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...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...

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...