ABSTRACT
Higher education is currently paying new attention to Asian American studies. Asian American studies was born out of the Third World strike of 1968-1969 at San Francisco State College and similar events at other institutions, as minority students and white supporters marched, picketed, and took over university buildings to demand ethnic studies programs and open admissions. Asian American studies should be seen as part of a social movement for educational reform. Asian American literature and literary criticism has become a central part of the comparative and ethnic literature field. A number of excellent textbooks in Asian American history, social sciences, and literature are available for classroom use. Award-winning videos, films, and plays document aspects of what it is to be Asian American. In the area of scholarship, Asian American studies is part of the "new" history, social science, literature, and education, challenging traditional assumptions, premises, sensibilities, theories, and research methods.
