{{tag>people}} ~~REDIRECT>wiki:editing~~ ====== Asian Americans at Trinity ====== ===== History of Asian Students ===== There was a notable increase of Asian students from the late 1890s until the 1920s. These students mostly came from China and were partly influenced by the work of missionaries. Following the end of the [[civil_war|Civil War]] up until the end of the 19th century, many Trinity alumni became members of the clergy. Many of them served as missionaries in China, potentially influencing students’ decisions to attend the college. This increase of Chinese students during this period was also potentially influenced by [[hartford|Hartford's]] reception of Chinese students from 1872 to 1881, influenced/supported by the Chinese Educational Mission to the United States. This program was started by Yung Wing, the first Chinese graduate of Yale, and facilitated the education of students. ===== Groups on Campus ===== The history of groups on campus made by and for Asian students reaches back to the 1970s. One of the first was the Trinity Asian Organization, also called T.A.O. Though there were efforts to reorganize T.A.O. in 1980, they were quoted as being “defunct” in a 1978 edition of the //[[tripod|Trinity Tripod]]//. Reasons for its inactivity were cited to be a lack of funding from the school, poor attendance at events, and posters advertising the organization being torn down. Members of the club also called attention to internal conflicts, stating that the interests of “wealthy students from Asia” did not always match those of American-born Asian students. A.S.I.A., or Asian Students International Association, was formed in the spring of 1982. This was after T.A.O.’s disbandment, and many Asian students at the time expressed interest in wanting another Asian organization on campus. The group wanted to promote cultural awareness of Asian cultures, as well as provide a support group for Asian students. This was done through organizing an Asian Food Festival, holding lectures on topics such as Chinese poetry and pottery, and planning trips and tours of New York City’s Chinatown. Following Trinity’s hosting of the East Coast Asian Student’s Union in 1989, A.S.I.A planned to take a “more active role” on campus. One of their goals following the meeting was to establish a Big Brother/Big Sister for incoming Asian first-year students, to help them better adjust to Trinity. The group also wanted to work more in the admissions and recruitment process, hoping to diversify the Asian student population at Trinity. The Asian-American Student Association, or A.A.S.A, is the most recently formed group and has occupied the [[asian-american_student_association_aasa_house|AASA House]], located on 65 Vernon Street, since 2000. The organization is open to both Asian and non-Asian members and works to promote awareness of both Asian and Asian American identities and cultures. ===== Scholarship/Life on Campus ===== The availability of Asian studies at Trinity has changed and developed over the college’s history. Various course catalogs spanning from the 1830s to around 1900 list “Professors of Oriental Languages” and include “Oriental Languages” as special studies that students could pursue. The outdated/incorrect term was used to refer to all of Asia in a general sense, so it is difficult to reconstruct what specific languages/courses were being taught. Some catalogs do list specific languages taught under “Oriental Languages” and these tended to be Sanskrit and Hebrew. Asian Studies became officially considered as a major in the 1970s. It was proposed as a graduate studies program in 1970, but it, along with Black Studies, was not approved as major due to budgeting concerns held by the Curriculum Committee. By 1974, Asian Studies was officially approved as a major, and there was talk of developing an Asian Studies minor in 1987. However, it was not officially approved as a minor until 2003. 1990 saw the implementation of Asian Awareness Month, hosted by A.S.I.A. Spanning the month of November, the group organized exhibits and hosted various speakers. Exhibits showcased things such as Japanese art and influence in Victorian America, and lecture topics included “Exploring Asian Identity” and “Model Minority Myth.” There was also a food festival, and the month was concluded with an A.S.I.A sponsored dance held in the [[cave|Cave]]. In 2018, A.A.S.A held their first campus Summit with the East Coast Asian American Student Union (E.C.A.A.S.U.). The conference’s theme was “Stand Up: Civic Engagement and Community,” and featured workshops, presentations, as well as guest lecturers. One of the stated goals was to discuss what issues affect Asian Americans, and how Asian-Americans can be more active in their communities. A.A.S.A has also continuously hosted a Lunar New Year event since 2017. This is often the group’s biggest event of the year and features food, a dragon dance, and student performances. =====Challenges ===== Asian students have faced repeated exclusion and racism on campus. In 1980, despite being classified as minorities by the school the previous academic year, all Asian students were instead classified as international students. This changed how their financial aid was handled, as well as which office dealt with their affairs. A similar issue occurred in 1999 when President [[dobelle_evan_s|Evan Dobelle]] revealed he had voted against Asian-Americans' inclusion in Target of Opportunity. Also called T.O.P., the program was created by Trinity in an effort to increase diversity amongst faculty; originally, the positions were only open to Black and Latino applicants. Though this was expanded to include Asian Americans in 1999, their initial exclusion and Dobelle's personal vote frustrated Asian students. An Asian-American student wrote to the //Tripod// that while she did “not want to take away opportunities for Black/African-American and Latino faculty”, she was frustrated that Asian-Americans were being used to divide minority groups on campus when they should instead “stress unity”. Asian students have also expressed times they have felt hostility through forums like [[https://www.instagram.com/blackattrin/|@blackattrin]], an Instagram account created in 2020 that posts anonymous confessions that share the stories of Black and POC students and alumni. Instances recounted on the account include racism experienced at fraternities, feelings of fetishization, and microaggressions by both fellow students and professors. ---- ===== Sources ===== **History of Asian Students ** [[https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/w_books/2|Trinity College in the Twentieth Century]] (2000) by Peter and Anne Knapp, pp. 337-338. **Groups on Campus** [[https://www.trincoll.edu/asian-american-student-association-house-raising-cultural-awareness-across-campus/|Asian-American Student Association House: Raising Cultural Awareness across Campus]] [[https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/tripod/111|The Trinity Tripod]], 03/14/1989. [[https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/tripod/1217|The Trinity Tripod]], 10/05/1982. [[https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/tripod/1214|The Trinity Tripod]], 02/16/1982. [[https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/tripod/1212|The Trinity Tripod]], 01/26/1982. **Scholarship/Life on Campus** [[https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/tripod/406|The Trinity Tripod]], 03/10/2003. [[https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/reporter/326|The Trinity Reporter]], Fall 1987. [[https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/bulletin/313|Trinity College Bulletin (Catalogue Issue)]], 1974-1975. [[https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/tripod/890|The Trinity Tripod]], 12/08/1970. [[https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/w_books/4|The History of Trinity College]] (1967) by Glenn Weaver, p. 68. [[https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/bulletin/499|Catalogue of Trinity College (Officers and Students]], 1899-1900. [[https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/bulletin/450|Catalogue of Trinity College (Officers and Students]], 1875-1876. [[https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/bulletin/417|Catalogue of Washington College (Officers and Students)]], 1829-1830. [[https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/tripod/3327|The Trinity Tripod]], 10/30/2018. [[https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/tripod/3316|The Trinity Tripod]], 02/07/2017. [[https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/reporter/319|The Trinity Reporter]], Winter 1991. [[https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/tripod/134|The Trinity Tripod]], 11/13/1990. **Challenges** [[https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/tripod/322|The Trinity Tripod]], 04/20/1999. [[https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/tripod/1154|The Trinity Tripod]], 09/23/1980. ---- [<>]