NIU ADEI - Asian American Studies Certificate Program newsletter Nov 2024
Asian American Certificate Program News
Coordinator’s Message
As I was engaging in some literature review for a manuscript about Asian American music history, I discovered two interesting facts about Asian Americans from Pew Research Center that I’d like to share:
1) Asian Americans are the only major racial or ethnic group in the U.S. that is majority immigrant. Some 54% of the 24 million Asian Americans living in the U.S. are immigrants; and 2) about half of Asian immigrants came to the U.S. for economic or educational opportunities, 27% for economic; 26%, educational opportunities. ( pewresearch.org/ short-reads/2021/04/29/key-factsabout-asian-americans). The reason these two facts caught my attention is because they truly reflected my own experiences as an Asian American living here. I am an immigrant, and I came here for educational opportunities. Growing up on a small island overcrowded with so many outstanding people and yet very limited opportunities, I was always told that top opportunities are not meant for people like me, simply because I am not good enough. After learning about
Contact us: aacp@niu.edu
the vast resources there are in higher education in the U.S., I packed and left home for the high-quality advanced studies here, one degree after the other, which led me to an academia career now. Throughout this journey, I was often considered less intelligent and less discerning, because I had not yet achieved oral and cultural communication skills, but also simply because of my Asian appearance.
A couple of decades have passed, with much improvement in my oral and cultural communication skills, yet unfortunately, I still encounter awkward moments in my professional and personal interaction in this country, again because of how I look. I am sure many of you as Asian Americans can relate to my experiences, perhaps being stereotyped yourselves. Shocked and upset at first, not knowing why people could be so ignorant, I learned that I had to accept their mindset, make peace within myself, and move on. This adjustment was not optimal as it continued to deny the voice and recognition of Asian Americans. I asked myself, can we do better?
Over time, the increasing visibility of Asian Americans in the U.S. has allowed opportunities to enlighten our society, trying to eliminate prejudice and misconception toward the Asian American Community. NIU, too, has made efforts to educate the campus, establishing resources, such as the Division of Diversity, Equity and
Office Hours: 1 to 2 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday.
Inclusion (ADEI) and many spaces and programs, such as the Asian American Resource Center and the Asian American Studies Certificate Program. Working closely with ADEI, I am determined to enhance the quality of our experiences by reaching out to the entire NIU Community and beyond. As the fall semester continues, I would like to acknowledge the achievement of the past two AACP GAs, Vianca Ocampo (M.A. Speech Language Pathology) and Chih-I Hsiao (M.MWorld Music), two of only four students who were featured in the “Meet the Class 2024 Profile” in the Spring 2024 Graduate School Commencement. Click on the links below to view their videos. I would also like to introduce to the AACP Community Ivan Small, the new director for the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, with whom we look forward to working (see the Faculty Spotlight feature in this newsletter). I also welcome the two new GAs, Courtney Tran and Christian Paolo Eslava on board. When you see them around on campus, make sure you say hi.
Asian American Resource Center Facebook/Instagram: @AACPNIU
Jui-Ching Wang, D.M.A. coordinator.
Faculty Feature: Ivan V. Small
By Christian Paolo Eslava
The Asian American Studies Certificate Program (AACP) would like to welcome the new director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS), Ivan V. Small, Ph.D.
Small’s Vietnamese heritage and college experience visiting Vietnam sparked his interest in Southeast Asian Studies (SEAS). Despite not being able to go to Vietnam or speaking Vietnamese fluently as a child, his visits to the country during and following college, particularly a study abroad program in Saigon, solidified his interest. This, along with some years growing up in Asia including in the Philippines, motivated Small to pursue further graduate studies in international affairs and anthropology, focusing on Southeast Asian countries like Burma, Thailand and eventually Vietnam. Through his academic journey and fieldwork experiences, he has developed a deep understanding of the region and its cultures.
When asked how he started, Small replied, “I became interested in anthropology because it was a way to ground yourself in the region. With anthropology and with Southeast Asian Studies, you are expected to gain proficiency in a language, to take classes on history and to learn the culture.”
Small received his M.A. degree in international affairs at Columbia University and finished his Ph.D. in cultural anthropology and Southeast Asian Studies at Cornell University. When Small found the director position posted for NIU, he knew he had to grab the opportunity, with NIU one of the seven universities designated as a
National Resource Center for SEAS in the U.S. He expressed that, in addition to the distinction of being a SEAS depository, NIU also shows a strong commitment to build support for Asian American students.
