The challenge of collaboration among Asian American ethnic groups is a source of its vitality and continuing challenge. Asian American studies includes both American Studies and Asian Studies. The history of Asians in the Americas reaches far back before the founding of the United States as a republic. The history of Asians in the United States focuses on immigration history, labor relations,and racial conflict. The founding purposes of Asian American and Asian Studies are also distinct.
Language is their thing, and culture is their object.
The Vietnam War and the events of 1968 led to the third phase in which scholars were forced to critically reexamine the relationship of Asian Studies scholarship with the U.S. government. Asian American Studies, in contrast, was established by Asian Americans to understand themselves and to represented themselves more accurately in the wider American community. Its activities of research, teaching, and curriculum development related to the experience of Asian and Pacific peoples in America. While thoroughly academic in its approaches, Asian American studies is also strongly committed to a focus on community issues and social problems. In addition to gaining insight into Asian Americans, students who take Asian American Studies courses learn to appreciate and respect the ethnic identities of others and to critically ask how multicultural perspectives influence research and pedagogical methods in other disciplines.