During his 40 years at UCLA, professor Don Nakanishi has been instrumental in transforming it into the culturally sensitive institution that he has long envisioned.
Nakanishi said he hopes that a tradition of diversity will continue to endure once he leaves.
He will be paid a special tribute Saturday at a celebration for the 40th Anniversary of the UCLA Asian American Studies program for his leadership as the director of the center.
He is retiring after 19 years as director of the center and 35 years as a UCLA professor for the Department of Asian American Studies and the Graduate School of Education & Information Studies.
Nakanishi said he recalls being immensely surprised by the news of the tribute, but he also earnestly desires that this recognition does not divert attention from the real focus of the anniversary.
“The 40th is an important milestone for the center since it offers us an important opportunity to reflect on the achievements and impacts the center has had with its teachings, publication, the scholars it has produced and the committee it has worked with,” he said.
Nakanishi, who was born and raised in East Los Angeles, received his undergraduate degree from Yale University and his doctorate from Harvard University, both in political science.
As a Yale undergraduate, he co-founded one of the core journals for the field of Asian American Studies, Amerasia Journal. But more recently, he has founded the AAPI Nexus Journal.
Both journals have provided a voice for Asian Americans within the community, said Melany Dela Cruz-Viesca, the assistant director for the Asian American Studies Center.
The center is one of the four ethnic studies programs found on campus.
Established in the 1969-1970 academic year, the center was a result of the effort known as the Third World Strike movement.
The movement, which started at UC Berkeley, sought to create ethnic studies in universities across the country, Cruz-Viesca said.
The intent of the Asian American Studies Center is to enrich the university by contributing to an understanding of the long neglected history of Asian Americans in the society, Jolie Chea, the event coordinator, said in an e-mailed statement.
Forty years later, the Asian American Studies Center has witnessed unprecedented growth, Chea wrote.
Under Nakanishi’s leadership, the work of the center has been felt by the rest of the campus as well, said Meg Thornton, the coordinator for Student and Community Projects.
“He’s been able to expand the diversity of the faculty, not just in the Asian American studies,” Thornton said.
Since its inception, the UCLA Asian American Studies Center has produced many eminent leaders, scholars and writers including Morgan Chu, the nation’s top intellectual property attorney, Cruz-Viesca said.
Nakanishi said he attributes the success of the Asian American Studies program here at UCLA to not just the handful of professor or even students who advocated for the program but to the thousands of people over the years who made contributions to ensure that this center thrives.
California Assemblymen Mike Eng and Warren Furutani and UCLA Vice Chancellor Claudia Mitchell-Kernan are among the featured speakers for the event.
The Chinatown Kung Fu and Lion Dance Troupe from the Asian community are also scheduled to perform at the outdoor reception.
Following the legacy of Nakanishi who desires an inclusive institution, Thornton said she urges all to come to the celebration.
“Asian American Studies isn’t just for Asian Americans but all who want to learn more about the diversity of what is America,” she said.