In the News

Jason Chen, associate professor of education at William & Mary, is working with Professor of Theatre and Asian & Pacific Islander American Studies Francis Tanglao Aguas are using a grant from the National Science Foundation to create a professional development curriculum.

Andrea Wright, the first Jinlan Liu APIA Faculty Research Award recipient, will study community response to green energy projects

Clarissa Delgado ’09 (left) and Banan Malkawi ’05 are heading up the leadership circle for Asian-Pacific Islander-Middle Eastern/Southwest Asian Alumni of William & Mary.

Narrated and performed by Javaad Alipoor and co-star Peyvand Sadeghian, RICH KIDS loosely follows the ill-fated story of lovers Parivash and Hossein (the first, a middle-class girl, the second, one of the show’s eponymous #richkids) backwards in time, from its end in a car crash back to its beginning as seen on Instagram, the audience’s window into the couple’s narrative.

Sumié Yotsukura ‘22 and Brian Zhao ’23 recently celebrated the installation of the exhibit, “Pu Kao Chen: Thoughts of 1923 U.S. & W&M,” at Swem Library. The exhibit was the culmination of their research project to unearth the stories of the first Asian students to attend W&M.

While recognizing the accomplishments of Asian and Asian American students at the university over the past 100 years, the commemoration also seeks to probe the social and historical context of their experiences.

The story of Indian migrant workers does not end with the individual lives of these men. It is also a product of greater systemic inequalities and power structures. “I began to see how race and nationality began to inform how workers were treated and the policies that emerged.” In a book she is currently working on, “Producing Labor Hierarchies,” Wright writes about her works analyzing labor laws and understanding the various intersections of race, class, caste, and other systems of oppression and their effects on the lives of workers in the Middle East.

Rinabeth Apostol, award-winning West Coast-based actor, educator, director and activist, opens the workshop premiere of her solo show “little brown gIRL” this Tuesday October 12 in a special two-night engagement at the Kimball Theatre.

A full slate of performances, writing talks and exhibitions open to the university and local communities is planned for the fall at William & Mary.

Roberto Jamora will be researching and then seeking to capture in imagery the history and experiences of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans at William & Mary.

A new historical marker will honor Arthur “Art” Matsu '27, William & Mary’s first known Asian American student and the first W&M alumnus to play for the National Football League – one of the first Asian Americans to do so.

When Ming Chang ’55 arrived on campus in 1952, he likely had no idea of the legacy that would follow.

Quan Chau '21 writes, performs and films his own play dealing with his experiences as a child of immigrants from Vietnam.

A 2021 Rhodes Scholarship finalist, Matt Crittenden ’21 seeks to build systems in data and policy that contribute to a better world and to serve as a role model for future Asian American students in the global governance and development community.

Following a consultative and thorough process established earlier this year, William & Mary’s Board of Visitors voted Friday to rename two campus buildings and name one campus structure to honor trailblazing alumni who helped open the door for marginalized people at both the university and beyond.

Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott spoke about efforts to redress longstanding racial and economic inequality and systemic racism in the United States during a virtual conversation on April 8 with students, faculty, staff and other members of the local community.

A Statement from the Faculty of Asian & Pacific Islander American Studies on the safety of AAPI communities, in light of the rising onslaught of anti-Asian acts of hatred and racism, peaking at the March 16, 2021 murders of six Asian women in the state of Georgia.

The Asian Centennial will celebrate all those at W&M, past and present, who identify as Asian or of Asian ancestry, including those from Southwest Asia – often referred to as the Middle East.

Jamelah Jacob '21 has been awarded the 2021 James Monroe Prize in Civic Leadership, which goes to “a student who has demonstrated sustained leadership of an unusual quality, leadership combined with initiative, character and an unfailing commitment to leveraging the assets of the William & Mary community to address the needs of our society.”

Francis Tanglao Aguas had wanted to stage “Rolling the R’s” for years and never could have imagined the circumstances under which he would do so.

William & Mary will begin offering a Japanese Studies major this fall, becoming the only public university in the state to offer a bachelor’s degree in the discipline.

Ming Chang '55 and Charlotte Chang are the embodiment of the American dream. Their story merges hard work and the freedom to pursue their destiny into a life of opportunity, success and notable firsts in the Asian-American community.

William & Mary alumna Stephanie Murphy ’00 has become the first Vietnamese-American woman elected to Congress, according to an NBC News article.

Although an official Asian and Pacific Islander American Studies Program was just established at William & Mary at the beginning of May, students have been pursuing degrees in the discipline for nearly 10 years with self-designed interdisciplinary majors.

William & Mary has established a new interdisciplinary program for Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) studies, and students may pursue a minor in the discipline beginning this fall.

Benming “Benny” Zhang ’16 was elected to the Williamsburg City Council yesterday, becoming the second William & Mary student and the first Asian-American to ever do so.