Conference
of APA Scholars
Prominent Ethnic Studies Conference to Take Place at Oberlin Saturday
by Kari Wethington
This
weekend Oberlin will host the East of California Conference, a two-day
event that is expected to bring an estimated 200 scholars, professors,
Oberlin College alumni and students of Asian American Studies to
campus. Beginning Friday afternoon and ending late Saturday, the
weekends panels and presentations focus on the challenge of
establishing programs for Asian American Studies at institutions
in the Midwest.
EoC
is a network of 64 colleges and universities that dedicates itself
to promoting Asian American Studies. Formed at Cornell University
in 1991 and holding an annual fall conference every year since,
the group aims to institutionalize Asian American Studies, develop
research and provide support for those in the field. Made up of
students, faculty and staff, EoC is a caucus within the larger Association
for Asian American Studies, a national professional organization
for the field.
The
EoC Conference is different from many at Oberlin since this one
is geared toward and run by faculty. While all conference sessions
are open to the entire community, Friday morning is reserved for
faculty retreats focusing on issues of program building and networking.
Working with the title Locating East of California,
the conference itself begins at 1 p.m. on Friday with three sessions:
one about experiences In the Midwest Classroom, another
on The Fight for Asian American Studies at Oberlin and
the third about Researching Asian American Studies in the
Midwest.
The
conference as a whole, according to its mission, intends to reconsider
the contours and practices of Asian Pacific American communities
and scholarship east of California. California, as the historical
leader in the scholarship of Asian American Studies, is often thought
of as the center for the field of study but schools like Oberlin
are slowly beginning to challenge this notion by developing their
own related programs.
Its really neat to see a lot of these panels because
the speakers will be talking about issues related to the Midwest,
senior and Student Chair of the EoC Conference Liane Lau said. Lau
noted that the whole process of bringing a conference of such magnitude
to Oberlin was the work of the events co-chairs, Professor
of Sociology Antoinette Charforous-McDaniel and Sharon Lee of the
University of Illinois. Former Oberlin professor Moon-Ho Jung was
the third co-chair until the end of last semester, when he left
the College.
The
conference is meeting here because of the energy that professors
Charforous-McDaniel and Moon-Ho Jung displayed. This conference
is a recognition of the role Oberlin has had as a leader in Asian
American Studies. It is a great accomplishment to have such an important
conference here, Dean of College Clayton Koppes said.
Aside
from that, however, students have voiced the hope that holding the
EoC Conference in Oberlin will shed more light on the need for increased
Ethnic Studies options. This conference highlights the need
for Asian American Studies, Ethnic Studies and Comparative American
Studies at Oberlin, Lau said.
Lau
has been involved with the logistical plans of the conference since
the beginning of the semester. Student support of the conference
is obvious; 20 to 30 students have volunteered their time to help
with the planning. Most of these students are from the Asian Pacific
American community at Oberlin, though support has come from all
directions. It is very important that the East of California
Conference is coming now to Oberlin; it highlights our current struggle
for Comparative American Studies, Lau said, also noting the
boost it may give the 30-year-old campus initiative for Asian American
Studies.
Pablo
Mitchell professor of history, noted the importance the conference
could play in relation to the push for CAS at Oberlin. The
conference will be a positive force in the progression of the CAS
program, Mitchell said. As an example, look at the plenary
George Sanchez is a major figure in Chicano Studies. That
points out the interdisciplinary nature of scholarship in American
Studies. Mitchell will be a discussant and a panelist for
this weekends events. Mitchell is a Latino studies scholar
and active in the organization of the CAS program at Oberlin.
Oberlin is lucky to host this years EoC conference. Everyone
whos anyone in the field of Asian Pacific American Studies
will be here this weekend, Lau said. According to Lau, the
conferences keynote is Saturdays plenary session focusing
on Ethnic Studies and American Studies. The session runs from 3
to 5 p.m. and will bring together some of the major voices in the
Ethnic Studies movement. Yen Le Espirtu of UC-San Diego will present
on Sensuous Knowledge. Gary Y. Okihiro of Columbia University
will speak on Ethnic Studies and the Rethinking of America
and George Sánchez of the University of Southern California
will present Meeting at the Crossroads: American and Ethnic
Studies as Practice and Ideology.
The conferences full schedule can be viewed at: http://chnm.gmu.edu/eoc/confoberlin.htm.
Registration takes place on-site and is free for students and $25
for faculty, staff and community members.
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