To the editor:
In response to your editorial, "Diversity calls, from the East" (2/5/02), we wish to commend your recognition that the faculty/student call for more Asian American material in the Tufts curriculum is a "worthy cause." Also you are quite correct that Tufts lags far behind other institutions in not having tenure line faculty who are experts in Asian American studies. As you point out, even a small institution such as Mt. Holyoke has three such faculty. Tufts has none.
However, we strongly disagree with your characterizing the call for hiring tenure line faculty with expertise in Asian American Studies a desire for Tufts to "cater to every demographic." Tufts needs tenure line faculty with expertise in Asian American studies because all Tufts students - not simply one demographic group - need to have the opportunity to become knowledgeable about Asian America. No one would argue that we have faculty expertise in African American studies or Judaic studies because we are catering to groups. We have faculty expertise in those areas, just as we need to have it in Asian American Studies, because students preparing to be participants and leaders of the 21st century need to have access to a full - not a partial - understanding of the history, cultural productions, political realities, and race dynamics that have shaped and continue to affect the United States.
Almost every peer institution of Tufts - Columbia, Cornell, Penn, Princeton, University of Michigan, NYU, Brown, Georgetown, Williams, Emory, just to name a few - recognizes the importance of Asian American Studies. Yet Tufts continues to offer a completely inadequate education in this area. For Tufts in the year 2002 not to have even one tenure line faculty member whose area of expertise is Asian America sends a strong negative message about the value educating Tufts students in this crucially important subject matter.
We are well aware that Tufts cannot afford to do everything. The question: Where will we choose to put our money? We do not have to pit needs against each other. For example, tenure line appointments in Economics or any other field and in Asian American Studies are not mutually exclusive. Why not an economist with expertise in Asian America? Groups should not be played off against each other, but rather solutions should be found that move Tufts forward. Thanks to Tufts' curriculum, there is a lot of ignorance about Asian American studies. You title your editorial "Diversity calls, from the East." No, this is not a call from the East. It is a call from and for education - a full education - about the United States and the Americas.
Elizabeth Ammons, English department
Gary Leupp, History department
Jayanthi Mistry, Child development
Modhumita Roy, English Department
Jean Wu, American Studies