Small commended NIU’s dedication to diversity and mentioned that it has a growing proportion of Asian American students, 6.5%, which is higher than the national average. With many cultural resource centers, growing academic programs such as AACP and productive collaborations within the NIU community, he sees opportunities for our university’s future. For example, the TEAACH Act (Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History), mandated in Illinois since January 2022, requires K-12 schools to include Asian American history and culture in the curriculum. Small sees this as a foundation for all students to learn to appreciate the contributions Asian Americans have made to U.S. society economically, culturally, socially and politically. This mandate also helps support Asian American students to take pride in their identity. He elaborated: “I think it’s really powerful when you can see your own history and communities represented. We need more people to know this [Asian American history] and we at NIU can help establish relevant curriculum and programs. For many typical students coming to college, it might be their first time to meet other Asian American students, who in turn may be revisiting their own identities.”
Small highlighted the availability of classes within the program and the fellowships for students to study Southeast Asian languages and cultures.
He encourages students to know more about CSEAS grant-funded programs. For example, “Expressions of Global Asia: Southeast Asian Americans in
Illinois” supports community projects and research related to Southeast Asian heritage in the Chicago area. These initiatives aim to make SEAS relevant to the local population and connect students to the greater Chicago community.
“It’s important to build a network of Southeast Asian scholars in the area. [By] creating more pipelines between this growing Asian American population that we have in NIU, we can expand our programs and make SEAS even more influential,” Small said.
Small proposes a “transnational Asian Studies” approach to examine the interconnectedness between SEAS and Asian American Studies. He explains that understanding Asian American history requires acknowledging the trans-Pacific nature of these experiences and the significant role of recent immigration. He draws parallels in other fields of ethnic studies such as African Studies and African American Studies. He highlights the importance of considering global connections and cultural exchanges in their shared Africana Studies approach, stating that there is not a strong separation between the two fields. He hopes to understand the Asian and Asian American experience the same way, noting that, “The connections between Southeast Asia and the U.S. are intimately involved in American history [and] imperialism. All those histories are relevant in understanding Asian American Studies.”
Small encourages students to get involved with CSEAS and the Asian American Resource Center (AARC). He also mentioned that the AACP is gaining traction and hopes that the university hires full-time Asian American Studies faculty that can help further develop the academic certificate program.
Ivan V. Small, Ph.D.
AACP Course Feature: ANTH 302: Asian American Cultures
Spring 2025 on Wednesdays, 6 to 8:40 p.m., Stevens Building, Room 173.
Ivan Small’s Asian American Cultures class is a great core course to take for the Asian American Certificate Program. This class opens the door to many learning opportunities for those wanting to understand more about Asian Americans. Topics examined in this course include the production and politics of Asian American communities and how they have navigated their identities spatially, generationally, ethnically and socioeconomically.
The Asian American Cultures course (ANTH 302) examines the historical and social dimensions
of Asian American migration and social justice as it unfolded in the United States. This course covers key highlights and challenges in Asian American history and community building dynamics. The primary focus of this course is to explore how local as well as transnational solidarity movements with other communities and across national borders resist structural invisibility, exclusion, racism and imperialism in the 20th and 21st centuries. The spring 2025 semester will also highlight Southeast Asian community formations and dialogues around legacies of war
Here’s a complete list of spring 2025 courses.
Asian American Certificate Program
Spring 2025 Course List
and refugee migration, on the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War that resulted in many Southeast Asians coming to the United States. Participation in the course includes trips to an Asian American community organization in the Chicago area, and public film screenings.
This is the first time Ivan Small will teach this signature course established by former CSEAS director and AACP advisory board member, Judy Ledgerwood. We recommend those who pursue the AACP to sign up to fulfill our core requirements.
ANTH 302 Asian American Cultures Wednesdays 6 to 8 p.m., Stevens
ANTH 407 Peoples and Culture of Southeast Asia Tuesdays/Thursdays 2 to 3:15 p.m., Stevens
ARTH 370 Studies in Asian Art Mondays/Wednesdays 9:30 to 10:45 a.m., Jack Arends Visual Arts
HDFS 384 Asian American Families Online, asynchronous
HIST 343 History of Southeast Asia Since ca. 1800 Online, asynchronous
MUHL 421 Asian American Music and Jazz 12:30 to 1:45 p.m., Music, Room 201
MUSE 321-0002 Thai Music Ensemble Tuesdays, 4 to 6 p.m., Music, Room 101
MUSE 321-0004 Korean Drumming Ensemble Thursdays, 4 to 6 p.m., Music, Room 101
MUSE 321-0007 Japanese Ensemble Wednesdays, 6:30 to 8 p.m., Music, Room 101
MUSE 370 Indonesian Gamelan Mondays, 4 to 6 p.m., Music, Room 102
MUSE 375 Chinese Music Ensemble Wednesdays, 4 to 6 p.m., Music, Room 101
SEAS 225 Southeast Asia: Crossroads of the World Tuesdays/Thursdays, 12:30 to 1:45 p.m.
