Asian-American studies programs teach students about the lives of people whose ancestors came to the U.S. from Asian countries. Students learn about the histories and cultures of different Asian populations in the Americas. They study their similarities and differences using tools from many fields, including economics, political science, and sociology.
Are you familiar with the Wen Ho Lee case from 1999? Lee, a Taiwanese-American, was fired by Los Alamos National Laboratory where he worked as a physicist. This happened shortly after the media claimed that classified information about a nuclear weapons system had been leaked by Los Alamos to China.
For nine months, Lee was held under particularly and unusually severe conditions, including solitary confinement. The FBI accused him of mishandling information with the intention of hurting the U.S. or helping a foreign power. Later, an FBI official admitted that he had lied. Although Lee had mishandled the classified information, he had not tried to transfer it to anybody else.
Many interpretations of the events leading up to and during Lee's trial conclude that Lee was a victim of racial profiling. Racial profiling is the practice of determining whether a person is criminally suspect based only on race. And this continued practice of racism even today is one of the sources of fuel for those involved in Asian-American studies.
In this program of study, you examine the concepts of race, ethnicity, and racism, especially as they apply to Asian-Americans. You study some aspects of Asian history to better understand the challenges and issues facing Asians in America. You analyze Asian-American communities using sociology and psychology tools. You also examine literature, art, and other forms of artistic expression by Asian-Americans.
About 25 colleges and universities offer distinct programs in Asian-American studies. At several other programs, you can concentrate in Asian-American studies as part of a larger field such as ethnic studies.
You can typically earn a bachelor's, a master's, or a doctoral degree in this program. At some schools, you can earn a certificate while completing either the undergraduate or graduate curriculum for another program of study.
After high school, a bachelor's degree typically takes about four years of full-time study, and a master's degree about one to two additional years. A doctoral degree generally takes between four and five years after you earn a master's degree.