Liberating Ethnic Studies - Dr. Robyn Rodriguez Offers First Of Its Kind, Asian American Course To The Masses
University-level course focused on the Asian American experience becomes accessible to all, college enrollment not required
Sacramento, CA - August 24, 2021 - Dr. Robyn Magalit Rodriguez — a professor and activist seeking to liberate ethnic studies from the confines of the “ivory tower”, is providing an online course that explores anyone's interest in learning about the histories and experiences of communities of color in the United States. An initial 10-hour on-line mini-course, “Asian America: An Introduction” will be launching on October 1st, with open enrollment ongoing. The course is designed to welcome all adults who identify as Asian American, serve Asian Americans in a professional capacity, or who are simply interested in learning about the contemporary Asian American experience. It is especially designed for those working in K-12 education who are interested in gaining better insight into their Asian American students’ lives in all of their complexity. In conjunction with the class, the required course text “Asian America, 2nd Edition” will have a virtual book launch on Wednesday, September 8th, from 5:30p - 7:00p PST. Adriel Luis, Curator of Digital and Emerging Practice at the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, will moderate a discussion with Dr. Rodriguez diving deeper into her experiences in fighting for Ethnic Studies, the topics covered in her new online course, and her future plans.
“I have always thought it was a shame that Asian American Studies is only offered at a select number of colleges and universities around the United States,” shares Dr. Rodriguez.”I know communities of color around the country have been clamoring for knowledge for and about us, but we also face great obstacles to support Ethnic Studies or Critical Race Theory. With the launch of this course, I’m excited to make Asian American Studies—which draws from and builds upon Ethnic Studies and Critical Race Theory—accessible to anyone passionate about learning the topic.”
Liberating Ethnic Studies
Being a professor and activist scholar for over two decades, Dr. Robyn Rodriguez will begin offering her courses beyond the university campus to broader audiences in the form of public talks, workshops, virtual courses, and training sessions. She believes that the kind of knowledge that is offered at a university should be available to anyone who wants it; especially those communities who have been marginalized from and even exploited by the university.
With her work as a community organizer coupled with extensive academic and research experience, Dr. Rodriguez has always ensured her higher education courses balance theory and practice. She brings her personal experience to her lectures, connecting more intimately with audiences and breaking the mold of traditional university teachings.
Asian American influence has become more mainstream, and public education about it is key to understanding the growing community. Many people who serve Asian Americans in their professional capacities, including teachers, rarely get an opportunity to learn about the Asian American community because courses on the topic are limited at the college and university level.
Growing Asian Population
The recent release of the 2020 U.S. Census has found that California’s Asian population has grown by 25% in the past decade, making it the fastest growing ethnic group in the nation’s most populous state. With Asian population growth being the biggest percentage gain coupled with the Hispanic population surpassing whites as California’s largest ethnic group by 11%, California politics has begun to shift. Asian representation and presence in politics is becoming prevalent such as Rob Bonta being the State’s first Filipino attorney general and the state legislature having 14 Asian Pacific Islanders. The rise of influence also coincides with the rise of Asian hate crimes, resulting in the creation of California’s new operating budget of $156.5 million to support Asian community organizations and victim services. About $10 million of the budget will go towards better data collection to better understand the needs and challenges of the growing Asian community.
California’s Asian population is “linguistically diverse” and “culturally and religiously diverse” that require better data to understand the nuances of the community”, says Dr. Rodriguez in a recent TIME Magazine article. “Asian Americans come to the United States under very different circumstances. Some are the products of war and displacement. Others are the product of immigration, of people making the choice to come here. All of these are complexities that really require some better attention.
Course Details
Dr. Rodriguez will draw significantly on the recently released second edition of her book “Asian America” co-authored with Dr. Pawan Dhingra. The first 50 registrants for the course will receive a complimentary signed copy of the book. Individuals unable to take the class can purchase “Asian America 2nd Edition” to explore the concepts on their own. Although there are many factors that contribute to Asian American experiences, Dr. Rodriguez has identified five main areas that the program will explore.
1) American history of immigration and settlement
2) Asian American identities
3) Asian American families and intimate relationships
4) Asian Americans’ educational and economic achievement
5) Interethnic/interracial relations (including the long history of anti-Asian hate)
In examining each of these facets of Asian American contemporary experiences, Dr. Rodriguez will highlight how structures of inequality -- racism, sexism, classism, and heterosexism -- impact different Asian ethnic communities.
The course “Asian America” officially begins on October 1, 2021 and is available for $159. All are welcome to pre-register for the class at www.drrobynrodriguez.com/course.
If you wish to purchase the supporting material “Asian America, 2nd Edition'' independently, go through the affiliated Wiley website here: https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Asian+America%2C+2nd+Edition-p-9781509534289
Event Info:
Asian American Virtual Book & Course Launch
Wednesday, September 8, 2021
5:30pm - 7pm PST
RSVP > https://www.eventbrite.com/e/asian-america-introductory-course-and-book-launch-tickets-167534158177
To learn more about Dr. Robyn Rodriguez or register for the class, visit www.drrobynrodriguez.com/course. Organizations and institutions can book Dr. Rodriguez for workshops or training here.
###
Dr. Robyn Magalit Rodriguez is a professor and former chair of Asian American Studies at the University of California, Davis. She is also the founding faculty director of the Bulosan Center for Filipinx Studies, the first of its kind in the University of California system focused on the Filipinx experience in the United States. She attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she majored in sociology and later went on to earn her PhD in Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley.
Professor Rodriguez is an expert on race and international migration. Her first book, Migrants for Export: How the Philippines Brokers Labor to the World (University of Minnesota Press, 2010), won an Honorable Mention for Best Book in Social Science by the Association for Asian American Studies. Alongside her books Asian America: Sociological and Interdisciplinary Approaches (Polity Press, 2014 & 2021), In Lady Liberty’s Shadow: Race and Immigration in New Jersey (Rutgers University Press, 2017), Filipino American Transnational Activism (Brill Press, 2019), and Asian American Activism (University of Washington Press, forthcoming), she has published over thirty academic and journalistic articles.
Dr. Rodriguez’s background in Asian American studies informs her actions as an activist and community organizer. Asian American studies emerged out of student movements that raised questions about access to institutions of higher learning and the politics of knowledge production. These movements, moreover, demanded education and scholarship that was relevant to communities that have been long left out of the university. Professor Rodriguez is very much inspired by that tradition and it is that tradition that motivated her to launch this new course. For full details on Dr. Rodriguez's publications, teaching, and community work please see her website: www.drrobynrodriguez.com
About the book “Asian America”
“Asian Americans are the fastest growing minority population in the country. Moreover, they provide a unique lens on the wider experiences of immigrants and minorities in the United States, both historically and today. Pawan Dhingra and Robyn Magalit Rodriguez’s acclaimed introduction to understanding this diverse group is here updated in a thoroughly revised new edition. Incorporating cutting-edge thinking and discussion of the latest current events, the authors critically examine key topics in the Asian-American experience, including education and work, family and culture, media and politics, and social hierarchies of race, gender, and sexuality”.