Yet there is no doubt that Asia has in recent years become a much more prominent and visible part of the American imagination, be it in the economic arena or in the realm of popular culture. In the 1990s Asia surpassed Western Europe as our largest regional trade partner. Close to 40 percent of US total trade is conducted with East Asia alone, with still more significant growth promised by the economic liberalization in other parts of the continent such as India. Agricultural products from Florida now find their way into the marketplaces of China, and Tallahassee has established foreign trade and investment offices in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Furthermore, the changes are by no means confined to the movement of commodities and capital.
People are on the move too.
According to the US Census Bureau, throughout the 1990s Florida consistently ranked among the most popular destinations for immigrants, and Asians have been one of the fastest growing segments of the population. Thus Florida, together with California and Texas, is poised to take its place as one of the fastest growing states with a diverse population during the first quarter of the twenty-first century. As a leading public university, we simply owe it to our students, to say nothing of our institutional well-being and reputation, to build a strong and rigorous Asian studies program and to position ourselves to negotiate successfully this rapidly changing milieu. With the support of former Dean Will Harrison and the current Interim Dean Neil Sullivan, I have been charged with the responsibility of heading such an effort. It is both an exciting and challenging task.