What Is Asian American Studies?

Judy Tzu-Chun Wu — a professor of Asian American studies at the University of California, Irvine and the director of the Humanities Center — defines Asian American studies as “an interdisciplinary field of study that centers the experiences, history, culture, and representations of people of Asian ancestry as they encountered U.S. society as immigrants, refugees, colonized subjects, and American-born individuals.”

Beginning as an activist movement, this field has transformed to include an extensive reflection of diverse Asian American cultures and the impact of Asian American history on American heritage.

Asian American studies programs offer coursework in social studies, arts, and the humanities. According to Wu, “courses range from introductory classes on history, community, culture, and storytelling to more specialized classes that focus on thematic and ethnicity-specific topics, such as Asian American women, Korean transnational adoption, and Bollywood.”

Depending on the program, courses may cover topics like Asian-Black historical relations in the U.S., Asian Americans and popular culture, and Asian American religions. Through these and many other courses, participants study Asian American voices and learn how Asian Americans have impacted the U.S. and the world.

In the late 1960s, social protests calling for diversifying higher education brought Asian American studies to light. Wu explains, “These protests sought to change the composition of the student body so that higher education could be accessible for those traditionally marginalized and excluded.”

Over the last several decades, Asian American studies has evolved from primarily focusing on the male experience to branching out into the experiences of women and nonbinary Asians, as well. Wu reports that Asian American studies currently investigates “the ways in which gender shaped immigration, refugee relocation, war and colonialism, family structures, and citizenship.”

Asian American studies has also shifted from focusing primarily on Asian cultures that have been more dominant, such as those from China, Japan, and the Philippines, to exploring cultures from all parts of Asia, including the Pacific Islands, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and West Asia.

According to the Association for Asian American Studies, nearly 70 universities offer Asian American studies programs.

The field of Asian American studies has developed over time. “The early framing of study emphasized that Asians in the U.S. constituted part of the American national experience. Later works explored the transnational connections between Asians in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world,” Wu explains.

While college programs cover broad Asian American perspectives, cultural representation is also important within the K-12 education system. The California Department of Education created and is working on implementing the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum, which includes teaching Asian American studies to primary and secondary school-aged children.

By studying Asian American culture and history, learners also gain deeper insight into the American experience as a whole. “The topics and methods that we explore in Asian American studies raise fundamental questions about the identity of the U.S. nation and its peoples,” says Wu.

According to a 2020 Census Bureau, 6.1% of Americans — or 18.9 million people — identify as Asian American. As this population continues to grow, understanding how Asian Americans have helped shape the United States and dissecting how attitudes toward Asian Americans have changed throughout time has become increasingly important.

Students of all racial and ethnic backgrounds benefit from analyzing and thinking critically about how attitudes toward race develop and how identity is formed and changed over time.

Depending on a student’s long-term career goals, earning a degree in Asian American studies can be lucrative. For instance, students who earn an Asian American studies degree who also take courses in finance, Asian languages, or economics could pursue careers as international marketing specialists, international financial advisors, or international interpreters. Those who complete advanced degrees can find jobs in higher education.

However, because Asian American studies could be considered a relatively narrow field, prospective students who are unsure of their specific career plans might want to consider taking individual Asian American courses or a minor instead of majoring in the field.