CUNY DIGITAL HISTORY ARCHIVE

This article in the Hunter Envoy from April 2008 covers Dean Shirley Scott's response to claims made by the Coalition for the Revitalization of Asian American Studies at Hunter (CRAASH) about the lack of financial support from the Hunter administration for the Asian American Studies Program (AASP). Scott cited the program's success in order to disprove the claims and further used the AASP's status as an interdisciplinary program, rather than a free-standing department, to justify the administration's lack of investment. CRAASH insisted that the program's success was a result of efforts by AASP students, faculty, and acting director Jennifer Hayashida, and not the Hunter administration, and also refused Scott's use of the program's status as justification for its present condition.

The Hunter College Asian American Studies Program (AASP) was established in 1993. As the only academic program in Asian American studies in the CUNY system, the AASP offers a minor in Asian American Studies and other resources and programming. The AASP supports scholars, artists, and activists advancing scholarship in the fields of Asian American studies and critical ethnic studies and serves as a resource for New York City's Asian American communities. In 2006, the program was at risk of being cut due to a lack of funding. Students formed the Coalition for the Revitalization of Asian American Studies at Hunter (CRAASH) and saved the program within a year. CRAASH is now a student-run club that continues to advocate for the AASP.