Asian American studies is a multidisciplinary field of study available to students of all ethnicities and academic backgrounds. We examine the history, arts, culture, and life experiences of people of Asian descent in the United States, ranging from recent immigrants to seventh- or eighth-generation Americans. Our coursework and research grapples with pressing questions of identity, belonging, and power from the perspectives of Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Asian/Pacific diasporic histories, communities, and cultures.

Since its emergence out of the U.S. social movements of the 1960s and 1970s, Asian American studies has aimed to create knowledge that is relevant and useful for solving big problems of inequity and injustice. Scholars, practitioners, and students approach these puzzles from a variety of disciplinary and intersectional perspectives, working to span the arts, humanities, and social and behavioral sciences.