The Asian American Curriculum Transformation (AACT) group has recently decided to take off the gloves in its demands for the addition of more Asian American faculty and coursework at Tufts. A dialogue that was once confined to the plush offices of Ballou has now been expanded to the rain-soaked academic quad, where vocal protesters showed their mettle and made their demands clear to the entire campus in the middle of the day at a protest last week.
The addition of more Asian American faculty and courses is essential at a university that prides itself on viewing issues in a global context; however, in order for AACT to be successful, it must broaden its appeal and seek to work with Jumbos of all stripes who want to see a culturally inclusive curriculum on the Hill.
Many Asian Americans on campus would greatly benefit from the addition of more Asian American courses and faculty. On a descriptive level, an increase in faculty would provide the Jumbo Asian communities with positive role models and culturally relevant mentors. Coursework that speaks to the background and current status of different Asian American cultures will help many from these cultures to be further engaged and informed on a particularly personal level. Most importantly, an increased investment in Asian American studies will change the perception among many in the various communities on campus that their particular culture is undervalued by Tufts.
It is just as important, however, to remember that the addition of more Asian American studies (as well as other ethnic studies) will benefit students of all ethnic and cultural groups. For instance, an aspiring political scientist may desire a great deal of knowledge about the rapidly growing and changing nations of the Asian continent; right now, our curriculum fails to serve that need. Many students in all disciplines at Tufts are interested in learning about cultures other than their own during their time here.
Students who want to add more Asian American studies to the academic plate therefore need to broaden their appeal to include groups throughout the student body. While it is important to know that a great desire exists amongst Asian American communities to add more courses and faculty, those active in AACT shouldn't forget that this desire is not limited to Asian American groups.
A broader appeal will be very difficult for Ballou to ignore: AACT's (formidable task) now should be to turn up the volume of its demands by adding more voices to the cry for Asian American studies. The impact of the addition of more courses and faculty will be broadly felt on campus and so the demand for such changes should be broadly based. This is an issue that all Jumbos can roar about.
