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Incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans holds lessons now

Elizabeth Williams — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 20:57:12 +0000

Incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans holds lessons now Elizabeth Williams Thu, 02/19/2026 - 13:57

Daryl Maeda

The Day of Remembrance, Feb. 19, should focus our attention on how a constitutional republic can shun its first principles

Today is the Day of Remembrance, marking the date that the United States officially marshalled the full force and power of the federal government against Americans whose only offense was being of Japanese descent. This day, which now lives in infamy, holds lessons for us now.

On Feb. 19, 1942, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which led to one of the most notable mass violations of civil liberties in U.S. history: the imprisonment of 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent without due process. Each year, the Japanese American community commemorates this Day of Remembrance to reflect on the lessons of that episode and resolve to advocate for justice for all.

Dressed in his U.S. Navy uniform, World War I veteran Hikotaro Yamada enters the Santa Anita assembly center after being forced to leave his Torrance, California, home. (Photo: Clem Albers/U.S. Department of the Interior)

The attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 exacerbated decades of anti-Japanese racism. Japanese immigrants were disparaged from the 1890s onward as an invading “yellow peril” that brought crime and sexual deviance, stole jobs and threatened to impose a foreign culture.

Before 1941, the federal government barred them from becoming naturalized citizens and eventually prevented their migration. Many states prohibited them from marrying white people and buying land, a serious impediment for an ethnic group whose economy relied heavily on agriculture. Despite these barriers, the Japanese American community grew to include Nisei, children born in the United States who possessed natural-born citizenship.

After Dec. 7, government and military officials portrayed Japanese Americans as a monolithic threat to national security, alleging that they could not be differentiated individually and were thus all potential spies or saboteurs.

As the historian Jacobus vanBroek reported, Mississippi Congressman John Rankin told the House of Representatives: “I'm for catching every Japanese in America, Alaska and Hawaii now and putting them in concentration camps and shipping them back to Asia as soon as possible ... This is a race war, as far as the Pacific side of the conflict is concerned ... The White man's civilization has come into conflict with Japanese barbarism ... One of them must be destroyed ... Damn them! Let's get rid of them now!”

New Deal liberals like Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson declared, “Their racial characteristics are such that we cannot understand or trust even the citizen Japanese.”

General John L. DeWitt, military commander of the West Coast, said, “In the war in which we are now engaged, racial affinities are not severed by migration. The Japanese race is an enemy race and while many second and third generation Japanese born on United States soil, possessed of United States citizenship, have become ‘Americanized,’ the racial strains are undiluted ... It therefore follows that along the vital Pacific Coast over 112,000 potential enemies of Japanese extraction are at large today.”

Read full article here.

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Asian Area Studies Curriculum Course Development Grants

Elizabeth Williams — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 21:50:39 +0000

Asian Area Studies Curriculum Course Development Grants Elizabeth Williams Mon, 02/16/2026 - 14:50

We are pleased to offer a final round of Asian Area Studies Curriculum Course Development Grants funded by our National Resource Center grant for summer 2026. This funding is available for С�� Boulder faculty members who would like to develop Asia-related curricula for new or existing courses.

CAS will offer up to five faculty awards for the creation or significant revision of an undergraduate course on any region of Asia in any discipline or college. At least one of these awards will be reserved for an Asian studies course that includes material on climate change or environmental issues and/or a course on climate change/environment that includes material on Asia.

This opportunity is offered as part of our National Resource Center for Asian Studies grant from the US Department of Education, which was discontinued in the fall of 2025. Funding will be provided for faculty to develop new courses with Asian content or revise existing courses to add Asian content, in order to enhance the area studies curriculum. Asian content should include at least two class sessions that are focused on Asia. We will give priority to classes with more substantial Asian content. Classes addressing environmental issues in Asia may also be included in our new Climate and Society in Asia undergraduate certificate (in final approval stages).

All grants will be made in the amount of $2000 to support faculty engaged in curriculum research and development. Awards will be paid as summer salary (subject to taxes and withholding), or as reimbursement for travel or related expenses. Award period will be Summer 2026.

Applications are due to CAS on Monday, March 2, 2026.

Find application information here.

