Asian/American Center News

QUEENS COLLEGE The Newsletter of the Asian/American Center Winter 2004 Celebrating the New Immigrants and Old Americans Research Project

On March 25 College and the Steven Gregory (), of Social Sciences Donald Scott. Com- larger community of Black Corona: Race and the Politics of missioner Bhojwani brought with her a joined the Asian/American Center in cele- Place in an Urban Community (Prince- letter of commendation from Mayor brating the conclusion of New Immigrants ton University Press, 1998). Michael Bloomberg, which stated, “Our and Old Americans, a comprehensive and Madhulika S. Khandelwal (Queens Col- city’s diversity is our greatest strength, groundbreaking research project under- lege, CUNY), Becoming American, and your findings prove that we can learn taken by the A/AC. The project was a Being Indian: An Immigrant Commu- from one another and come together to team study of changing relations among nity in New York City (Cornell Univer- create a stronger and better New York for established white and black Americans sity Press, 2002). all.” Joining in the celebration were fac- and new Asian and Latin American immi- Kyeyoung Park (UCLA), The Korean ulty, staff, and students, along with repre- grants in Elmhurst, Corona, and other American Dream: Immigrants and sentatives from various academic and Queens neighborhoods. Directed by Small Business in New York City (Cor- civic communities, including the Asian Roger Sanjek (Anthropology), the project nell University Press, 1997). American Federation of New York, Co- staff included sixteen postdoctoral, gradu- Milagros Ricourt (Lehman College, lumbia University, the Commission on ate, undergraduate, and community resi- CUNY) & Ruby Danta, Hispanas de Human Rights, CUNY Graduate Center, dent researchers. Funding was provided Queens: Latino Panethnicity in a New JM Kaplan Fund, the Museum of Chinese by the Ford Foundation, National Science York City Neighborhood (Cornell Uni- in the Americas, New York University, Foundation, PSC-CUNY Anthropology versity Press, 2002). Queens Council of the Arts, Queens Gen- Panel, Queens College, the Elmhurst Eco- Roger Sanjek (Queens College, CUNY), eral Assembly, Queens Public Library, nomic Development Corporation, Con The Future of Us All: Race and Neigh- and St. John’s University. Edison, the National Research Council, borhood Politics in New York City The event also attracted the New York and the Wenner-Gren Foundation. (Cornell University Press, 1998). Daily News, Queens Chronicle, and The project’s results are documented in Six of the authors participated in a CUNY Matters, as well as various Chi- six books: symposium and reception held at Queens nese, Korean, Indian, and Latino newspa- pers and TV stations. Hsiang-shui Chen (National Tsing Hua College to celebrate the project’s success. For those who are interested in under- University, Taiwan), Chinatown No Also speaking at the symposium were standing the ethnic communities in Queens More: Taiwan Immigrants in Contem- Queens Borough President Helen Mar- and want to explore the ethnic future of us porary New York (Cornell University shall, New York City Commissioner of all, the six books listed above are available Press, 1992). Immigrant Affairs Sayu Bhojwani, QC President James L. Muyskens, and Dean at the A/AC’s Research Library.