Various levels of courses in Asian languages are also available: Burmese, Indonesian, Japanese, Khmer, Tagalog and Thai.
Campus Ally Feature: Hao Phan
By Christian Paolo Eslava
Inside the Founders Memorial Library is the Donn V. Hart Southeast Asia Collection. Considered one of the major Southeast Asian libraries in the U.S., and the only one in Illinois, the collection houses approximately 170,000 volumes of library materials relating to Southeast Asia (SEA). The curator behind this extensive collection is associate professor Hao Phan, M.A., MLIS.
Prior to coming to NIU, Phan was a librarian for SEA studies at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) for three years. Born and raised in Vietnam, Hao Phan holds his bachelor’s degree in American literature, his master’s degree in library science and his master’s degree in anthropology with a Southeast Asian Studies concentration. He has worked at NIU since 2006 and has enjoyed his role in supporting our SEA studies program. Phan has traveled extensively to SEA countries and is passionate about his work. He was also recently assigned as the library liaison for NIU’s Asian American Resource Center.
“I like the job here because I work with the people who appreciate what I do, share my interest and my Asian culture ... The faculty members know each other well; we also know our students. Every year I am always excited to welcome new students in SEA
studies,” said Phan.
Phan discovered the SEA librarianship only after graduating from the library school at UCLA. Leveraging his language skills and cultural background, he shifted to becoming a SEA librarian. Phan takes pride in NIU’s SEA collection in the library. He said:
“I came here because of the collection, which is one of the oldest major collections for SEA in the country. It is even older than that in UCLA, so it is treated with pride, definitely a highlight of our library.”
Phan spends most of his time in the library, but he is also a well-known poet. His poetry, mainly written in Vietnamese, ties closely with his work as a SEA curator. Phan has striven to study the entire Southeast Asia region to expand the library’s materials to the best of his abilities. One such example is the extensive Burmese manuscript collection, which is rare in the U.S. Phan encourages students to explore the SEA collection and use its vast resources. All materials are conveniently housed in one location allowing for easy access to different disciplines related to SEA countries — a unique feature of NIU. “We have one of the best SEA collections in the country, so come and look around. If you like it, just talk to me and talk to my people in the library. We are happy to help. I’ve been working here for 18 years, and I’ve never met any student who came to SEA and came back and didn’t like it. It’s like an eye-opening experience for them and after that they immediately wanted to come back,” said Phan.
In addition to the SEA collection, Phan mentioned that the library has abundant Asian American resources as well, so he encourages students to come to the library to check out the resources
he has collected for Asian American Studies. He said, “not only am I Southeast Asian, but I am also now a part of the Asian American community here.”
At the end of our interview, Phan shared that the challenges he faced as a Vietnamese refugee and immigrant to the U.S. are not unique to him. Instead, many of those are common struggles among Asian Americans as a minority. He emphasized the importance of perseverance and self-belief and encourages our Huskies to be proud, confident, persistent and to live life on our own terms. He said, “It’s important to look at who you are and your background. If you believe you’re doing good work, [then] you live life well. You should not let your life be dictated by others.”
Hao Phan, M.A., MLIS.
One example from the Burmese manuscript collection.
Student Spotlight: Sam Lee
Sam Lee Senior, psychology
Sam Lee is a Korean American at NIU currently pursuing his degree in psychology.
After Lee finishes his undergraduate degree, he plans to go to graduate school to pursue his education further in the counseling and mental health program here at NIU. Lee is also pursuing his Asian American Studies Certificate. His goal is to become a school counselor in high schools or elementary schools. With the information about Asian American cultures gained from our certificate program, he will be able to use the knowledge to better serve students from diverse backgrounds.
