UNC SAAS Advocates for Asian American Studies and Visibility

By: Sonali Senapati | November 2023

UNC Students for Asian American Studies (SAAS) is a UNC organization that acknowledges the rich diversity within the Asian American community and advocates for fostering conversations and creating a space for Asian American students to have their voices heard.

However, UNC currently lacks a program that highlights the experiences of Asian Americans. Lack of staff and support pose significant challenges to the establishment of such a program. SAAS advocates for resources that will help push an Asian American program to the forefront of the university’s educational initiatives and priorities and has outlined three specific demands:

1. The establishment of an American studies major/minor and an Asian American program.

2. The expansion of the Asian American Center’s space, budget and staff.

3. The continuation of studies concerning Asian ethnicities.

“An impactful Asian American studies program stands against structural injustices of colonialism, U.S. imperialism, capitalist exploitation, fascism and instead chooses to defend the right to self determination, indigeneity and the liberation of all,” says UNC sophomore and SAAS president Christina Huang.

“Coming into adulthood at a time of intense activism, but also points of extreme identity-based discrimination or even violence, I find that learning about my own identity helps me understand my own social location as an Asian American woman,” said Joanna Yeh, a SAAS executive member and UNC junior, in emphasis of the importance of this initiative. “In essence, Asian American Studies at UNC is a signifier that we have a space in this institution, that we will no longer stand invisible on the sidelines, and that we are reclaiming histories that have too long been out of our control.”

Despite being a relatively new club, formed just one year ago, SAAS has made significant strides in enhancing the visibility of Asian Americans in the UNC community. They have achieved this by hosting various events and fostering discussions on Asian American issues, often in collaboration with other Asian American organizations at the university. Furthermore, SAAS successfully organized a petition urging the university to expand educational opportunities in the field of Asian American studies, which garnered over 900 signatures. As a result of this petition, the university decided to hire three faculty members with specific expertise in Asian American studies.

SAAS executive member and UNC junior Divya Aikat fears stagnancy after the recent cluster hire: “The cluster hire was a trailblazing step, and I'm so excited, but it's just that one step … I want this hire to bloom into a minor, major and program.”

For many students, this group has become a home, a safe place and an area to express themselves.

Aikat reflected on the club’s sense of community, saying, “SAAS has been such a home for me, and I hope our group continues to hold space for generations of Asian American students looking to make change.”

As for the future, the group is hopeful for further success.

Alicia Bao, a UNC sophomore and SAAS executive member, expressed her optimism, stating, “I’m looking forward to the new generations of students to continue SAAS and maintain uncompromising values throughout the process of obtaining an Asian American Studies program.”

“To me, Asian American Studies represents more than just a field of study. It revives the lived experiences of the collective groups of Asian American people whose stories deserve to be told,” said Abbey Kollu, a UNC junior and executive member of SAAS. “The retelling of Asian American history and culture serves as an act of reclaiming power over our narratives and being able to deconstruct the monolith and stereotypes of what it means to be Asian American.”