6.05.2009

what does it mean to be asian american?

Jeff Yang's latest "Asian Pop" column is a particularly interesting piece, reflecting on the tragic passing of pioneer ethnic studies professor Ronald Takaki, and taking the opportunity to explore the broader notion of "Asian America" itself: What does it mean to be Asian American?

It's a good read, delving into the term's origins in the student activist era, and the relevance of Asian American identity today. I feel like this is a conversation that haunts a lot of Asian American studies classrooms, but the passing of a figure like Takaki is certainly an appropriate occasion to have this talk again.

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