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Malala Yousafzai to speak at Conference on World Affairs in April

Elizabeth Williams — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 17:13:40 +0000

Malala Yousafzai to speak at Conference on World Affairs in April Elizabeth Williams Thu, 02/12/2026 - 10:13

In partnership with the Center for Leadership and the Center for Asian Studies, we’re honored to announce Malala Yousafzai as the closing speaker for the Conference on World Affairs.

From speaking out for girls’ education at just 11 years old to becoming the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Yousafzai’s courage has helped shape a global movement for education, equality and human rights. Her story—and her ongoing work through Malala Fund—continues to demonstrate the power of one voice to drive meaningful change.

Yousafzai will close the Conference on World Affairs with a powerful conversation centered on hope, resilience and impact. The university is proud to support this moment and invites our community to engage with an extraordinary global leader as she concludes an inspiring week of dialogue and ideas.

Ticket information coming soon! Get early access to CWA.

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Event Wednesday: Lunar New Year at MSU Denver

Elizabeth Williams — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 20:46:49 +0000

Event Wednesday: Lunar New Year at MSU Denver Elizabeth Williams Mon, 02/09/2026 - 13:46

Wednesday, February 11, 2026 11:30am to 1:30pm MST
Tivoli Turnhalle, Tivoli Student Union, Auraria Campus, Denver

Ring in the Lunar New Year with a vibrant celebration of culture, tradition, and community! Join us for an exciting event filled with live performances, delicious food, and hands-on crafts. Enjoy traditional music and dance, savor flavorful dishes from various Asian cultures, and get creative with crafts that celebrate the season. Whether you're honoring the traditions or simply enjoying the festivities, this event is the perfect way to celebrate the start of a new year with family, friends, and the MSU Denver community!

Free and open to the public.

Co-Sponsored by the Center for Multicultural Engagement and Inclusion (CMEI), Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the С�� Boulder Center for Asian Studies.

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Event Thursday - Exploring Careers in Teaching, Leadership, and Learning

Elizabeth Williams — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 19:20:53 +0000

Event Thursday - Exploring Careers in Teaching, Leadership, and Learning Elizabeth Williams Mon, 02/02/2026 - 12:20

Thursday, February 5, 2026
12:30pm-1:30pm
Denison Arts & Sciences Building room 146

Interested in careers that center education, global engagement, and leadership? Join us for a panel conversation with three professionals whose paths span K–12 teaching, higher education, libraries, international exchange, nonprofit leadership, and experiential learning.

Panelists will share how their careers evolved, how international and interdisciplinary experiences shaped their work, and what students should consider when pursuing futures in education, leadership, and learning-focused fields. The conversation will be especially valuable for students interested in teaching, libraries, study abroad, nonprofit work, curriculum design, and educational leadership.

Featuring:

Paul Dreyer – educator and consultant with global experience across experiential education, leadership development, and organizational strategy
Adam Lisbon – Japanese & Korean Studies Librarian at С�� Boulder and JET Program alum
Christy Go – PhD candidate in Music Education and former K–8 teacher and JET Program participant

Please RSVP to lauren.collins@colorado.edu

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Event Friday - Geography Colloquium: An Indigenous Geopoetics for the Apocalypse

Elizabeth Williams — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 22:19:47 +0000

Event Friday - Geography Colloquium: An Indigenous Geopoetics for the Apocalypse Elizabeth Williams Thu, 01/29/2026 - 15:19

Friday, January 30, 2026 3:35pm to 5pm
Guggenheim Geography, 205

Dr. Mabel Gergan
Assistant Professor
Department of Asian Studies

Abstract:

Somewhere deep in the Dzongu valley, in the shadow of Mt. Kanchendzonga, lies a secret pathway to Mayal Kyong – a hidden paradise of abundance, home to seven immortal couples revered as ancestors by the Lepchas (Mutanchi Rongkup Rumkup). Mayal Kyong is one though perhaps the most significant of several hidden places believed to exist in Dzongu, where sacred scriptures, relics, religious teachings, and even precious jewels are said to lie concealed in rocky caves, crags, and waterfalls. These treasures are believed to reveal themselves only in moments of great need or at the end of the mortal world. One such sacred treasure is a pot filled to the brim with grains and seeds, meant to help the Lepcha people rebuild in the event of an apocalypse.

