Katy resident, Hamilton College Jr. Jason Le examines experiences of Asians and Asian Americans in summer project
Clinton, NY (09/01/2021) — Katy resident and Hamilton College junior Jason Le originally intended to do a summer research project about Yakuza films - which are like gangster movies, Le said. But his professor encouraged him to pursue a topic with a bit more immediate social relevance, so Le turned his attention to Asian and Asian American films in general. Le is a cinema and media studies, and psychology double major at Hamilton. The project ultimately became a nearly 100-page paper written by Le and two other students, and this summer it involved 11 students, three professors, and several other members of the Hamilton community.
Le and other students watched a number of Asian and Asian-American movies and dissected key themes, in addition to relaying personal narratives concerning their individual experiences being Asian or Asian American. This summer, along with eight more students, they turned their attention to Hamilton itself by examining the experiences of Asian and Asian Americans at Hamilton from a holistic standpoint. The project was supported by Hamilton's Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center.
Three teams of students each focused on a different topic: historical research on Asian and Asian Americans at Hamilton; a look at statistics from the College's Office of Institutional Research; and, a collection of personal narratives.
Their combined work will be displayed on a website, Asians at Hamilton, which is still under development. Team three said they are focusing on gathering and editing interviews, adding that all the groups have been developing a base of knowledge with which to inform further research.
Though it is still fairly early in the process, they expect to see plenty of common themes emerge in the personal narratives. Reflecting on their own time at Hamilton, the students noted that the Asian and Asian American student experiences tend to vary by person, with some feeling more supported and comfortable than others. They recently concluded a survey of Asians and Asian Americans on campus that collected information on their experiences.
With this variation in mind, the group plans to propose steps that can be taken to improve, across the board, life at Hamilton for Asian and Asian American students. For this, they will also consult alumni and faculty, in order to design a thoughtful and thorough way forward. As with everything that will be coming out of this project, a plan for "what's next" is included under a designated tab on the website.
Jason Le is a graduate of Morton Ranch High School
Originally founded in 1793 as the Hamilton-Oneida Academy, Hamilton College offers an open curriculum that gives students the freedom to shape their own liberal arts education within a research- and writing-intensive framework. Hamilton enrolls 1,850 students from 49 states and 49 countries. Additional information about the college can be found at www.hamilton.edu.
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Katy resident and Hamilton College junior Jason Le, top left, and other students who worked on a summer research project about the Asian American experience.
