Penn Asian American Studies Program

The University of Pennsylvania's program in Asian American Studies (ASAM) was established in Fall 1996 as a result of joint student, staff, and faculty efforts. An interdisciplinary program that offers a Minor and a broad range of courses and activities, it explores the historical and contemporary experiences of Asian immigrants and of persons of Asian ancestry in North America. Through core courses in Sociology, English, and History, our program explores questions of race and ethnicity in national and global contexts. We offer a wide range of elective courses as well: in Psychology, Folklore, South Asian Studies, and others. Asian American Studies minors have completed the program alongside a multitude of majors; in deepening the knowledge of cultural diversity within the United States and beyond, our program complements many different courses of study. The Asian American Studies Program, in partnership with the University’s Undergraduate Advisory Board (UAB) and the Graduate Asian American Students Association (GASAM), sponsors conferences and events including film screenings, academic talks, and performances.