Minors Offered
Asian Studies
Asia is the most populous region of the world and the home of the oldest continuous civilizations. This part of the world contains the newest and hottest economies and becomes more important every year. U.S. trade across the Pacific has for many years been far larger than our trade across the Atlantic. Asian nations offer different and fascinating sets of answers to universal human problems where various Asian societies have worked out their own distinctive solutions. Asia's ancient religions and beliefs are showing remarkable flexibility in adapting to changing circumstances in the modern world.
Asia has experienced four major wars in modern times. Asian immigrants constitute the fastest growing component of our population. We on the Pacific Rim will have increasing connections with Asia in lifestyle, economic ties, and political interconnections. If we are to play a role in world affairs, we must try to understand Asia. Asian Studies makes a good combination with almost any major, and it makes sense as a major part of your undergraduate education.
Asian American Studies
The minor in Asian American Studies is an interdisciplinary field that examines the cultures, histories, experiences, concerns, and contributions of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans.
It focuses on the American experience of persons from Asian countries of the Pacific Rim and the Pacific Islands, and maintains its relationship with the Asian American community and the broader society. The goals of the minor are to encourage more students to do work in the area and to prepare students in selected career paths where sensitivity to and knowledge of Asian American issues, history and artistic expression are important.