Seeing the diversity of many Asian American cultures in the program, Lee wants to expand his knowledge so he is not limited to the perspectives of Korean American only. Lee was raised with mostly other Korean Americans, but as he started to learn about Southeast Asian cultures, he has opened his eyes to a whole new universe. Lee claims that previously he did not understand much about the complex Southeast Asian and Southeast Asian American cultures, and what the people have gone through. He can now better recognize the differences of his own upbringing versus those who are of Southeastern descent. “Their experience versus mine is a little different but somewhat the same,”
said Lee. As he continues his studies, he hopes to fully understand the differences and similarities among the cultures.
Lee was motivated by his own high school counselor, and he aims to be that beacon of light for students. He is motivated to be that kind of resource and wants to be involved with the next generation of students, both Asian Americans and those of all descents. Lee stated that “at times, I didn’t want to be Korean when I was a child, due to bullying.” As Lee takes the knowledge that he has gained from the certificate program, he will be able to help students who have similar experiences and to promote Asian American awareness at the same time.
Before coming to NIU, Lee did not know much about the historical contexts of Asian American immigration and the challenges those immigrants faced such as prejudice, social injustice and nostalgia for their homelands, just to name a few. He stated that the Asian American Certificate Program is “great and provides amazing learning opportunities within Asian cultures and history, and their relation to the American society as a whole.” Some of the best moments are the field trips that AACP sponsored. Not only did Lee learn about the Asian American cultures, but he also saw and experienced some of it firsthand. For example, Lee traveled to Chinatown in Chicago in spring 2024 and absorbed how Chinatown evolved from a ghetto to a fancy tourist attraction. Such experiences have given Lee the opportunity to open his mind
and understand the range of other Asian cultures as well. Being able to understand the basis of other cultures gives Lee an upper hand in his future career and personal growth.
Lee’s biggest takeaway from the program is the sense of community and the feeling of belonging. He mentioned, “I just feel connected with everybody and very welcomed,” quite different from his experience in high school. “The Asian American Studies Certificate program is very open, and different people can learn more about the Asian American experiences” through a variety of courses that compliments with other degrees. Lee believes that although the U.S. society has made progress with the inclusion of Asian Americans, there is still “this stubbornness and a lot to learn today. Over time, we can create an understanding.”
Sam Lee’s advice to Asian Americans and all students is, “We are all different, no matter if we have the same skin tone or if we have the same ethnicity; as individuals we experience totally different things. We may look the same or something like that, but we are different people. It is okay to experience certain things that others have not experienced, because it’s your own life you are living.” The AACP advocates respect for each individual and mutual understanding. We hope Lee’s story inspires the Huskie community to eliminate the stubborn stereotypes and embrace the incredible diversity on our campus.
Graduate Assistant Unboxing: Courtney Tran
As a first-generation Vietnamese American, there have always been expectations from my family and society. Not surprisingly, my parents wanted me to be a doctor or a lawyer, something that would make the most money in America to eventually take care of them when they are old and to provide for the whole family. Unfortunately for them, I was not raised to this mindset.
Growing up in America is not the same experience as my parents had growing up in Vietnam. For family back in Vietnam, I am too American, but here in America, I am Asian. In most cases, that is the first thing most people notice about me. Although I do go to NIU, I didn’t grow up in Illinois. I grew up in good ol’ Arkansas and growing up in the South as an Asian is completely different than being Asian
in Illinois. I would say that in Arkansas, unless I am with my family, I am the one Cheerio in the sea of milk. Back in school, other students would ask me questions or make comments such as “Your food stinks” or “Can you even see?” This experience growing up did not necessarily make me feel ashamed, but it made me wonder why I was so different from everyone else. I was not comfortable with my culture until I reached college, but since then, I have used my culture as the foundation of my identity.
As mentioned before, I did not go to school to become a doctor or lawyer; instead, I study art. Art has always been a passion of mine and now, I can fully embrace my art with influences from my Vietnamese background. Most of my art comments on my background and the need for diversity in all aspects. I
illustrate issues and daily occurrences from being Asian American; for example, I throw Pho bowls to create sculptures of noodles to talk about how mainstream media has popularized it even though others thought it “smelled” before. And I create these visuals because they deserve to be seen and heard, just as every single Asian American out there deserves to be.
Just as a reminder, from a fellow Asian American to another, it is important to understand our family’s culture, but being Asian American is your culture too.
Check it Out — Community Connections
By Courtney Tran
In Illinois, there are always progressive movements happening. Luckily, Asian Americans are a part of that movement. There are many groups looking out for our people and are paving the way to bring in more diversity and information about Asian Americans to further expand our reach. Here are some groups to know about.
