The Asian American / Asian Research Institute (AAARI) was established on November 19, 2001, by The City University of New York (CUNY) Board of Trustees, in a resolution introduced by Chancellor Matthew Goldstein. The Institute is a university-wide scholarly research and resource center that focuses on policies and issues that affect Asians and Asian Americans. It covers four areas: Asian American Studies; East Asian Studies; South Asian Studies; and Trade & Technology Studies.

Our Mission
The City University of New York, with 23 institutions city-wide, is rich in faculty who have expertise in Asian and Asian American studies. As of Fall 2009, CUNY enrolled over 38,900 Asian undergraduate and 4,100 graduate students who will soon emerge as a vital segment of New York City’s workforce and leadership. Asians represent over 4,000 faculty and staff at CUNY.

The Asian American/Asian Research Institute seeks to achieve the following:

• to be an Asian intellectual and cultural center that addresses the  needs of New York’s diverse ethnic subgroups of Asian origin

• to be a respected authority regionally, nationally, and internationally, on issues concerning Asia, and the Asian American community

• to stimulate the study of Asian people, languages, cultures, and countries as well as Asian immigrants and their descendants who live in the U.S.

• to bring together a community of scholars and channel their scholarship and research energies on Asia and the Asian American experience

• to identify timely issues that affect the Asian and Asian American communities

• to conduct scholarly, unbiased studies impacting policy and community concerns

• to disseminate its research results and educate the public about  Asian and Asian American issues

• to serve as a bridge between CUNY, and the Asian American community

Our Accomplishments

• Established a weekly public lecture series featuring over 190+ topics

• Received the following grants: CUNY Diversity Grants to produce the “Chinatown in the 21st Century” workshop, and conference on “Asian American Women,” Verizon Foundation Grant to conduct the “Community/ Academia Hi-Tech Bridge Workshop,” Ford Foundation Good Neighbor Grant to fund Lecture/Cinema Series

• Provided funding for research proposals by six CUNY faculty members

• Produced nine major conferences, including Asian American Leadership: Healing and Rebuilding New York after 9/11; Global Entrepreneurship: Economic Development for Asia and the U.S.; South Asians and the Diaspora; The Well-Being of Asian American Senior Citizens; Caribbean Asians: The Journey Continues; Asian American Women: Celebrating Successes, Meeting Challenges; Redefining Asian America in the 21st Century

• Produced a CUNY Bulletin of Asian American / Asian Affairs: Vol. 1 – 6

• Established a community forum for Asian organizations to conduct outreach

• Offered workshops on Chinese Calligraphy and Painting; Tai Chi; & Asian Civilizations: Exploration of the Chinese Mind; and Dharma

• Offered language workshops for Cantonese-Chinese, Mandarin-Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese

• Established an Asian cinema series during the summer and winter sessions

• Produced a website featuring live webcasting, streaming video, and audio podcast of activities; and instant messaging for live interaction during events or online assistance

• Established an annual CUNY-wide Asian American Film Festival 

Plans for the Future
We envision the Asian American / Asian Research Institute to be a financially well-endowed organization, supported by the New York State and City legislature, as a respected authority regionally, nationally, and internationally on issues concerning Asia, and the Asian American community. It will be a non-partisan research institution and a pan-Asian intellectual and cultural center that addresses the needs of New York's diverse subgroups of Asian origin. The Institute will become a bridge between the City University of New York, and the Asian American community.

• Establish the AAARI/Dr. Thomas Tam Professorship in Asian American and Asian Studies

• Establish a research agenda on Asian American, and Asian issues

• Collaborate and provide research opportunities for faculty, with a particular emphasis on new faculty

• Provide research opportunities for students on Asian American and  Asian affairs

• Establish professional development opportunities for Asian American faculty and staff, including leadership in higher education