AASC | Asian American Studies Center Skip to main content Seeing Our Lives Sharing Our Stories Shaping Our Futures A Message from Acting Director Natalie Masuoka I offer this message currently serving as the Acting Director while Professor Karen Umemoto is on her research sabbatical. We wish Professor Umemoto a productive leave and I look forward to working with the Center's amazing group of dedicated Center staff through the end of the calendar year. The Center's mission to foster and promote research on Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in today's tenuous times is one that I commit to continue as Acting Director. I began my term just days before the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the Trump v Barbara case and the application of birthright citizenship for Americans on April 1st. The established precedent on birthright citizenship was decided in the landmark U.S. v Wong Kim Ark in 1898 which upheld that Wong Kim Ark was a citizen of the United States by nature of his birth on American soil. This case makes plain the trailblazing efforts of many Asian Americans who used the legal system to advocate for their rights during a time when they were formally excluded from most other established areas of representation. But as I listened to the Supreme Court Justices's deliberations and the oral arguments for the Barbara case as they discussed the Wong Kim Ark case, I reflected on how important of a role Asian American Studies has played in not only documenting but also contextualizing the politics surrounding Chinese immigration in the nineteenth century so that we can better understand the similarities and differences between immigration politics then compared to now. Legal scholars, historians and other scholars today can build upon the longstanding work of Asian American Studies as they wade through the arguments of Barbara and the historical development of birthright citizenship and immigration policy. While we do not yet know what the Court's decision will be, we do know that the knowledge developed in Asian American Studies help us to make better sense of how historical events connect with the issues of today. The lessons learned from the Wong Kim Ark case show how important it is that we continue to support the teaching and research in Ethnic Studies. This Spring, we will be hosting several exciting events. Please find more details below. We hope that you can join us for the celebration and official release of the Foundations and Future Asian American and Pacific Islander Multimedia Textbook on May 9th. In solidarity, Natalie Masuoka Acting Director Professor of Political Science and Asian American Studies Collective Memories: Oral Histories of Asian American Studies Founders All Rights Reserved. © UCLA Asian American Studies Center, Los Angeles, California Remembering Alan Nishio (1945-2023) Alan Nishio was an exemplar of activism and service who profoundly influenced generations of students, community organizations and educational institutions. Alan was interviewed as part of the UCLA Collective Memories project. To learn more about him, please view his oral history interview conducted on October 30, 2018. Project Spotlights Policy Reports and Publications SA I GU Project AASC Textbook AASC 50th Anniversary - Collective Memories Center for Immigration and Community Reports and Publications Moth Sutra: For Bicycle Delivery Men, New York City MOTH SUTRA is a graphic portfolio of interlinked poems and illustrations about an Asian delivery man who rides a bicycle throughout Manhattan as he cycles through his life from the East to the West—past, present, and future. Student Research Brief Series Benefits and Challenges of Language Access in Voting: Analyzing Testimonies From Asian American Voters in Los Angeles County Authors: Natalie Masuoka, Sukhmani Bhangal, Daniel Candia and Alexander Sembiring, in partnership with Center for Asian Americans United for Self-Empowerment (CAUSE) (Re)Generations 2025 CrossCurrents, Newsmagazine of the UCLA Asian American Studies Center, Bridging Research and Community Since 1969 Asian ICE Arrests, Detentions and Removals Data & Research Brief Series Updates By Paul Ong, Jonathan Ong, Melany De La Cruz-Viesca, and Cindy Quach Asian ICE Removals By Paul Ong and Jonathan Ong ICE Detention of Asians: Increased Numbers and Hardships Under Trump By Paul Ong and Jonathan Ong Special Election November 2025: Redistricting and the Consequences for Asian American Voters By Natalie Masuoka New Research Brief: ICE Arrests of Asians Tripled from 2024 to 2025 UCLA study traces how the surge of ICE arrests have affected Asians By Jonathan Ong and Paul Ong Intersections: A Journalistic History of Asian Pacific America Editors: Amy Wang, Lori Matsukawa, Naomi Tacuyan Underwood, Arnold Pan, Yi-Shen Loo, Leszel Tanglao Asian American Language Needs in L.A. Wildfires Paul Ong, Chhandara Pech, Jonathan Ong, Melany De La Cruz-Viesca, Silvia R. Gonzlez, and Bryzen Enzo Morales Asian American Voter Access in L.A. County In-Language Ballot Use, Voter Experiences and Effectiveness of Voter Outreach