S. Tanaka Asian American Studies Grant is open now for applicants. Any U of I graduate student is eligible to apply, regardless of their major, as long as the grant funding is used to conduct research directly related to Asian American Studies....
2025-01-22 - Students who major or minor in Asian American Studies are invited to apply for the 2025 Betty Lee Sung Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship provides funding for a student to attend a national meeting focused on Asian American issues. Typically, recipients of the award use this funding to attend the Association of Asian American Studies (AAAS) Conference. This year, the conference is held in...
2024-10-22 - AAS hosted its fall Major-Minor Lunch on Wednesday, October 16th, and staff couldn't be happier with the student turnout! Guests were treated to a fresh & delicious feast from Dubai Grill. In between snacking on hummus and playing trivia games, students had the chance to talk one-on-one with faculty members and learn more about how a major or minor in AAS can help advance one's career goals....- 2024-10-22 - There is a look to look forward to at AAS, including several new and exciting course options for spring 2025. AAS 287: Food & Asian Americans is being offered for the first time since 2019. Enrolled students will investigate the politics and poetics of Asian American foodways by examining social habits, restaurants, ethnic cookbooks, fiction, memoir, magazines, and TV. The...
2024-08-13 - Looking to fill your gen-ed requirements? AAS has just the course for you! Limited spots are available in AAS 120: Intro to Asian American Pop Culture. Grab your seat before classes start on the 26th. AAS is also offering extra spots for AAS 100: Intro to Asian American Studies for anyone who is new to the subject and is looking for a historical, interdisciplinary overview of Asian American...
2024-06-18 - Good news: There are even more options for students who are interested in Asian American Studies. Professors Keva X. Bui and Emi Sawada have created two new, dynamic courses that explore a range of topics within the field of AAS. Registration is now open! Read more about all these courses' offerings below: AAS 211: Asian Americans and the Arts This...
2024-05-08 - Looking for something different this fall semester? AAS still has limited spots available in some of our most popular courses. Grab your seat before they're gone!
2024-04-22 - Many changes are coming to the Department of Asian American Studies for the 24-25 academic year, and one of the most exciting is the addition of new AAS courses for students to join. Professor Keva X. Bui is offering two new courses for next semester: AAS 315: War, Memory, Cinema and AAS 390: Race, Science, Technology. War, Memory, Cinema is offered on Mondays...