UC Davis Asian American Studies

UC Davis Asian American Studies UC Davis Asian American Studies Department (ASA)

The Department of Asian American Studies at UC Davis examines the experiences of various Asian American groups in the United States. Pertinent to these experiences are the historical, cultural, legal, political, social-psychological, class, and gender contexts for Asian Americans.

A huge congratulations to everyone on such a successful end-of-the-year Asian American Studies Banquet! 🎉We are so proud...
05/22/2026

A huge congratulations to everyone on such a successful end-of-the-year Asian American Studies Banquet! 🎉

We are so proud of our graduating seniors, majors, and minors, and we also want to congratulate all of our award recipients for their incredible accomplishments. Thank you to our amazing faculty and especially our wonderful staff for all of the hard work, care, and support that made this event possible.

Good luck on finals, and we look forward to seeing those continuing with us in the fall! 🍂

If you are interested in taking an Asian American Studies class, majoring, or minoring in ASA, please do not hesitate to reach out to our academic advisor, Joe Nguyen ([email protected]). We would be happy to talk more with you and share more about our amazing program and community. đź’›

Our Path Forward: A Community Circle for Undocumented Asian and Pacific Islander Students and their Allies 🌿🗓 Tuesday, M...
05/12/2026

Our Path Forward: A Community Circle for Undocumented Asian and Pacific Islander Students and their Allies 🌿

đź—“ Tuesday, May 26
⏰ 5PM–6PM
đź’» Zoom
đź“Ś RSVP through the link or QR code on the flyer to receive the Zoom link.

This virtual community circle is a space for undocumented Asian and Pacific Islander students, along with friends, staff, faculty, and allies, to come together in conversation, support, and community. As immigration policies continue to shift and impact students in different ways, this event aims to create a space rooted in care, safety, mentorship, and solidarity.

Facilitated by Dr. Ga Young Chung, the conversation will feature Daniela D. Telles, Director of the Undocumented Student Resource Center, and community advocate Keziah Aurin. Together, they will discuss current immigration policy changes and their impacts on Asian and Pacific Islander communities, followed by an open community discussion for participants to share stories, concerns, and questions.

Participants are welcome to keep cameras off and use a pseudonym if preferred. Questions? Contact: [email protected]

Accessibility Caption / Image Description:
A beige flyer promoting a virtual community circle for undocumented Asian and Pacific Islander students and allies on Tuesday, May 26 from 5PM–6PM on Zoom. The flyer describes the event as a supportive space to discuss immigration policy impacts, community concerns, and mentorship resources. Featured speakers include Dr. Ga Young Chung, Daniela D. Telles from the Undocumented Student Resource Center, and community advocate Keziah Aurin. The flyer also includes an RSVP QR code and UC Davis Asian American Studies and Undocumented Student Resource Center logos.

Please join Asian American Studies for our upcoming, Spoiled: Asian American Hostility and the Damage of Repair (2025) b...
05/12/2026

Please join Asian American Studies for our upcoming, Spoiled: Asian American Hostility and the Damage of Repair (2025) by Summer Kim Lee. All are welcome!

Introduction by Christine Imperial, Response by Professor Vivian Huang at San Francisco State University

⏰Thursday May 14th 4PM-6PM Hart Hall 3201

Image description: This is a promotional poster for a book talk. The background is a muted peachy-pink color.
At the top, large black sans-serif text reads “SPOILED:” followed by smaller black sans-serif text on the right that reads “ASIAN AMERICAN HOSTILITY AND THE DAMAGE OF REPAIR”.
The left side of the poster shows the book cover. The cover is dark with the title “SPOILED: ASIAN AMERICAN HOSTILITY AND THE DAMAGE OF REPAIR” in white and gold lettering. The cover image depicts a close-up of a person’s face, looking upwards, with a thin orange string dangling from their forehead.

Please join us for “Voices of the Valley,” a community movie night and panel discussion of three short films on Wednesda...
05/04/2026

Please join us for “Voices of the Valley,” a community movie night and panel discussion of three short films on Wednesday May 13th! 🍿🎬

đź“… Wednesday May 13 | 5:30-8:00PM | Cruess Hall 1002

Free admission, RSVP at: 1882foundation.short.gy/Voices

Image descriptions
Slide 1: Flyer for film screening “Voices of the Valley” including three film posters and a red background. Two elderly people’s bodies cooking in a kitchen with text reading “CHICAGO CAFE.” The Sacramento Delta river lined with trees with text reading “Voices: Chinese Women of the Delta.” Black and white photograph of a two story building with a man with his bike and a man sitting on a bench with cursive text reading “Rising”.

Slide 2: Still from film of a small restaurant’s entrance with red signage reading “Chicago Cafe Chinese & American” An older man is walking in front of the window by the door.

Slide 3: Film photograph of three older Asian women smiling and embracing.

Slide 4: Modern photograph of a metal decorated fence with a black and white photo on top of a two story building with a man with his bike and a man sitting on a bench.

