Fresno State launched its new Bachelor of Arts degree in Asian American Studies on Sept. 27.
The program focuses on Asian American history, identity and contributions. Asian Americans make up nearly 11.6% of Fresno County, including Hmong, Lao, Vietnamese, Filipino and Punjabi communities.
Jenny Banh, a Fresno State professor who helped create the major, emphasized the importance of creating the program to represent and serve the community.
“It’s overdue,” Banh said.
She added that their major “highlights our region” and allows students to honor their elders while learning from their ancestors.
Fresno State now joins just 26 universities nationwide that offer a bachelor’s degree in Asian American Studies, placing the Central Valley alongside institutions like University of California, Los Angeles, San Francisco State and the University of California, Berkeley in recognizing the field’s importance.
Silver Hmong jewelry jingled throughout the Resnick Student Union as over 400 people gathered in vibrant attire, from silk kimonos to traditional Hmong green garments embroidered with bright patterns. The atmosphere blended both festivity and reverence, acknowledging not just the birth of a major, but the recognition of a community.
The program featured a colorful lineup of performances that reflected the depth of Asian heritage in the Valley.
Traditional Filipino dancers reenacted a folk tale of a love triangle, moving gracefully in rhythm. Lao performers draped in gold jewelry stepped delicately across the stage while their shimmering costumes caught the light. Drummers followed, their powerful beats echoing through the hall and commanding silence from the crowd.
The event also spotlighted the Fresno State students who will be the first to declare the major, including Allison Vang.
“I think that everyone wants a place to belong,” Vang said. “So finally being able to say that there’s an actual major you can belong to is really special.”
According to Assistant Professor Yang Sao Xiong, the major was “months” in the making. He said the idea began in the classroom and grew into a shared mission, developed through collaboration between faculty and students and more than 100 pages of proposals.
“We had no major before, and this was much needed,” Xiong said. “Students were asking for more topics and courses, and we pushed for it together.”
The new program promises to offer courses on Asian American history, immigration, literature, politics and identity, providing students with the tools to understand both local and national contributions of Asian communities.
The first cohort of students began this fall.
