On Feb. 20, 1984, a group of faculty members released a “Proposal to Create a Core Curriculum of Asian American Studies.” After strong student support for more Asian American courses at UC San Diego, the proposal called for the creation of three courses on Asian American history, literature, and contemporary issues.. Over the years, various students and faculty would expand upon the original proposal’s vision for a curriculum and space where students could learn more about the historically underrepresented Asian American and Pacific Islander community. Members of our community built coalitions and alliances, formed search committees, and wrote demand letters to establish a permanent program on campus. It would take 36 years of arduous advocacy before the Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies minor program would be officially established at UCSD.
On Feb. 21, 2023, 39 years after the original proposal, UC San Diego released an article to announce its designation as an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving-Institution. Established in 2007, the Department of Education’s AANAPISI designation allows institutions to apply for federal grants to support their AAPI and Native American students. While acknowledging the work ahead, the article celebrates the resources currently available to the university’s 13,000 AAPI students: the Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies Minor and the Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, Desi American Programs and Services. After all, according to Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla, “UC San Diego and our state serve some of the largest populations of AAPI students, so a commitment to promoting equitable access, providing excellent student support programs and ensuring a sense of belonging across all of our diverse student communities is fundamental to our mission.”
Yes, it’s true; UC San Diego does have an Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies Minor and APIMEDA Programs and Services….
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