Please join Asian American Studies for “Population Crisis and The Reproductive Archive”, a guest lecture by Josen Diaz!📆...
04/29/2026

Please join Asian American Studies for “Population Crisis and The Reproductive Archive”, a guest lecture by Josen Diaz!

📆 Tuesday, May 12th, 10am-12pm, Hart Hall 3201

This talk focuses on the development of a population science in the decade that preceded the Ferdinand Marcos regime in the Philippines and throughout the Marcos dictatorship. The regime’s management of reproductive health, in particular, illustrates the construction of new technologies of measurement and containment. Examinations of “family planning” archives highlight both family planning as the management of the Philippines labor-surplus economy and the different ways that family planning workers struggled against these impositions. This talk draws from Diaz’s current book project, which argues that Filipina labor presents a genealogy of colonial crisis that charts both the wider social landscapes that catalyze crisis and unravels the relations that can help us find the ways out.

ASA 004: Asian American Cultural Studies during Summer Session 2! 🌟Learn about how various cultural productions (literat...
04/23/2026

ASA 004: Asian American Cultural Studies during Summer Session 2! 🌟

Learn about how various cultural productions (literature, visual art, movies, music, etc.) can be used to analyze and complicate the “Asian American” in Asian American culture.

Lecture: Tue/Thu 11:00am-1:30pm | Young 192
Discussion: Wed 11:00am-12:40pm | Young 192

Image description:
A collage of iconic images, objects, and people relating to contemporary Asian American cultures, and cultural production. From the left: Manny Jacinto, Mitski, movie character from Turning Red, Katseye member Lara, and movie character K-pop Demon Hunters. This course is interested in introducing Asian American cultural productions as sites of negotiation on multiple levels. Topics include orientalism, the model minority myth, colonialism, empire, labor and migration, sexuality, hybridity, and racial capitalism.

ASA 002: Contemporary Issues of Asian Americans during Summer Session 1! ✨This course examines diverse cultural artifact...
04/23/2026

ASA 002: Contemporary Issues of Asian Americans during Summer Session 1! ✨

This course examines diverse cultural artifacts—including photographs of refugee children, ethnic food, nail salons, and K-pop—to trace the trajectories through which contemporary Asian American issues have been constructed.

Lecture: Tue/Thu 11:00am-1:30pm | Veihmeyer 116
Discussion: Wed 11:00am-12:40pm | Veihmeyer 116

Image description:
A collage of iconic images and objects relating to contemporary issues of Asian American experiences. The top left image of the collage is a still from the movie K-pop Demon Hunters. Next to it is a movie poster for Everything Everywhere All At Once. In the middle is a stock image of a plate of spaghetti. On the bottom left is a famous photograph of a young Vietnamese refugee girl wearing an oversized military jacket. The bottom right is a map of countries and territories with US presence: including Taiwan, Guam, the Philippines, Japan, and Korea. The course description examines diverse cultural artifacts to trace how, when, and where contemporary Asian American issues have been constructed over time, with the modern-day formations of imperialism.

Hi everyone,Please join us for this screening of “Edhi Alice,” a documentary that reimagines transgender transition as n...
04/08/2026

Hi everyone,

Please join us for this screening of “Edhi Alice,” a documentary that reimagines transgender transition as nonlinear, multidirectional, and continuously evolving and explores how identity and meaning shift across perspective and narrative order, foregrounding the act of filmmaking itself. The event will be followed by Q&A with the Director and the two cast members of the documentary.

đź“… Wednesday April 29
⏰ 5:00-7:50 PM
đź“Ť Cruess Hall 1002

Image description: Two friends wearing jackets, smiling on a grassy hill among tall plants. Film description reads, “The latest film by the acclaimed q***r feminist media activist collective PINKS, Edhi Alice reimagines transgender tradition as nonlinear, multidirectional, and continuously evolving and explores how identity and meaning shift across perspective and narrative order, foregrounding the act of filmmaking itself”.

Happy Spring Quarter ✨ Join us for a guest lecture by Dr. Scott Kurashige:“(Asian) American Studies and the Crisis of U....
04/07/2026

Happy Spring Quarter ✨ Join us for a guest lecture by Dr. Scott Kurashige:
“(Asian) American Studies and the Crisis of U.S. Empire”

đź—“ April 22
🕓 4–6 PM
đź“Ť Hart Hall 3201

Exploring U.S. empire, race, and global solidarity through Asian American Studies.
All are welcome!

ASA 102: Theoretical Perspectives in Asian American Studies (SEATS STILL AVAILABLE)What is theory, and why does it matte...
03/02/2026

ASA 102: Theoretical Perspectives in Asian American Studies (SEATS STILL AVAILABLE)

What is theory, and why does it matter? Explore the key frameworks that shape Asian American Studies and examine questions of identity, power, diaspora, and activism.

đź—“ Spring 2026
🕑 MW 2:10–4:00 PM | Olson 141
👨🏽‍🏫 Professor Richard Kim
đź“Ś CRN 55051 (4 units)
âś… GE: AH, DD, SS, ACGH

No prerequisites. See you in class ✨

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1 Shields Avenue
Davis, CA
95616

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm

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+15307522069

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