Welcome

Welcome to Asian Pacific American (APA) Studies at MSU!

The APA Studies program was founded in 2004, after 20 years of student, staff and faculty advocacy.  The program is a vibrant, active center for all members of the MSU community interested in the experiences of Asian Pacific Americans.  

The APA Studies program also makes connections with local Michigan and Midwestern APA communities.  The APA population in Michigan is rapidly growing, with increasing numbers of students enrolling at MSU.  Between 1990 and 2000, Michigan’s APA population more than doubled, and the state now has the second largest APA community in the Midwest.

Focusing on migration, globalization, and diaspora, the APA Studies program provides opportunities to explore the future of diversity in a global era.  The program’s attention to Michigan APA populations—many of whom maintain transnational connections to their homelands in Asia—allows for the exploration of the local effects of global processes.  Given the role of Asia and Asian immigrants in the new global economy, APA communities are key starting points from which to examine processes of globalization that impact the changing face of US diversity.

APA Studies at MSU explores the history and literature of Asian Pacific Americans and expands on these areas with strengths in the social sciences, particularly anthropology, sociology and psychology.  This social science perspective facilitates the study of important contemporary trends in American society and strengthens the university’s mission as a world-grant institution through community research, teaching and outreach.