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Asian American Studies Collection |
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The Mission of the Asian American Studies Collections (AASC) is
primarily to
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support the curriculum program of the
undergraduate and graduate students and
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the research of the faculty in the Ethnic
Studies Department. It is also to provide
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support in this area to the other
University of California campuses and the general
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community at large. |
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Often the term “East Asian” and “Asian American” cause confusion in
relation to
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library collections. Traditionally, the East Asian collections focused
on East Asian
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countries such as Japan, Korea, the
Philippines, and China rather than on the
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distinct experiences of Asians in America
or of Chinese in other countries, known
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as ChineseOverseas. Asian Americans
include the following groups: Asian
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Indians, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese,
Korean, South Asians (Bangladesh, Bhutan,
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India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka
Americans), and Southeast Asians
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(Burmese, Cambodian (Kampuchean), Lao, Lao
Hmong, Lao Mien, Thai,
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Vietnamese Americans) . |
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The Asian American Studies Collection (AASC) is the result of
intensive
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acquisition for more than twenty five
years. It is today one of the most
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comprehensive and unique Asian American
resources in the United States. It c
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ontains materials on the cultural,
political, and socio-economic life of Asian
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Americans. Aside from developing a core
collection on the identified Asian
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American groups—Asian Indian, Chinese,
Filipino, Japanese, Korean and
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Southeast Asian American (Cambodian, Lao,
Lao Hmong, Lao Mien, Thai, and
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Vietnamese Americans), the AASC also
contain the largest Chinese American
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archival collection in the world. |
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Chinese American Archives |
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These contain manuscripts, diaries,
correspondence, newsletters and other
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primary source materials, including the
largest collection of biographies on
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prominent people in different fields and
on active community members. There are
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over hundred unique archival collections
including, to name just a few, the
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collection of Mr. Him Mark Lai and Mr. Yuk
Ow, both renowned Chinese American |
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historian and the documents of the Chinese
Empire Reform Association (it also
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called Baohuang Hui) on the political
activities of Chinese Overseas, particularly
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the activities of Kang You-wei, Liang
Qi-chao and Xu Qin. |
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To find the entire list of archival collections on GLADIS/Berkeley's
online catalog |
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Pathfinder, search the Call
Number AAS ARC |
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The AAS Collection has these electronic finding aids in
the Online Archive of California:
Chung (Margaret)
Papers
East West
Research Files
Wey (Nancy)
Papers
Lai (Him Mark)
Papers
The AAS Collection has the following finding aids in an alternative format to that of the OAC:
Guide to the Margaret Chung Papers, 1880-1958 (bulk 1942-1944)
Guide to the East West Research Files, 1967-1989
Finding Aid to the Kem Lee Photographs and Other Materials, 1927-1986
Guide to the Nancy Wey Papers, 1850-1994 (bulk 1973-1983)
Finding Aid to the Him Mark Lai Papers, 1778-[on-going] (bulk 1970-1995)
Yuk Ow Collection
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You may also visit The Chinese in California: 1850-1925 at the
following location
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for a look at some images included from
the AASC archives: |
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For more information about the AASC and
its archival artifacts, please visit the |
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following website, which is the digital
version of a recent exhibit catalog: |
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Chinese Overseas |
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Globalization and online technologies have
shrunk the world and have shifted the
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ratio of the ethnic populations in the
world. According to the Overseas Chinese
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Confederation, in May 2000 there were 34
million Chinese residing in 140
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countries in the world. Chinese is the
largest percentage (23.7%) of the total
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Asian American populations in the United
States. To facilitate the comparative
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study of these changing populations and
without compromising the main
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objectives of supporting of the
curriculums of Asian American Studies Program,
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Asian American Studies Collections have
taken the lead in promoting the
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importance of collecting and preserving
the documents of the international
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Chinese Overseas communities. This project
depends on cooperative efforts
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among librarians, archivists, scholars,
and administrators. Asian American
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Studies Librarian Wei Chi Poon looks
forward to opening a dialog as to how to
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create cooperative agreements among
international library communities for |
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thecommon goal of preserving Chinese
Overseas materials. For further |
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discussion, please email her at
wcpoon"at"library.berkeley.edu or call:
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(510)642-2220. |
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Related Links |
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For information and activities of the Association for Asian American
Studies, a
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national scholarly association, please
visit |
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The International Society for the Study of
Chinese Overseas (ISSCO) was founded
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in 1993 by Professor L. Ling-chi Wang of
the Ethnic Studies Department at the
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University of California, Berkeley, along
with other colleagues. Its purpose is to
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advance research and scholarly exchange on
Chinese Overseas studies. ISSCO
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provides channels for research and
publications, organizes international
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conferences and publishes conference
proceedings. |
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Asian American Studies Collection
Specialist: |
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Wei-Chi Poon |
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Phone: (510) 642-2220 |
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E-mail: wcpoon"at"library.berkeley.edu |
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