what is aaso?
Established in 2004 by a core group of students taking Asian American Studies courses who wanted to create on-going opportunities for themselves and others to be more active, both on campus and in the local Asian American communities.
The AASO (Asian American Studies Outreach) was formed to address the needs of Asian and
Asian American students here at UMass Boston and to represent student commitments in UMB
Asian American Studies Program. Our goal is to provide a safe environment where you can:
• Connect with fellow students, resources, and strategies to deal with issues such as financial aid, class registration, racism and cultural conflicts, Asian American Studies courses, going to grad school & anything else you want to share.
• Learn about current Asian and Asian American events happening on campus, as well as in the greater Boston area and even nationally.
• Come and make new friends! You can stop by anytime just to say hi, talk, hang out, and get involved.
why was aaso started?
In addition to offering direct individual support, the AASO organizes events and projects to highlight Asian American issues. We also collaborate with the campus Asian Center clubs and the Institute for Asian American Studies to sponsor activities ranging from cultural shows and film showings to hosting forums about specific issues like the WPR (Writing Proficiency Requirement) on campus and immigrant rights in the community. We're always looking for your suggestions and participation.
What have we accomplished so far?
• We maintain a list of community internship and employment opportunities for
students who are interested in working in local Asian American community settings.
• In 2006, we organized a campus presentation by nationally-known hip-hop
author/critic, Jeff Chang, with outreach to Asian American and African American high school
students and community members.
• We provide a multilingual translation/support mechanism for campus and community
members to draw on the native language expertise of UMass Boston Asian immigrant &
international students.
• We work with the Coalition of Asian Pacific American Youth (CAPAY), a youth
leadership development program serving Asian American high school youth from metro Boston.
• We have participated in community celebrations such as the Khmer (Cambodian)
American New Year celebration in Lynn and the Vietnamese New Year in Dorchester.
Who is in aaso?
AASO is a program developed by both undergraduate and graduate students on campus. We are from different Asian ethnic backgrounds, academic interests, and lifestyles. However, we share a common passion for Asian and Asian American activism, mentoring, and counseling. Some of us are volunteers, interns, work-study students, or just friends from Asian American Studies classes. AASO is a flexible program and we respect who you are. Contact us or come on in to find out and do more!