Skip to Main Content

The Landscape of Contemporary Asian American Studies (September 2016): Conclusion

By Mark E. Pfeifer

Conclusion

Over the past decade and a half, the range of issues and ethnic groups covered in the field has expanded markedly, and many of these resources address previously overlooked communities and topics of concern.  Key institutions such as the annual Asian American studies conference organized by AAAS and the Journal of Asian American Studies continue to some extent to focus on the concerns and issues of the more established Asian American communities, with a primary focus on communities located in the population centers of the West and East Coasts.  The field is gradually becoming more inclusive, however, addressing the experiences of smaller and more recently arrived populations, as well as those from other regions of the United States, including the Midwest and South, though much more work needs to be done.  Librarians and scholars are encouraged to seek out and advocate for resources representative of the considerable diversity of the Asian American population and its experiences.