Change Does Not Occur Overnight

Daisy Rodriguez Pitel, December 6, 1999

• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Student Activism at Indiana University
• The Asian American Student
• The ACC Today
• Implications for the future
• Timeline of Critical Events that Led to the Creation of the ACC
• References

Introduction

As we near the final years of the twentieth century and bring closure to a time filled with social, political, and cultural progression, one may wonder how much change has in fact occurred. Looking at the rise of colleges and universities, Clark Kerr describes institutions as the “multiversity”, a system that has expanded dramatically, in terms of scope, size, and purpose (1995). The college student population has also witnessed a significant change in who attends college- students are increasingly more diverse. Nowadays, individuals represent an array of backgrounds- religious, racial/ethnic, age, abilities, sexual orientations, gender, nationality, and so forth.

Due to the influx of a more diversified college student population in the United States, higher education institutions need to continually examine the type of academic programs, administrative support, and university services available to all students on their respective campuses. As noted by the Long Range Planning Committee of the Bloomington Faculty Council, “A hallmark of a great university is a capacity to adapt and respond to changing societal needs and expectations…we are obligated to critically examine all our activities to be certain they are appropriate for the public university of the 21^st century…this includes being open to the prospect that our current conceptions of productivity in teaching, research, and service activities may need to change (1996).” Likewise, the shaping of higher education is also influenced by the presence of those students attending college.

At Indiana University, a predominantly white institution in the Midwest, faces the challenge of meeting the needs of the university’s changing demography. According to the Bloomington Faculty Council, “students today are more diverse in virtually every way from previous cohorts with respect to age, race and ethnicity, and preparation for university-level work (1996).” One would argue that the Bloomington campus provides a sufficient number of minority support services that assist with student transition, development, and subsistence. Offices such as the African American Culture Center, La Casa (Latino Cultural Center), Minority Achievers Program, Phase, and former advocacy dean positions work to provide supportive climates for minority students. These services only serve a limited ethnic minority population, primarily catering to the needs of African American, Latino, and American Indian. Thus, excluding support services for Asian American students.

In the late 80s, two members of the Asian American Student Association wondered why a center for Asian American students did not exist. The question of a facility focusing on Asian American issues lingered year to year until 1996 when the newly formed Student Coalition aggressively pursued the initiative to establish a cultural center and advocacy dean for Asian Americans, amongst other demands. After almost a decade of discussion, Indiana University witnessed a historic day for the Bloomington campus. As a result of persistent student activism, collective leadership, and an impassioned desire for necessary institutional change, the Asian Culture Center became a living reality, opening its doors to students, faculty, staff, and the Bloomington community on October 3, 1998. Change definitely does not occur overnight and in the case of the Asian Culture Center, ten years of continual student pressure and activism led to the establishment of this cultural center.

Student Activism at Indiana University

In 1987, the Asian American Student Association, later changed to the Asian American Association (Triple A) in the early 90s, was the first organization at Indiana University to focus on the needs, concerns, issues, and culture of Asian people. This student organization was founded to strengthen the unity amongst the Asian and Asian American student population. Their mission embraces social, cultural, and political issues that bring forth a greater awareness of the Asian and Asian American experience. Since its inception, the organization’s purpose has expanded, functioning largely by the following philosophy:

1. To instill and maintain a spirit of community among Asians here at Indiana University.
2. To promote Asian cultures and encourage understanding between Asians and peoples of other ethnic origins.
3. To enhance campus awareness of Asian American issues such as stereotyping, discrimination, and exploitation.
4. To sponsor both social and cultural activities including cultural coffee hours, guest speakers, pot-luck dinners, discussion panels, intramural sports, semi-formal dances, movies, and the Asian American Heritage Month.

Depending on the leadership of the executive board, the productivity and activity of the Asian American Association varied from year to year. During 1994-1996, Indiana University witnessed a pioneering of cultural activities that not only provided education, but entertainment to the campus on Asian and Asian American issues. Asian American Heritage Month and A Taste of Asia, two new programs launched during this time, have become well-attended and popular traditions of the Asian American Association. Ellen Wu, publicity member in 1994, recalls IU’s pioneer Asian American Heritage month as a month that “began, lasted, and ended with a bang, not a whimper (1994).” The Asian American Association continued to break new ground and would later play a significant role in establishing the first Asian Culture Center in the Midwest.

