Jin Chang, a PhD student in the UI College of Education's Schools, Culture, and Society program, discusses his oral history project that is devoted to the experiences of Asians and Asian Americans at the university.
The following excerpt if from the Press-Citizen article:
"Chang wanted to do a project on Asians and Asian Americans at UI as part of a history class.
“For me, there was this really large disconnect. Here I am trying to figure out a way to do this project and at the same time the university is saying, ‘Hey, we support you,’ but when I go to the place that had the university's history, (Asians and Asian Americans) just weren't there, and I think that this is a really telling thing,” Chang said.
About a year later, Chang has worked extensively to literally and metaphorically fill that folder.
The result is 57 interviews with Asians and Asian Americans who have ties to the university, revealing an active, robust history of Asian students organizing and encounters with racism.