About Asian American Studies
Immigration from Asian countries has changed the face of Minnesota. Once known for its cultural homogeneity, Minnesota has become a magnet for immigrants from countries throughout Asia. The 2000 U.S. Census has reported that Minneapolis and St. Paul have the greatest concentration of Asian Americans in the interior of the United States. The Census has also found that the state's Asian American population increased by 130% since the 1990s (from 78,000 to over 180,000) including 24,000 mixed race Asian or Pacific Islanders. The burgeoning Asian American population makes Minnesota an exciting research site for studying and addressing the challenges faced both by new refugees and immigrants and by earlier generations of Asian Americans.
Beginning in 1998, faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students, and Twin Cities artists, leaders, and activists organized the Asian American Studies Initiative at the University of Minnesota. They recognized a need to reframe for Minnesota a discipline traditionally centered in the East and West Coasts and sought to establish an academic presence on campus. In 2003, those efforts became a reality when the Regents of the University of Minnesota voted to establish the Asian American Studies Program and undergraduate studies minor.
Our Asian American Studies Program recognizes both the uniqueness of Minnesota's Asian American populations and their commonalities with each other and with other Asian American communities across the nation. Our curriculum, research projects, and outreach work are all shaped by community interests and concerns. And with its locale, community resources, and faculty, the University of Minnesota is helping to create new models of teaching Asian American history, politics, literature, and cultures.
Announcement
Postdoctoral Fellowship in Hmong Studies, 2009-2010
The Program in Asian American Studies and the Institute for Advanced Study at the University of Minnesota are pleased to announce a new 2009-2010 Postdoctoral Fellowship in any field of Hmong Studies, generously funded by a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation.
Applicants should conduct research germane to Hmong Studies. Proposed research projects should have the potential to make a significant contribution to the field.
During their stay at the University of Minnesota, postdoctoral fellows will be expected to participate in research, teaching, and service. While research is the primary responsibility, fellows will be expected to teach one course related to their research interests and consonant with the curricular needs of the Asian American Studies program. In addition, fellows are expected to give one talk on campus on their research project.
The stipend for 2009-2010 year will be $45,000, with full fringe benefits. The program will provide the fellow with office space and routine office support for photocopying, faxing, mailing, etc.
A doctoral degree in hand is required by August 31, 2009. Preference will be given to applicants who have completed their degrees in the past five years. The postdoctoral fellowship will begin on August 31, 2009, is for one year, and is non-renewable.
Applications should be completed on-line at the UMN jobsite http://employment.umn.edu/ (search for requisition # 160379).
To guarantee full consideration, application materials should be submitted to the Institute for Advanced Study by April 15, 2009.
If you have any questions, please contact Ann Waltner at waltn001@umn.edu or Erika Lee at erikalee@umn.edu.
Pictured at top: Zha Blong Xiong, General College, with undergraduate research assistants
