Background

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and a rise in anti-Asian violence, an increased attention to some Asian American communities has illuminated the need for broader and deeper discussions on the complexity of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities and our experiences. The AAPI community in New York City is one of the biggest and most diverse in the U.S., made up of AAPI groups with long histories in the U.S. (i.e., Chinese, Indians, Filipinos, Koreans), “newer” groups (i.e., Nepali, Burmese, Tibetan), and diasporic populations whose ancestors first migrated to places in the Caribbean and Latin America. AAPIs are also the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in New York City, making up almost 18% of the city’s population. These demographic shifts have been reflected at CUNY with an increase to 20% of students who identify as Asian.

Asian American Studies across CUNY is a faculty development seminar to support the expansion of Asian American Studies in our CUNY classrooms. Our approach is rooted in Asian American Studies, an interdisciplinary field born out of student-led social movements for Ethnic Studies, racial justice, and Third World liberation. We center a locally relevant and locally specific understanding of Asian American and Pacific Islander experiences in New York City. We do this by attending to narratives by and about new, diasporic, and/or refugee immigrant communities, as well as current and historic NYC AAPI movements for social, racial, and economic justice.  Being grounded in the diversity of our local communities allows us to cultivate what historian Robin D. G. Kelley calls a “polycultural” framework, or one that recognizes dynamic and complex interrelationships between different cultures and communities. 

Structure and Expectations 

Over four sessions during the Spring 2023 semester, 15 faculty participants will work on integrating Asian American Studies content into their classes through syllabus revision, assignment re-design, development of modules, and/or drafting new courses in Asian American Studies. Participants will be expected to attend all four sessions, complete readings/assignments in between meetings, and share their teaching innovation on our CUNY Academic Commons website. All participants will receive a $500 stipend upon completion of the seminar. 

Who is eligible to apply? 

The Faculty Development Seminar Series is open to all CUNY faculty interested in beginning, revising, or strengthening their approach to teaching Asian American Studies. We encourage contingent faculty, including adjuncts and visiting faculty members, to apply. We encourage community college faculty members to apply. We invite applications from faculty teaching in all disciplines, including applied fields.  

Facilitators & Hosts 

Dr. Caroline K. Hong (English, Queens College), Dr.  Soniya Munshi (AAARI), and Dr. Linta Varghese (Ethnic and Race Studies, BMCC)

Hosted by Asian American/Asian Research Institute at CUNY (AAARI)
Co-sponsored by Department of Ethnic and Race Studies, Borough of Manhattan Community College

The Asian American Studies across CUNY Faculty Development Seminar is funded through a CUNY Black, Race, and Ethnic Studies Initiative Grant.