The Asian American Association did not stand alone in their focus to address the needs of Asian American students on campus. Within the Indiana University Student Association (IUSA), an advocacy committee for Asian American Affairs existed in the early 90s to promote cultural awareness and support for Asian and Asian American students. Phil Nguyen served as the chair of this committee and in a memo to Sandy, the IUSA Advocacy Chair, he stated, “The biggest thing Asian Americans need is more exposure!” (IU Archives, 1991)

Mona Wu, a student leader in the early 90s, would agree that Asian Americans need greater exposure and an administrator who will represent their voice. Wu organized a committee to request that the university establish an advocacy dean for Asian American students and subsequently, authored a proposal outlining the rationale and benefits of developing an Asian American Advocacy Dean position. Wu writes, “This proposal was written in response to the growing concerns and needs to the Indiana University community in addressing Asian American issues (1991).” Wu lead this initiative because she believed that the Asian American students needed someone in the administration to not only represent their needs as an advocate for Asian Americans but hoped for an individual who would provide guidance and support during their tenure at college (1991). For example, she envisioned the dean being someone who would help ease the discomfort of racial discrimination.

Wu’s initiative received support from the Indiana University Student Association and the Asian American Student Association. Professor Eoyang, adviser of the Asian American Student Association, believes that the Asian population has been “neglected”. He echoes the sentiments of Nguyen, “I think there needs to be an Asian American presence on this campus (1990).” Unfortunately, according to Chancellor Gros Louis, the initiative did not receive a favorable response from the appropriate Bloomington Faculty Council committee and thus was never discussed or voted on at a Faculty Council meeting (personal communication, 1999). In spite of the council’s rejection of the idea, the proposal for an advocacy dean would re-surface in five years.

In addition to Wu’s attempt to create an advocacy dean position, Nguyen voiced a number of ways to address the Asian American educational experience at IU. He recommended that IUSA sponsor programs educating the campus community on Asian culture and noted the importance of increasing personal awareness for Asian Americans. He suggested a variety of activities, such as, an Asian American speaker, an Asian Unity program, a newsletter, and sponsoring a few students to attend an Asian American mid-west conference. Nguyen (1991) authored an Asian American agenda that outlined the need for administrative support and university support services for Asian Americans, described the existence of Asian American awareness and discrimination, and suggested solutions that the university could implement. Amongst the five recommendations listed, the final suggestion advocated for the university to provide an Asian American Cultural Center. Nguyen rhetorically questioned, “The Blacks and Latinos have one, why not us?”

Nguyen raises an interesting point about the absence of a cultural center that services the Asian American student population at Indiana University. “On the Bloomington campus, its historic commitment to diversity is reflected in the advocacy offices, headed by deans, which have served certain minority constituencies within the student body for many years (Eoyang, 1991).” Oddly this commitment for creating a supportive climate that embraces diversity and its minority student body, and at the same time, neglects the needs of its Asian American students. During the early 70s, both a Latino Cultural Center and African American Center were established and nearly twenty-five years later, Indiana University establishes an Asian Culture Center. The inspiration, motivation, and perseverance of countless student leaders influenced the administration to finally embrace the idea of adding a third culture center to the Bloomington campus. Without the pressure of student activism, the yellow house on tenth street could still be a vacant university building.

Rhoads (1998) defines student activism as an “example of a plurality of voices struggling to be heard.” This definition effectively describes a student movement spearheaded by the Student Coalition at Indiana University. The coalition, a plurality of voices from a number of student groups, fought to increase campus wide cultural diversity and subsequently, provided a stronger outlet for the voices of the Asian American student leaders who advocated for a dean position and culture center. According to Chancellor Gros Louis of Indiana University-Bloomington, “The Student Coalition focused not only on the Center [Asian Culture Center], but on the Latino Studies Program, more support for the Gay-Lesbian-Bisexual Center, the making of Martin Luther King Day as a university holiday, and other issues relating to students and faculty of color (personal communication, December 3, 1999).” The most powerful quality of the student coalition is their unified efforts to address a series of issues.