The Asian American Coalition of Chicago (AACC), founded in 1983, is one of the leading groups in Chicago with the mission of uniting Asian Americans to strengthen our communities. This coalition represents over 16 Asian American groups such as Cambodian, Indonesian and Sri Lankan, to name a few. They believe in educating and recognizing the importance of Asian Americans’ contributions to American
society. The AACC holds gala dinners, hosts AACC festivals and celebrations, and organizes conferences to provide opportunities for all Asian American groups. For the upcoming year, they are hosting their 42nd annual Lunar New Year Celebration on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. This is definitely an event worth checking out. aacchicago.org
Another honorable mention is the Asian American Chicago Network (AACN.) They are a new network that focuses on connecting people within the city. They host meetups and create the opportunity for those looking to branch out and join a community. If you are looking to have fun in the city with like-minded groups of people, then the AACN is a great place to look for any upcoming events.
Courtney Tran. First-year graduate student in art and design education.
Recommendations Educational Resources
By Courtney Tran
Recommended by Courtney Tran (AACP GA), the best place to find authentic Vietnamese food is at Tasty House 1 located in Carol Stream.
“ As someone who has moved a long way from home, it is easy to get homesick and miss readily available meals. So, it was a mission when I moved here to find a place that I could go to every time I needed a taste from home. Hands down, Tasty House 1 has the best home-cooked Vietnamese food.”
Every year, in Chinatown, Chicago, there is a summer fair. This event is iconic for its outdoor festivity with live music, food, art and vendors. They attract over 40,000 people every year. They open with a lion dance procession
Here are some resources if you are looking to expand your knowledge about Asian Americans groups and cultures.
On our very campus, at the Founders Memorial Library, we are fortunate to have the Donn V. Hart Southeast Asia Collection curated by Professor Hao Phan. This collection can be accessed at the library and found online at the NIU Libraries website. This collection includes over 170,000 volumes of information about Southeast Asia (SEA.) If you have any questions, feel free to contact or talk to Hao Phan in person at the Founders Memorial Library. Linked below is the digital library of the SEA collection. Feel free to take advantage of NIU’s resources! sea.lib.niu.edu
The Asian American Resource and Cultural Center at the University of Illinois Chicago opened in 2005 in support of the Asian American communities. The AARCC not only provides a haven for Asian American groups but also provides a list of programs that help expand knowledge on and for Asian Americans. Here is the link to reach this wonderful resource: aarcc.uic.edu.
One of the unique resources on the AARCC webpage is the AARCCorner Blog. It is a growing blog that incorporates the students’ experiences throughout the campus, events that are happening in and around the Chicagoland area, as well as information about initiatives such as the Global Garden Refugee Training Farm. Another great resource to investigate is the
to kick-start the fair weekend and it is followed by Asian performances and kung fu demonstrations.
As you can see, it is a very lively festival with endless vendors, booths and activities to try. So, if you are ever looking for something to do on a summer weekend, consider going to the Chinatown Summer Fair.
Anti-Asian Bias Tools and Resources that help provide great informational tools and resources on how to deal and cope with hate around the Asian community. This is an amazing add-on that advocates for anti-Asian biases and helps support the Asian community.
Resources such as these are here to support the growing Asian American community and to provide the necessary knowledge to better understand the culture.
Look Back at Events
Stay Connected!
If you would like to sign up for our AACP newsletter, please contact aacp@niu.edu to be added to our email list. For more information about AACP, contact Courtney Tran (ctran5@niu.edu) or Christian Paolo Eslava (ceslava1@niu.edu).
Contact us: aacp@niu.edu
Office Hours: 10 a.m. to noon, Tuesday and Friday. Facebook/Instagram: @AACPNIU
ILAS 225 Introduction to Asian American Studies class working with Linh Nguyen on “How positionality shapes equity and excellence in higher education” on April 9, 2024.
AACP coordinator Jui-Ching Wang speaking at the 20th anniversary celebration of Asian American Culture Resource Center on April 17, 2024.
ILAS 225 class learning K-pop dance with Idol Club leaders on April 18, 2024.
AACP alum Jaeden Ellasus demonstrating martial arts from Southeast Asia with Paul Wright at the Interdisciplinary Center open house on Aug. 29, 2024.
AACP staff with the founding member of AACP, Shi-Ruei Sherry Fang, at the 20th anniversary celebration of Asian American Culture Resource Center on April 17, 2024.
AACP social celebrating end of semester and May graduation on May 2, 2024.
