Asian Studies

If you want to explore a new world and culture, the Asian Studies department at Furman University will take you beyond the traditional classroom experience.

Under the guidance of our outstanding faculty, we offer a curriculum infused with a broad range of courses, study away experiences and a strong liberal arts foundation. That means you won’t just study a culture, language, or religion in our program. You’ll study it all. Because at Furman, we’re preparing you to engage with the people, ideas and issues that shape one of the world’s most dynamic regions.

Department of Asian Studies Statement on Black Lives Matter. 

We, the faculty of the Department of Asian Studies, unequivocally support the Black Lives Matter movement.  We see the pain and suffering that white supremacy and structural racism have inflicted on Black communities in the US and worldwide.  We denounce the murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many other Black people in the US, and we are committed to the lifelong work of anti-racism.

We recognize that academic institutions have been instrumental in creating and maintaining white supremacy, and that the field of Asian Studies is no exception.  Members of our field have both experienced and fought against racism in many forms, but those experiences do not absolve us of the need to acknowledge that anti-Black racism is an urgent issue that we must do more to address.  We commit to regular self-examination in order to create a more diverse curriculum and more inclusive pedagogical practices.  The burden of addressing the insidious effects of racism and bias in our society cannot continue to fall primarily on those who are most harmed, and therefore we see these efforts as central to our work.

As a department that has no Black faculty, we also recognize that we must speak with humility in voicing our support for antiracist action.  We believe it is critical both for our department and for the university to improve our recruitment of Black faculty, staff, and students, and we will work with other departments and university organizations to make this a priority.  We deeply value the contributions of the Black students majoring in our department, and will strive to foster, protect, and grow this community.  In particular, this year we will focus on amplifying the voices of Black scholars, thinkers, authors, directors, and creators in Asian Studies.

Creating equity will not be a short process, and we are committed to it for the long run.  Our ultimate goal is to create a department in which Black faculty, staff, and students can thrive.