Asian American, Latino, Black and White Voters in Los Angeles City Elections Racial Diversity and Representation in 2020 and 2022 Natalie Masuoka & Nathan Chan By the Shore of Lake Michigan A translation of WWII-era Japanese concentration camp poetry, recovers the lost voices of Japanese immigrants SA I GU Korean & Asian American Journalists Writing Truth to Power Edited by Russell C. Leong, Karen Umemoto, & Soo Mee Kim, with Vince Leus Events November 6, 2025 Bruce Lee and Cultures of Solidarity: Lessons for Today UCLA Fowler A103B Book Talk by author Jeff Chang for Water Mirror Echo Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America, followed by a panel with guest speakers, H. Samy Alim, Martha Gonzalez, and Gaye Theresa Johnson. Thursday, November 6, 2025, 3:30-6:00pm Learn More June 28, 2025 Preserving Our Histories and the Freedom to Tell Our Stories UCLA School of Law We invite you to an exclusive author event and preview of the UCLA Asian American Studies Center's Foundations and Futures: Asian American and Pacific Islander Multimedia Textbook. Join us as journalist, author, and Emmy-award-winning filmmaker Julie Ha reflects on her experience retelling this monumental story, explores the importance of preserving historical narratives across communities, and unveils, for the first time, her textbook chapter, Free Chol Soo Lee: How a Lone Death Row Inmate Sparked a Movement. This is the second in a series of Foundations and Futures' chapter preview events. Saturday, June 28, 2025, 2:00-4:00pm Learn More May 29, 2025 An Asian American Writer's Notebook: Past, Present, and Future Tense UCLA The Harry & Yvonne Lenart Auditorium Join us for the David Nishida and Tina Yamano Nishida Distinguished Lecture and Panel featuring keynote speaker Helen Zia, activist, journalist and author, who will be in conversation with Julie Ha, journalist & co-director of the "Free Chol Soo Lee" documentary and Amber Phung, journalist with Pacific Ties newsmagazine. Join us for an insightful discussion at this in-person event that will engage thought leaders and audience members. It will be an enriching experience! Thursday, May 29, 2025, 6:00-8:00pm Learn More 2024 Asian American & Pacific Islander Policy Summit "Moving from Collective Knowledge to Action" DATE: Friday, March 8, 2024 UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center 425 Westwood Plaza | Los Angeles, CA 90095 Registration is required. Please register here. View the 2024 AAPI Policy Summit Program, Schedule, and more information here. The "2024 AAPI Policy Summit: Moving from Collective Knowledge to Action," builds upon the 2023 Summit that focused on reimagining California by developing solutions that establish more equitable institutions, policies, and systems that work toward social justice for all. In particular, a future inclusive of Asian American and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander communities. We invite you to join us as we continue to weave together our collective knowledge and build a future where action, power, representation and care lead to enduring impact. The Summit is made possible in part by the Asian and Pacific Islander Equity Budget, which was a result of a statewide coalition of 116 community-based organizations and the California Asian American & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus who advocated for these funds to support the critical work in developing equity, safety, and unity for California's diverse AAPI communities. This event is co-organized by UCLA Asian American Studies Center, CA AAPI Legislative Caucus, and Commission on Asian & Pacific Islander American Affairs. View the Policy Summit from February 10, 2023 here! What's News Welcome Pacific Islander Center for Student Excellence Director Dr. Natasha Saelua Remembering Florante Peter Ibañez (1951-2025) Chungmi Kim Literary Fund established at the UCLA Asian American Studies Center in support of Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander women's literature, in honor of Kim's late husband, Sung M. Lee Keeping Culture Alive: Cantonese Arts and Culture Endowment established at UCLA Remembering Bob Nakamura (1936-2025) "Godfather of Asian American Media" Continuing Lecturer Lily Anne Welty Tamai Awarded 2024-2025 Hoshide Distinguished Teaching Prize in Asian American Studies at UCLA Remembering K.W. Lee, "Godfather of Asian American Journalism" and Champion of the Underdog (1928-2025) Remembering Dr. Keith Terasaki (1956 - 2024) Professor Lisa Uperesa Appointed to Morgan and Helen Chu Endowed Chair in Asian American Studies Alumni Helen and Morgan Chu pledge $10 million to benefit UCLA Institute of American Cultures UCLA Professor Kyeyoung Park Appointed to Korea Times-Hankook Ilbo Endowed Chair in Korean American Studies Please join us at a special reception honoring Kyeyoung Park on Tuesday, May 30, 6-8pm PST, UCLA James West Alumni Center, Founders Room Announcing Amy Uyematsu Papers at UCLA The UCLA Asian American Studies Center is proud to announce the recent donation of papers from UCLA alumnus, math teacher, and American poet Amy Uyematsu.