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 Queens College and the Steven Gregory (Columbia University), of Social Sciences Donald Scott. Com- larger community of New York City 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. A B C D E 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 India. 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 Subscribe to A/AC News. For a free subscription, send your name and address to Asian/American Center, Queens College, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY 11367. 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 United States 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