Lisa Miyake, a fourth-year communication studies and Asian
American studies student, said the decision to pursue Asian studies
was not always an obvious one.
She wrote an essay in an English composition class about the
Japanese internment during World War II ““ specifically
Manzanar, the camp where her grandparents were interned ““ and
her experience prompted her to take an Asian American studies class
to learn more about her background.
Students like Miyake, who have a special interest in ethnic
studies, have kept enrollment in ethnic studies programs up,
despite changes in the ethnic makeup of UCLA in recent years.
In the past few years, black enrollment has decreased, while
UCLA’s Asian American population has increased. Though Latino
student enrollment had been decreasing for several years, in the
past three years the group has seen increased representation at
UCLA.
These changes in UCLA’s ethnic makeup have been attributed
to the effects of Proposition 209, a state measure passed in 1996
that forbids the consideration of race in admission.
But the enrollment numbers in ethnic studies programs have not
followed the same trend.
In Afro-American studies, enrollment has increased over the last
three years, reaching its highest numbers in 10 years, according to
data from the UCLA Office of Analysis and Information
Management.
Enrollment in Chicana/o studies increased by over 50 percent in
the same time period, to 133 people in 2004-2005 ““ the
largest enrollment number for any of the major ethnic studies in
the last three years; Latin American studies saw a decrease in
enrollment by about 30 percent.
Asian American studies has seen a decrease in enrollment of 43
percent, though the student population of Asian Americans and
Pacific Islanders at UCLA has increased. Enrollment has held steady
for East Asian and Southeast Asian studies.
Though the majority of students in ethnic studies programs are
students of the corresponding ethnicity, there is diversity among
the students who take these classes, which can fulfill requirements
for majors and minors as well as general education
requirements.
Despite the decrease in black students on campus, Brenda
Stevenson said the Afro-American studies program is in
“pretty good shape,” as students from other backgrounds
are still taking Afro-American courses.
Stevenson added that blacks have never constituted the majority
of students in any of the large classes she has taught.
She said students of other ethnicities take Afro-American
studies classes to learn more about the history and impact of
blacks in the U.S. and the world, as well as racial dynamics and
race relations.
“Students who come to UCLA now realize that UCLA feels
more racially challenging now. They are looking for answers to
those questions,” she said.
“African Americans have great impact on our society,
culturally and historically. People are aware of our presence.
African American music has become world music. People are
interested in the African American experience.”
Undergraduate enrollment in Chicana/o studies has been
increasing steadily, reaching its highest enrollment of the last 10
years this last year.
Though the majority of students in Chicana/o studies are Latino,
Chicana/o studies classes attract students from other groups as
well.
“We have a lot of African Americans, a lot of white
people, people from South America,” said Eleuteria Hernandez,
student affairs officer in Chicana/o studies.
Many Chicana/o studies courses deal with current issues and
topics which interest many students of law and history, she
said.
But Ana Hernandez, a fourth-year Chicana/o studies student, said
she chose her major for more personal reasons; namely, an interest
in learning about her heritage and history.
“A lot of time our education system doesn’t tell
about our history ““ where we come from; it always excludes a
lot of minorities,” said Hernandez.
“I wanted to find out why so many minorities are not
included in the university system and why they are not included in
the community,” she added.
The number of students enrolled in Asian American studies fell
sharply last year, even though the Asian American population on
campus has increased.
But the decrease is not due to a lack of interest, but rather to
program changes that occurred in the summer of 2004, said Stacey
Hirose, student affairs officer for Asian American studies.
Asian American studies used to be an interdepartmental program,
with many overlapping classes in the departments of history,
political science and sociology. It was simpler for students to
complete the requirements for a degree in Asian American studies
because many of these courses counted toward other majors and
minors as well.
In 2004, Asian American studies was made its own department, and
the number of overlapping courses with other majors and minors has
decreased now that the department has more offerings of its
own.
In addition, the unit cap at UCLA was lowered at about the same
time.
Justin Yang, a fourth-year Asian American studies student, had
his first chance to learn about Asian Americans in depth when he
came to college.
“(Classes about Asian Americans) are not offered in high
school. You don’t learn about your history,” said Yang,
who had always been interested in Asian American issues.
Studying Asian Americans helps him develop self-identity and
makes him more socially aware of what goes on in the community, he
said.