Mission Statement

    This year's conference, "Policy, Barriers, and Justice" seeks to examine the processes and effect of local and national legislation and policy. Through this conference we hope to highlight the invisibility and misconceptions of Asian Americans in policies regarding higher education, housing, etc., and to increase awareness on the immediate effects of laws and policies in daily life. We also strive to empower our community by providing grassroots training to address the disparities that result from such policies. As the 2008 presidential elections approach, our voices are crucial in modifying the current social and political frameworks to include the needs and initiatives of Asian Americans and other marginalized communities. We assert our right to be heard in national politics and claim our place in the fabric of the nation.

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Conference History

    This year's conference entitled "Policy, Barriers, and Justice" marks the 30th anniversary of the Biennial Midwest Asian American Student Conference, which has historically served as an empowering medium by which all Oberlin students could educate themselves about issues pertinent to Asian and Pacific Americans. Thanks to the efforts of former and current students, faculty and staff, Oberlin College over the past year was able to celebrate the first Asian American studies professor to receive tenure and for the return of the tenure-track Asian American history position within Comparative American Studies (CAST). Although we now enjoy more courses on Asian America, the vast breadth of Asian American histories and experiences cannot be taught in classes alone. The conference supplements our available coursework from distinguished guests who will share their insight in order to increase awareness on the disparities that result from racial, ethnic, gendered, sexual, and economic discrimination present in local and national legislation and policies.
    Formerly known as the Biennial Midwest Asian/Pacific American (A/PA) Student Conference, the 15th conference recognizes the critical analyses put forth by the 14th conference entitled "Refocusing Our Lenses: Confronting Contemporary Issues of Globalization and Transnationalism". In that 2006 conference, students challenged the nomenclature of "Asian/Pacific American" and the arbitrary categorization of Pacific Islanders within Asian America by the United States government in 1990. Our evaluation of the political implications of using this terminology led us to conclude that we must avoid misrepresenting communities that are not our own and must support them in determining for themselves how they want to be portrayed. Just how this conference was created by Asian Americans and primarily for Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders should be allowed the freedom to speak for themselves through any means they wish.
    As seen in the Asian/Pacific American example, the Conference continues the powerful tradition of Asian American activism at Oberlin College which began in the late 1960's. Remembering the endeavors of past students, faculty, and staff, we persist in highlighting the histories of Asian Americans and other marginalized communities and work in solidarity with all people to achieve social, political, and economic change.