I have the pleasure of organizing the 50th anniversary conference of the Mid-Atlantic Region of the Association for Asian Studies, which will be held at Penn on October 1 and 2, 2022.

Program Statement

As we celebrate the 50th annual meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Region of the Association for Asian Studies, we consider this question: Where is Asian studies now? 

This question invites us to reflect, first, on the inspiring development of Asian studies departments and programs throughout the mid-Atlantic region over the last half-century. From expanded library collections to enhanced language training programs, Asian studies in the mid-Atlantic region is thriving even as significant room for growth remains.

The question also invites rumination on the state of our field. What does it mean to study Asia today? Recent trends in transnational studies, blue humanities, and digital humanities offer just some of the enticing areas of cutting-edge research in our field. What are the intellectual horizons of this recent research, and what possibilities lie just beyond them? 

Finally, asking where Asian studies is now continues the work begun in pioneering initiatives like the “Global Asias” approach. How can Asian studies benefit from cutting-edge work in Asian American studies? When does “Asia” not simply refer to the world’s largest landmass? And what political work does the adjective “Asian” do when considered in light of global structures of capital and attendant notions of race, class, and social status?