New Salzburg Global digital report highlights the experience of Asian Americans in American history, society, and culture
The term “Asian American,” although it has valuable political potential, obscures the ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic heterogeneity of a large number of individuals who play an integral role in the nation’s broader social fabric. Asian presence in the country and Transpacific encounters have persisted for centuries, and today Asian Americans are the fastest-growing demographic population in the United States.
However, although the collective experience of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) reflects a rich history of hybridity and vibrant cross-cultural exchange, it has also been shaped by entrenched policies that regulate racialized access to immigration and citizenship, disproportionately affecting the group in the past and present.
Looking at contexts inside and outside the U.S., the Salzburg Global American Studies Program, “Crossing the Pacific: The Asian American Experience in US Society and Discourse,” explored these relationships and tensions from multiple geographic, social, and sectoral perspectives. From September 18 to 22, 2024, the program featured speakers, roundtables, and discussion groups, and brought together an intergenerational, international, and inclusive group of approximately 40 individuals from 18 countries. The highly participatory format of the event encouraged participants to share their expertise and experiences as academics, policymakers, journalists, artists, and activists, as well as to exchange ideas and build new alliances.
The digital report contains key takeaways from the discussions, op-eds written by Salzburg Global Fellows, and pictures from the program. The report focuses on five key areas: The identity, meaning, and political potential of the term “Asian American”; the role of Asian American voters in the 2024 U.S. elections; the Asian American experience in American Studies classrooms; diverse forms of representation; and historical experiences across the Pacific.