Over 100 individuals joined the conversation discussing the critical need for resources, research, and representation on campuses across the country.

Our panel of experts included:

• Joe Bae (Co-CEO of KKR and TAAF Board Member)
• Dr. Pawan Dhingra (President of The Association for Asian American Studies (AAAS) and Associate Provost & Associate Dean of the Faculty at Amherst College)
• Dr. Rowena Tomaneng (President of Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education (APAHE) and President of San Jose City College)

They provided critical takeaways:

Takeaway #1: To successfully expand AA & PI studies in higher ed, we need to position it as an important part of the core curriculum in academia. Learning AA & PI studies is essential to developing critical thinkers and historical scholars.

• As Dr. Pawan Dhingra noted, “Asian American studies matters in [all] spheres, because Asian American studies is more than just knowing about the issues of a single racial group. Asian American studies is a lens into our nation's history and priorities into how cultures connect and collide into how to organize people for social change.”

Takeaway #2: Investing in the next generation of academics and advocates ensures students will have access to instructors and mentors with shared lived experiences.

• We should focus on the pipeline of emerging AA & PI administrators, faculty, and scholars in order to bring quality AA & PI studies to higher education.

Takeaway #3: Whether you are a donor, passionate alum, or student, you have the power to start or re-energize efforts to create  change on your campus.

• Create a holistic strategy and enlist intersectional allies within faculty and administration to build long-term success.