Celebrate AAPI Heritage at Williams

This Asian American and Pacific Islander Month, we’re highlighting AAPI life and experiences at Williams.

• There are currently 23 Minority Coalition (MinCo) groups at Williams. Many students are active in multiple groups, making space for the many different aspects of their intersectional identities. The MinCo that center AAPI student experiences specifically include Asian American Students in Action (AASiA), the Chinese American Student Organization (CASO), Koreans of Williams (KoW), the Nihonjin American Student Union (NASU), the South Asian Students Association (SASA), and the Vietnamese Students Association (VSA).
• The decades-long campaign by students and alumni for the creation of an Asian American Studies program has made progress in recent years. As work continues on an official proposal, the college hired two new faculty members based on the recommendation of the February 2019 Curricular Planning Committee’s report and will launch a search to fill retiring Charles R. Keller Professor of History Scott Wong’s position this summer. Learn more about Asian American Studies in the video in the section below.

This campaign is intended for alumni to feel a direct connection between their gift and the experience of students on campus. The campaign is organized as part of the college’s approach to supporting students of all backgrounds and identities, with particular care for those from historically marginalized backgrounds. 

This work can be seen most clearly through the Davis Center Initiative. 

The Davis Center advances broad campus engagement with complex issues of identity, history, and cultures as they affect intellectual, creative, and social life. The Center remains a busy, inclusive hub of activity supporting many different communities within the larger Williams family, but the physical spaces haven’t changed much over the years; in fact, they require significant renovation and refurbishing. The Davis Center Initiative and building project will offer students of all experiences and identities a modern space to feel safe, seen, and comfortable.