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Six authors at the celebration (l- r): Kyeyoung Park, Ruby Danta, Roger San- In addition to the authors, five other speakers addressed the audience at the celebration: jek, Madhulika Khandelwal, Milagros Ricourt, Hsiang-shui Chen. A) Helen Marshall, Queens Borough President, B) Sayu Bhojwani, NYC Commissioner of Immigrant Affairs, C) James Muyskens, Queens College President, D) Donald Scott, Dean of Social Sciences, Photos: Nancy Bareis Queens College, E) Hong Wu, Associate Director, Asian/American Center. A New Research Project In the last few decades, many neighbor- hoods in New York City, particularly in Queens, have experienced an intense and complex cultural diversity marked by a variety of ethnicities, religions, and lan- guages. Since the 1970s, among other immigrant groups, two distinct streams of South Asians have made their home in the Queens neighborhood of Rich- mond Hill: Indo-Caribbeans from coun- tries such as Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, and Jamaica, and immigrants from the Punjab region of . These new communities can be found in loca- tions distinct from the historic Rich- mond Hill: in businesses along Liberty and 101st Avenues, in scores of houses An Indo-Caribbean Hindu Temple on Liberty Avenue of worship, and in a range of cultural and social activities. A new research ini- communities. It is a rotating board with tiative will focus on the efforts of these two-year term limits so that more faculty immigrants to form local communities can participate in A/AC’s programming. Mission of A/AC with global connections, the civic and A formal meeting of board members political issues they face, and new pat- serving from 2003 to 2005 was con- The Asian/American Center is dedi- terns of leadership. ducted on September 10, at which the cated to community-oriented research board and the Center’s staff discussed that analyzes the multicultural dias- A/AC’s mission, programming, and pora experience of Asians in global A/AC’s Faculty challenges. Over the past two years, and local communities. The A/AC’s board members have made serious com- mission is to foster scholarship, Advisory Board mitments and significant contributions to disseminate information and create The A/AC established its first Faculty the A/AC and its projects. They will awareness about Asian American Advisory Board in 2001 in order to most continue their vital role as the A/AC de- issues, and serve as a liaison between effectively involve the college’s Asian velops into a stronger, unique, commu- the communities and university, faculty in its research and to solicit their nity-oriented research center that links press, and other City and national support in examining the critical issues the academic arena with the multifaceted agencies. The Center reaches out to that affect the Asian and Asian American communities we all live in. the Asian community and sponsors various programs and events.

Asian/American Center Phone: 718-997-3050 Fax: 718-997-3055 e-mail: Asian/[email protected] www.qc.edu/Asian_American_Center

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Please mention where you saw a copy Faculty Advisory Board members (l-r), front: Xiaobai Lin, Yin Mei Critchell, Premilla Nadasen, and Joyce Tang; back: of our newsletter. Thank you! Pyong Gap Min, Yunping Jiang, Yunzhong Shu, Roger Sanjek, Bette Weidman and Zhigang Xiang (not pictured: Tarry Hum and Sun Yan).

2 Symposium: Bridging Madhulika Khandelwal Participates in Communities & Scholars The Asian/American Center hosted a sympo- the Asian Pacific American History sium entitled Bridging Communities and Collective (APAHC) Meetings Scholars on February 25 at Queens College. How to best link scholarly research in Asian In August 2003 A/AC Director Madhulika Khandelwal participated in the American studies to its relevant communities twin meetings of the Asian Pacific American History Collective (APAHC) is an issue that has been heatedly debated by held at Seattle and Vancouver, BC. Scholars of Asian Pacific American his- scholars and community activists in recent tory from a wide range of universities in the and Canada dis- years. As we are all aware, the college has cussed their research perspectives, shared teaching experiences, and met many faculty whose work is related to Asian with a number of local community documentation project leaders. American studies, but this impressive body of The APAHC aims to create and share teaching resources among schol- research is often known only within the re- ars, educational institutions, and the larger public. Evolving out of the His- searcher’s own department. The symposium tory Caucus meetings of the Association for Asian American Studies provided a platform for faculty from various (AAAS) between 1998 and 2001, the APAHC addresses gaps and in- disciplines to share each other’s work reflect- equities in the distribution of educational resources concerning Asian ing their common academic interests, and also Americans and Pacific Islanders. The Collective’s goal is to produce a new to bring together a diverse group of Asian understanding of Asian Pacific American history that will remain open to American community leaders to join our fac- new interpretations ulty and students in discussing various aspects and emerging histo- of Asian American communities. ries. After organizing QC President James Muyskens and Tina a series of focused Lee, Special Assistant to the President from workshops in differ- the World Journal, greeted our colleagues and ent locations, the friends. We were honored to have New York APAHC will shift its City Council Member John Liu, the first efforts toward the Asian American legislator in the City, as the creation of web- symposium’s keynote speaker. Councilman based and print Liu gave his point of view as an active com- resources. munity leader, addressing the history of Asian Dr. Madhulika Khandelwal (r), Director of the Asian/American American studies and the importance of pub- Center, makes a presentation on teaching Asian Pacific American history. At left, Prof. Linda Vo of UC-Irvine. lic service. Dr. Tarry Hum (Urban Studies) presented her research on community economic devel- opment, , and neighborhood planning. Dr. Pyong Gap Min (Sociology) discussed ethnic and racial identities among second-generation , including the social construction perspective of identity issues. Ms. Eun Joo Kim, an English Ministry Pastor at the Yale Korean Presbyterian Church in Bayside, vividly described her experience as an immigrant child, and offered a presenta-

