Asian American Studies Program

Asian American Studies is a dynamic, interdisciplinary field of study confronting some of the most urgent questions of our time: who belongs, how power operates, and how identities are shaped and contested. Grounded in the histories and lived experiences of Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Asian/Pacific global diasporic communities, the field emerged from the transformative social movements of the 1960s and 1970s in the U.S. with a clear purpose: to produce knowledge that not only explains the world and broader patterns of inequality, but helps change it. Scholars, artists, practitioners, and students engage these challenges through diverse data-driven and creative approaches across the arts, humanities, and social sciences. At Indiana University-Bloomington, the Asian American Studies program (AAST), established in 2007, carries this mission forward through innovative research, creative work, teaching, and community-engaged programming. Together, we seek to illuminate new perspectives and cultivate bold possibilities for a rapidly globalizing 21st century.