 
mission statement
We are a group of multi-ethnic Asian American undergraduate students working with the support and guidance of Professor Robert Lee of the Department of American Civilization at Brown University. We strive to construct an open narrative of Asian/Asian American history at Brown since the 1960’s. Our collective efforts to explore this history aim to contribute to the building of the dynamic Asian/Asian American and Third World communities. In acknowledging the people and movements that came before us, we hope to inspire, educate, and empower the current and future generation of Asian/Asian American students at Brown University.
our process
This project arose out of the recent discovery of a vast array of Asian American-related primary research materials – such as student correspondence, publications, and official documents dating back to the late 1960s – in the former Asian American Students Association (AASA) office on the third floor of the Third World Center (TWC). We have documented and catalogued these materials and supplemented them with Brown Daily Herald archives and University records. For presentation purposes, we have divided our research into four broad themes: Academia, Admissions, Asian Student Organizations, and Third World Issues and Community. All of these archived materials are now available for public viewing at the Asian/Asian American Student Resource Center (AASRC) in the former AASA office on the third floor of the TWC, and a selected portion of these materials is also available online.
In examining this history, we chose not to attempt to weave these pieces together ourselves; instead, we hoped that the history would speak for itself. To fill in the holes, we have conducted interviews with numerous alumni who were involved in the Asian/Asian American and Third World communities during their time at Brown. These interviews were either recorded or transcribed and are also available in the AASRC and online.
limitations
We believe that the work presented through this project represents a crucial step in the documentation and exploration of Asian/Asian American history at Brown; however we also acknowledge the limitations of our work. Unfortunately, due to an overwhelming amount of material and a general lack of time, we were unable to constantly reflect upon and adapt our study to ensure that both our process and product were comprehensive. Moreover, much of our source material was derived from the archives of AASA -- an organization which has throughout its history largely been comprised of students claiming East Asian heritage. As a result, many voices and stories have been inadvertently and unacceptably left out of this narrative.
We also recognize that the very term Asian American – and subsequently, the notion of an Asian American history at Brown – is tenuous at best. While individually we may subscribe to varying beliefs regarding the existence of an Asian American cultural identity, collectively we only lay claim to an Asian American political identity and its role in empowering people and communities that have been disenfranchised. In so doing, we each reserve the fundamental right to self-identity and in no respect intend to impose a hegemonic Asian American identity.
Similarly, though our individual commitment to exploring the history of Asians and Asian Americans at Brown is the same, each of us inevitably approached this project from different backgrounds, with different interests and goals in mind. Thus, the work presented here documents only some aspects of Asian/Asian American history at Brown, and is by no means comprehensively reflective of the diversity of thought, opinion and experience within Asian America, or even within our group.
Despite the limitations of this project, we believe that the vast amount of time and energy devoted to it has made significant contributions to the Asian/Asian American and Third World communities at Brown. We are proud yet not boastful of what we have accomplished, and we acknowledge our shortcomings largely in the hope that future generations of students will feel inspired to build on our research and thus expand and strengthen the narrative with their own efforts.
acknowledgements
This project would not have been possible without the generous contributions of: Asian American Students Association, Brown Taiwan Society, Office of the Vice President of Campus Life & Student Services, Chinese Students Association, Cogut Humanities Center, Professor Arlene Cole of the Department of Music (in memory of James Matsuoha), Chloe Djenne Dugger '06, Office of Institutional Diversity, Maria-Pamela Janairo '06, Profesor Daniel Kim of the Department of English, Janine Kwoh '09, Visiting Lecturer Marie Lee '86 of the Program in Ethnic Studies, Professor Naoko Shibusawa of the Department of History, and the Office of Student Life.
Also, we must acknowledge the endless support of our family at the Third World Center, especially: Dean Karen McLaurin-Chesson '74, Minority Peer Counselors, Minority Peer Counselor Friends, Anne Marie Ponte, Dean Kisa Takesue '88, and Vanessa Yong.
A special thanks goes out to the following individuals: Diane Chouinard and Donna Hustler in the Student Activities Office, for
never losing their patience with our endless requests; Amita Manghnani '06, for providing with valuable documents related to South Asian students at Brown; and to all of our alumni interviewees for contributing their time and enthusiasm to this project.
Of course, we must thank Professor Bob Lee not only for the invaluable guidance he provided for this project, but also for the years of contributions he has tirelessly made to the Asian/Asian American community throughout his time here at Brown.
And finally, to all those who came before us: Thank you for treading the paths for us to be here. Your passion and commitment to the Asian/Asian American community at Brown -- whatever that community was or meant to you -- in the face of unsupportive administrators, the absence of a critical mass of Asian and Asian American students on campus, and a monocultural learning environment has both educated and inspired us. We hope that this project truly honors your work.
With love and respect,
Karynn Ikeda '09
Juhyung Harold Lee '06
Jessica Mar '08
Nabanita Pal '09
Soyoung Park '09
Myra Pong '06
Angela Wong '09
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