The CSUN Asian American Studies Oral History and Archival Project seeks to recover and preserve the untold story of our department’s founding. Through video-recorded interviews with the faculty, staff, and students who shaped our earliest years, we are documenting the legacy of one of the nation’s first Asian American Studies departments.
Our rich story is little known, with few institutional records despite being the second oldest departments in the nation. Under the leadership of the inaugural chair, Dr. Kenyon Chan (1990–1998), the department grew from its humble beginnings in the North trailer on Lindley Avenue into the vibrant program it is today. This project will produce a documentary for the university record and build a permanent archival collection—gathering photographs, documents, and historical materials to be preserved in CSUN’s University Library Archives.
Your donation helps us reclaim this history while supporting student research, community programming, scholarships, and archival preservation. Watch our video to see our work-in-progress.
To learn more, contact AAS chair, Dr. Edith Chen, at edith.chen@csun.edu.
Click the "Donate" button above to give to Asian American Studies and support programs like the CSUN Asian American Studies Oral History and Archival Project.
