‘The petition also demanded that ‘transparency and non-tokenizing’ student participation be involved in the hiring process for the AAA studies minor.’

The above quote is taken from a recently published article in Tuesday’s edition of The Daily Orange. The article by David Propper, titled ‘Students say professor lacks background to teach Asian and Asian American studies course,’ targets professor Susan Edmunds of the English Department, claiming she is not qualified to teach the course ETS 315: ‘Ethnic Literatures and Cultures: Asian American Fiction,’ which is part of the newly instated AAA minor here at Syracuse University.

This statement, along with the claims from Asian Students in America (ASIA) is a direct attack on the qualifications of Edmunds, stating that her involvement in the instruction within the program is solely due to her being white for the sake of her being white. This claim is laden with a racism that SU and professors like Edmunds are fighting with all their effort. The mindset that only Asian-Americans are qualified to teach about Asian-American studies has profound and disturbing resonances to the very claims that stated only men should be able to read and write and that women and African-Americans should not have the right to vote.

Years of progress and strides toward equality seem to be overlooked with such a claim that Edmunds is not qualified to teach the course, despite having earned a bachelor’s degree and doctorate from Yale University.

Should these ignorant accusations be heeded by the English Department, what will follow? Will all teachers be banned from teaching about cultural issues to which they cannot externally identify? The petitioners seem to be overlooking the fact that Asian-American literature is rooted in American literature as much as its Asian connections. It is not simply called ‘Asian literature,’ after all.

Are we all still being judged solely on the color of our skin, despite the scholarly aptitude of studying at the world’s most prestigious universities and colleges? I caution all who fall into the mindset of agreeing with these petitioners that they are calling for exactly what America and this university has been fighting against for decades.

The heeding of these arguments will lead to further and greater segregation on this campus and will rob aspiring students from gleaning the greatest educational experiences possible. This outright racism is unfounded and personally attacks an astute and exemplary professor solely on the color of her skin.

Paul Czuprynski

Junior English education and English and textual studies major

Published on April 19, 2011 at 12:00 pm