Los Angeles, Calif. (August 4, 2010) – David K. Yoo, Ph.D., Director and Professor, Asian American Studies Center & Department, University of California at Los Angeles, announces the release the second of a three part education series, focusing on Higher Education in the AAPI Nexus Journal.
Guest editors Mitchell J. Chang of UCLA, and Peter Nien-chu Kiang of the University of Massachusetts – Boston, have assembled articles that expand the horizon of Asian American and Pacific Islander educational research in exciting ways that extend beyond well-trotted “model” minority paradigms. The articles discuss the many challenges that AAPI college students face, as well as present potential solutions with implications for future generations of AAPI college students.
Ling-chi Wang writes of the struggles that community members in San Francisco faced for nearly thirty years to establish a Chinatown campus of the City College of San Francisco. Wang emphasizes the roles of neighborhood demographics and political alliances that affect the construction of community colleges for AAPIs.
Rick Wagoner and Anthony Lin document issues and events that deal with Southeast Asian American community college students who transfer to four-year institutions. They assert that state- and federal-level policies are neglecting to acknowledge the disadvantages that Southeast Asian students encounter in community colleges, such as inadequate mentorship and programs, which have a negative impact on their transition into a four-year university.
Next, Jillian Liesemeyer offers a significant parallel between the historical trends of exclusionary quotas against Jewish students in American universities and the contemporary controversy over Asian American student enrollment in higher education. Liesemeyer highlights the responses of students and university administrators to these issues that had been largely publicized and debated in newspapers and articles.
By understanding the similarities in these two cases, Liesemeyer hopes that policymakers can better confront the exclusionary practices against Asian Americans.
Similarly, Oiyan Poon examines the recent policy changes in eligibility of admissions in the University of California system.
In her article, Poon concludes by proposing a national research-based education organization to facilitate communication among educators, students, and community and institutional leaders in order to develop an education policy agenda based on community interests and research and to help advocate more effectively for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Julie Park and Mitchell Chang close this second issue by providing insights into the development of legislation for the federal designation of AAPI-serving institutions. They document the experiences of policy makers, congressional staffers, and community advocates, with an eye toward improving the future influence of AAPI communities on educational matters.
AAPI Nexus is published twice a year: Winter/Spring, and Summer/Fall. Each issues hard copy is $13.00 plus shipping and tax. Annual subscriptions for AAPI Nexus are $35.00 for individuals and $175.00 for libraries and other institutions. For information call 310-825-2968, email [email protected] and visit online at www.aasc.ucla.edu.
