The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures relies on the rich diversity of our faculty, students, and staff to foster a vibrant intellectual community that transcends the boundaries of academic disciplines, nationalities, languages, identities, and politics. We are committed to creating an open and inclusive culture that encourages people of all backgrounds to bring their unique experiences and expertise to bear on our shared work. We recognize that the field of Asian Studies took shape in the contexts of colonialism, racism, and exploitation, and we are committed to confronting and transforming that legacy. Our work emphasizes connections, between the peoples, cultures, and languages we study, between the disciplines we draw on, and between the members of our community. We strive to make our department a place where people of every ethnicity, gender, sexuality, nationality, religion, and socioeconomic status can thrive.
During the 2022-2023 academic year, we focused on the following:
- Hosting a workshop on how to write a DEI Statement
- Hosting a speaker on public-facing scholarship
- Publicizing other department and university events about DEI and/or equity in teaching.
- Publicizing department and university resources related to DEI.
- Showcasing faculty public engagement and public-facing scholarship.
- Developing ideas for how to highlight faculty and graduate student work related to DEI.