Since 2006, Dzongu has been the site of a vibrant anti-dam movement led by the Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT), which successfully pressured the state to withdraw four proposed dams on the River Teesta in Sikkim, India. Today, however, much of the Teesta has been dammed, and only a few free-flowing stretches remain. Hydropower development has also intensified the impacts of cyclical disasters, the most devastating of which include the 6.9 magnitude earthquake in 2011 and the 2023 Glacial Lake Outburst Flood. Despite significant pressure and criticism, ACT members continue to nurture the hope that the Teesta will remain a free-flowing river. Their activism is nourished and sustained by their belief in the power and protection of Sikkim's sacred landscapes. It is this act of nurturing hope, and the beliefs and practices that sustain it, that inform my analysis here.

In Lepcha oral histories and prophecies, the apocalypse much like in its original Greek meaning signals not only a time of disaster and doom but also a moment of sacred revelation. In conversation with Indigenous Himalayan and critical geographic theorizations of geopoetics, sacred landscapes, and prophecy, I understand these articulations as an Indigenous geopoetics: a praxis and philosophy grounded in the particularity of place, one that reads the earth and its signs in ways that maintain hope in times of crisis and uncertainty.

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Student Event Thursday: From Coursework to Career: Creating an Asia-Focused Digital Portfolio

Elizabeth Williams — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 22:21:05 +0000

Student Event Thursday: From Coursework to Career: Creating an Asia-Focused Digital Portfolio Elizabeth Williams Mon, 01/26/2026 - 15:21

Thursday January 29^th from 12:30-1:30
Denison Arts & Sciences Building, room 146

How do you translate academic work on Asia into a compelling professional narrative? This workshop supports undergraduate students in transforming their coursework, research, language learning, and global experiences into a digital portfolio using BuffsCreate. Designed for students across Asian Studies, Asian Languages and Civilizations, History, Anthropology, Religious Studies, and beyond, the session focuses on articulating skills, framing academic projects for non-specialist audiences, and creating a portfolio that supports applications for internships, jobs, graduate school, and fellowships. Participants will leave with a clearer sense of how to present their work—and a foundation for a polished BuffsCreate site.

This workshop will be led by Linguistics graduate student and FLAS recipient Sarah Maronick and Dr. Lauren Collins, Asian Studies Program Director.

Pizza will be served. RSVP to lauren.collins@colorado.edu as space is limited

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Hirshberg wins Khyentse Foundation Academic Development Grant

Elizabeth Williams — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 17:07:25 +0000

Hirshberg wins Khyentse Foundation Academic Development Grant Elizabeth Williams Tue, 01/20/2026 - 10:07

CAS Tibetan and Himalayan studies teaching associate professor Dan Hirshberg won a Khyentse Foundation Academic Development Grant cost matched by Daryl Maeda, Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, to fund his position in academic year 2026–27.

Focusing on contemplative pedagogy in his course designs and his grant application, Dan wrote: "such high-impact experiential learning can be seen as a contemporary innovation of Tibetan and Buddhist contemplative techniques to benefit those who do not necessarily ascribe to their tenets. Moreover, at a time when the humanities and international area studies in the US are under severe threat, explicitly targeted for abolishment by the federal government, such interdisciplinarity across the humanities, arts and sciences extends a bridge to demonstrate the unparalleled depth and richness of these humanistic traditions, not just as historical and cultural artifacts, but as ever-relevant living processes, evolving and innovating such that they can be effectively applied in secular educational contexts. How can we demonstrate, through the curriculum we design and for the students we reach, that for over 2500 years, these lineages of extraordinary rigor, discipline, experimentation and innovation have offered diverse peoples, of countless cultural and historical contexts, the means for them to flourish? We must help students directly experience for themselves that they still do."

Khyentse Foundation is a global nonprofit organization established in 2001 to actualize the vision of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche by preserving and promoting the wisdom of the Buddha. It functions primarily as a funding institution that supports individuals and projects committed to the study, practice, and dissemination of Buddhist teachings across all traditions in a nonsectarian spirit. The foundation’s work encompasses major initiatives in Buddhist scholarship, text preservation and translation, monastic and teacher training, academic development, educational programs for children, and practitioner support. Through grants, scholarships, awards, and seed funding, Khyentse Foundation aids scholars, practitioners, translators, institutions, and emerging initiatives worldwide, with the goal of enabling the Buddha’s insights to flourish in contemporary contexts.