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Some participating scholars at the University of Vancouver, BC campus (l-r): Henry Yu (UCLA), APAHC Co-Coordinator; Sucheta Mazumdar (Duke University); Shirley Hune (UCLA); Gail M. Nomura (University of Washington-Seattle); Richard Kim (UC-Davis); Anthony Chan (University of Washington-Seattle); Linda Maram (Cal State-Long Beach); Madhulika Khandelwal (Queens College, CUNY); and, in front, Midge Ayukawa, a Japanese Canadian community scholar. City Council member John Liu addressing the symposium.

3 tion on the Korean American commu- delwal in Fall 2002. This class tackled nity’s struggle and sacrifices to build a all the questions I had about the feed- better life for their families in the United back I received growing up, either in or States. Dr. Dais Akiba, a new member of out of school, because I am American- the Division of Education, talked about born with Guyanese parents. Many do his research on parental involvement not know that Guyana is in South with children’s education in a Cambo- America, and is not located anywhere dian community in Providence, Rhode near India, although our skin tones are Island, where Cambodians represent the similar. This class covered India’s his- largest Asian group. Dr. Joyce Tang (So- tory, and how later, under British rule, ciology) shared the research that went the South Asian diaspora began. With into her book Doing Engineering: The the study of Professor Khandelwal’s Career Attainment and Mobility of Cau- newly published book, Becoming Amer- casian, Black, and Asian American En- Saleema Khan, presenting her paper to the class. ican, Being Indian: An Immigrant Com- gineers. Mr. Tito Sinha, an attorney and munity in New York City, supplemented community activist, offered his view on part time with the Flushing YWCA for by field visits around Queens neighbor- “Academia in the Service of the Com- over two years, contributing to both the hoods, videos, and lectures, we focused munity,” which beautifully captured the Youth Center and Early Childhood Edu- on South Asian communities around the theme of the symposium. cation Center. Through the YWCA, I world. We examined the diaspora’s rea- This event attracted many of the col- have gained much experience in work- sons for immigration, survival and lege’s faculty as well as members of the ing with the community by conducting change in culture, religions, family, gen- various Asian ethnic communities workshops for teenagers, mentoring and der, generations, and various organiza- tutoring individuals, supervising and tions within the diaspora. teaching in after-school programs, etc. This interesting class concluded by Student Voices My years at Queens College have truly having all the students contribute to a been the best, as the knowledge and ex- panel discussion of their research pa- by Saleema Khan perience gained from my academic pers, examining the various Asian com- I am a Queens College undergraduate studies, work, and social relations have munities in Queens. In all, I strongly student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in prepared me for the “real world.” feel that this class enabled me to better Elementary Education and Anthropol- One of the most rewarding courses answer questions about my own identity ogy, with a minor in Urban Studies. I I’ve taken at Queens College was one and provided a great deal of knowledge will be graduating in December 2003, offered by the Urban Studies Depart- about my ancestry and the interconnect- with the intention of becoming an ele- ment, entitled “South Asian Diaspora,” edness of South Asian communities, as mentary school teacher. I have worked taught by Professor Madhulika Khan- well as Asian populations overall.

QUEENS COLLEGE NON-PROFIT ORG. ASIAN/AMERICAN CENTER U. S. POSTAGE 65-30 KISSENA BOULEVARD PAID FLUSHING, NY 11367-1597 FLUSHING, NY PERMIT NO. 48