At UC Santa Barbara, specific Asian ethnic courses (Filipino, South Asian, Vietnamese, Southeast Asian, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese Americans) are only offered every other year. Occasionally, these courses also canceled for an entire academic year. Many Asian American students look forward to taking these courses through their undergraduate degree, but are unable to take these courses due to cancellation or their occasional offerings. 

Specific Asian ethnic courses give students the opportunity to expand on their understanding of the individual countries in Asia, breaking through cultural stereotypes of "Asians". Some stereotypes include the assumption that all Asians are of Chinese descent, solely foreigners or international, or only part of the East Asian background. These courses also give all students the exposure to learning about a specific Asian ethnic community that varies from other Asian ethnic countries. Furthermore, students who identify closely with the Asian ethnic course can deeply explore their own cultural background, the traditions developed in their culture, and how that affects their experience as Asian-Americans. 

It is evident that UC Santa Barbara administration does not prioritize these courses. However, it is important that we advocate as a voice for those who will be lacking a course and representation for their own Asian-American ethnic experience. It advocates for the thorough scope of education on Asian American studies. We demand a higher support for these specific Asian ethnic courses and we hope you can stand in solidarity with us!

We are asking you to sign this petition in support of increasing the availability of specific Asian ethnic courses at UC Santa Barbara. These include increasing the courses for the following classes:

AS AM 100AA. Chinese Americans

AS AM 100BB. Japanese Americans

AS AM 100CC. Filipino Americans

AS AM 100DD. Korean Americans

AS AM 100EE. Vietnamese Americans

AS AM 100FF. South Asian Americans

AS AM 100HH. Southeast Asian Americans

A Senior at UCSB stated the following: “As a senior, I was looking forward to enrolling in AS AM 100EE: Vietnamese Americans to learn more about my cultural history in an academic environment. However, this course was cancelled, after only being offered every other year. In the future, I believe this course and other specific courses should be available every year to allow students at UCSB to learn about individual cultures as well as enhance the understanding of their own.”

Thank you for your support.

Picture Source: https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/vietnam-background-design_1053279.htm