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FLAS (Foreign Language and Area Studies) Fellowships

Elizabeth Williams — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 19:33:46 +0000

FLAS (Foreign Language and Area Studies) Fellowships Elizabeth Williams Mon, 01/12/2026 - 12:33

Information Session: Tuesday, January 13, 2026, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., on Zoom

The Center for Asian Studies (CAS) is offering summer fellowships to all С��-Boulder students and MSU Denver undergraduates for summer 2026.

FLAS fellowships administered by CAS will be awarded competitively to students studying modern Asian languages. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) funds and oversees these awards, under the provisions of Title VI of the Higher Education Act.

As of fall semester 2025, CAS has been notified that this program is being discontinued and summer 2026 will be the final award period for the time being. We have significant funding remaining that must be used this summer, so we hope to be able to support a large number of students.

Eligible Languages

All modern Asia languages offered on the С��-Boulder campus; additional Asian languages can be considered for summer awards pending additional approval.

Arabic
Chinese
Hindi/Urdu
Indonesian*
Japanese
Korean
Tibetan*

* Additional approval required after selection; consult with CAS for information.

Award Benefits

Tuition: FLAS will cover up to $5,000 of tuition and fees.
Stipend: FLAS will provide a stipend of $3,500.

Optional Travel Award

Awards up to $1000 or actual cost of travel, whichever is lower, may be made in addition to FLAS Fellowship.
Pre-approval and compliance with the Fly America Act is required for international travel.

Check out this video about why to apply for FLAS.

Details and Application Forms:

Note that two letters of recommendation are required with the application, so we highly recommend that students look at the application information and request letters as soon as possible.

Information Session: Tuesday, January 13, 2026, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., on Zoom

Application deadline: Sunday, February 15, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. MST.

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Open Asia-related courses offered in the spring - Internationalize your semester!

Elizabeth Williams — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 18:42:05 +0000

Open Asia-related courses offered in the spring - Internationalize your semester! Elizabeth Williams Tue, 01/06/2026 - 11:42

ASIA 2852 Contemporary Southeast Asia: Environmental Politics

TTh 12:30pm-1:45pm
Shae Frydenlund (shfr8297@colorado.edu)

Examines globally pressing questions of environmental sustainability, regional inequality and development in the dynamic and heterogeneous landscapes of contemporary Southeast Asia. Focuses on interactions between histories of uneven development and contemporary debates over energy and infrastructure, food security, governance and access to land, forest and water-based resources.

ASIA 4500 Urban Asia: Tradition, Modernity, Challenges

T 3:30pm-6pm
Shae Frydenlund (shfr8297@colorado.edu)

Explores change in urban Asia, the representation of Asian cities, and the challenges of urban life through a transdisciplinary and thematic approach using academic articles, documentaries, and literary materials. The class discusses the role of tradition, concepts of modernity, the impact of tourism, rural to urban migration, poverty, the effects of war, legacies of colonialism, and environmental challenges.

INDO1120 Beginning Indonesian 2

MWF 2:30-3:20pm
Alifia Moci Maritta (Alifia.Maritta@colorado.edu)

Classes are offered in person or remotely using the Directed Independent Language Study method. Classes will employ "flipped" task-based learning approaches. Coursework includes reading, listening, grammar, answering questions, and speaking practice. Grades are based on demonstrated proficiency of written and spoken Indonesian through in-class performance and examinations.

INDO 2120 Intermediate Indonesian 2

MWF 10:10am-11am
Alifia Moci Maritta (Alifia.Maritta@colorado.edu)

In the second year, students will be exposed to more active communication The structure, vocabulary and language features and the four language skills are embedded within various topics. Throughout the semester, students will be exposed to Indonesian vocabulary, structure, and culture.

TBTN 1120 Beginning Tibetan II - DILS

MWF 8am-8:50am Meets Remotely
Dan Hirshberg (dan.hirshberg@colorado.edu)

Continuation of TBTN 1110; provides a thorough introduction to the colloquial and literary Tibetan language, emphasizing speaking and listening in the Lhasa dialect. Trains students in basic conversations and the idiomatic and syntactical features of Tibetan through drills and dialogues.

HIND 1020 Beginning Hindi 2

M-Th 10:10 am
Nidhi Arya
(Nidhi.Arya@colorado.edu)

Continuation of HIND 1010. Provides a thorough introduction to the modern Hindi language, emphasizing speaking, listening, reading and writing skills.