For Asian American student leaders involved with the Student Coalition, the collective unity of student leaders from the Black Student Union, Latinos Unidos, IUSA (Indiana University Student Association), OUT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered student organization, and griot (a politically conscious organization) served as a tremendous force for advancing their needs and concerns. Khai Truong, former member of the Student Coalition and active student leader in numerous Asian-based organizations, believed that without the force of the student coalition, the establishment of an Asian Culture Center would not have been possible (personal communication, December 2, 1999). Chancellor Gros Louis concurred, “Without the students [student coalition] push, I’m not sure the Center would be in existence (personal communication, December 3, 1999).”

The Asian Student Union (ASU), another Asian-based student organization, played a key role in administering the details of the project once the funds for the Asian Culture Center were secured. In 1997, Vikram Jayakumar, a member of the ASU, became the Asian Culture Center Public Relations Chair and was fundamental in helping promote the awareness of the ACC. This role led to Jayakumar’s position as ASU Chair. ASU was responsible for devising the pragmatic details associated with implementing the center: developing a budget, finding a location for the center, creating criteria to hire a director, building awareness, and increasing involvement with the administration. Jayakumar said the committee met once a week and then, presented a powerpoint presentation to a host of administrators from select departments (personal communication, November 12, 1999).”

The Asian American Student

Historically, Asian American college students have gained a reputation for being the least vocal, least politically active, and least visible participants campus activities. This image of the Asian minority as a silent participant in higher education has slowly changed on the Bloomington campus. During the past decade, Indiana University has witnessed the evolution of Asian American student leadership. Since the early 90s, Asian Americans begin to vocalize their need for inclusion in the university. Tuan notes that “since the Civil Rights movement, racial groups have increasingly demanded recognition of their place in American history (1998).” As with the Civil Rights Movement, Asian students begin to make demands regarding their place on the Bloomington campus.

Table of Enrollment Figures 1991-1998

The Asian American student population comprises 2.5% of the total Bloomington enrollment. Since 1991, a steady rise in Asian American enrollment is shown.

Ultimately, the Asian American student is viewed as the “model minority”, the “super-bright, highly motivated overachievers (Suzuki, 1989)”. In terms of their participation as college students, many perceive Asian students as studious and less engaged in campus activities. “To make matters worse, because of the model minority image, little attention is paid to Asian-American students in the form of student personnel and other support services which can help them become better college students” (Tan, 1994). Prior to the inception of the Asian Culture Center, specific minority services for Asian Americans did not exist on the Bloomington campus.

The ACC Today

As students envisioned, the Asian Culture Center serves as a home to many people. The center also offers institutional resources, educational support, and community outreach activities to students, faculty, staff, and the Bloomington community. Within the center, a variety of facilities are available for community use: library, audio/visual room, and computer lab. The ACC also attracts usage by the 19 Asian student organizations on the Bloomington campus. Student leaders utilize the center for programs, meetings, and often, take advantage of the knowledge and resources of the center staff.

Implications for the future

The Asian Culture Center represents the collection of students’ dreams to establish a place of their own. Shawn Chen, a graduate assistant at the ACC, believes the center is “One of the most wonderful resources to come to campus (personal communication, December 3, 1999).” Jayakumar reminds students of our history and the necessity of looking forward with the lenses of our past. “Nothing should ever be taken for granted. Not our resources, our facility, our volunteers, our relations with the administration, and most of all our history (personal communication, November 12, 1999).”

The rise of student activism from 1989-1998 served as an empowering step forward for the Asian American student community.

As for the future of the ACC, Dean Rogers of International Programs and Services hopes to foster a closer working relationship between his office and the Asian Culture Center. He adds, “Since resources are limited, there’s a definite need to cooperate and collaborate. Together we can achieve bigger and better things (personal communication, December 3, 1999)!”

Timeline of Critical Events that Led to the Creation of the Asian Culture Center