HIND 2120 Intermediate Hindi 2

M-Th 12:20-1:10 pm
Nidhi Arya
(Nidhi.Arya@colorado.edu)

Continuation of HIND 2110. Enhances students’ speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills and culturally appropriate language use.

CHIN 3363 Women and the Supernatural in Chinese Literature

TTH 12:30-1:45 PM
Antje Richter (antje.richter@colorado.edu)

In this course, we explore the relationship between the worlds of women and the supernatural as they are represented in Chinese literature and culture. We'll be discussing narratives about female ghosts, fox spirits, goddesses, women warriors, and human lovers.

RLST 3070 Islamic Mysticism: Ibn Arabi, Rumi, and the Sufi Tradition

M/W/F 1:25-2:15
Aun Hasan Ali (aun.ali@colorado.edu)

Are you interested in learning more about the Islamic tradition of Sufism? Did you know that Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, the 13th century Persian poet and Sufi master, is the best-selling poet in the US and one of the best-known poets in the world?

Introduces students to the philosophical, literary, and musical traditions of Islamic Mysticism or Sufism. Figures covered include: Rumi, Hallaj, Ibn Arabi, Mulla Sadra, Ghazali, Hafez, Ibn al-Farid, Ghalib, and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Students will learn how Islamic Mysticism differs across cultural contexts and how it compares to other mystical traditions.

RLST 3550 [Death and Rebirth in] Tibetan Buddhism

T/Th 2-3:15pm
Dan Hirshberg (dan.hirshberg@colorado.edu)

Explores Tibetan Buddhist theories and practices of dying and death to survey its diverse contemplative techniques, philosophical principles, and ultimate objective of total liberation from suffering. With its elaborate descriptions of the experience of death, the so-called Tibetan Book of the Dead has been an object of Western fascination for a century–but we will survey its complete form, not only as a manual for dying but for living, while placing it within its historical, textual, and literary contexts as a religious scripture and ritual liturgy.

HIND 1011 Introduction to South Asian Civilization

MWF 2:30-3:20
Nidhi Arya (Nidhi.Arya@colorado.edu)

This course offers a dynamic and immersive introduction to South Asia’s rich and multifaceted civilization. Beyond a mere geographical definition, South Asia encompasses a vibrant tapestry of cultures, histories, and traditions.

HIST 4648 Inventing Chinese Modernity

T/Th 12:30-1:45
Tim Weston (weston@colorado.edu)

This course covers the continuous revolutionary change that China underwent from 1800 to the successful Communist Revolution of 1949.

RLST 1810 Islamic Spain: Land of Three Religions

T/Th 930 - 10:45am
Brian Catlos (Brian.catlos@colorado.edu)

For nearly a thousand years Muslim Spain – al-Andalus – was the home to communities of Christians, Muslims and Jews who lived together in both cooperation and conflict.Explore the politics, culture and society of Islamic Spain and how it influenced the course of European history.

RLST 3801 Muslims, Christians, Jews & the Mediterranean Origins of the West

T/Th 1230 - 1:45pm
Brian Catlos (Brian.catlos@colorado.edu)

This course provides a historical foundation for the study of western Modernity, including the Anglo-European and Islamic worlds. It focuses on the Mediterranean region in the long Middle Ages (650-1650), emphasizing the role of Christian, Muslim and Jewish peoples and cultures, in Europe, Africa and West Asia in both conflict and collaboration.

ANTH 4760 Ethnography of Southeast Asia

T/Th 2-3:15pm
Carla Jones (carla.jones@colorado.edu)

This class introduces students to the vibrant cultural and political landscape of Southeast Asia, with a focus on urban and consumer culture, religion, and gender. Readings will situate phenomena like celebrity preachers, death, fashion, commodity subcultures, and state violence through the perspective of anthropological fieldwork conducted in Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

GEOG 3832 Love & War Geographies: Imperialism, Militarism, and Development in South Asia

T/Th 12:30-1:45 pm
Taneesha Mohan (Taneesha.Mohan@colorado.edu)

Experience the diverse societies and cultures of India, Nepal, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and the Maldives. Learn about the different belief systems, cultural practices, and environments in this region and how international relations and politics in this region influence global trade/economics, politics, conflict, and security.

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