About the Asian American Activities Center
General Information
| Contact Information |
| Asian American Activities Center (A³C) Mail Code 3064 Old Union Clubhouse Stanford, CA, 94305-3064 Phone: (650) 723-3681 Fax: (650) 723-4639 Directions: Stanford Map or Google Maps  |
The Asian American Activities Center, or the A³C (”A Cubed C”), is a department under the Vice Provost for Student Affairs and serves as Stanford’s primary resource for Asian American student affairs and community development. The A³C contributes to the academic mission of the university through its partnerships and collaborative work with faculty, departments and academic programs. Through programming and advising, the center contributes to the multicultural education of all students and to the development of leaders able to negotiate an increasingly diverse and complex workplace and global environment.
The A³C builds a community of students, faculty, staff and alumni that fosters greater understanding and awareness of the Asian American experience. It offers many resources for the community. The A³C is home to over thirty student organizations that hold weekly meetings and rehearsals in the Center and also use the office as workspace for planning events. The center houses the Asian American Resource Library which contains Asian American literature, reference texts, hard to find periodicals, University documents, newspaper clippings, and videos. Located in the center for student use are a computer cluster, fax machine, TV, VCR, DVD, and stereo, making the center comfortable and functional for student activities.
Students come to the A³C for information on campus resources and community service opportunities; for meetings; for cultural and educational programs and workshops; for research materials; for organizational and personal advising; for relaxing between classes; and to study. In the evenings, student organizations utilize the space for group meetings and events. Staff come to the A3C to attend events, meet as staff and connect with and mentor students. Faculty come to the A3C for resources, help with research projects and to speak at workshops and on panels. Alumni come to the A3C to meet students and to host meetings and events. Campus partners come to the A3C for advice, collaborations and to connect with students.
History
The Asian American Activities Center has a long history at Stanford as a student initiated space that has transformed over the years to meet the current needs of the Stanford student body. The first iteration of the center began in 1972 after a group of students involved in the newly formed Asian American Students Alliance (AASA) advocated for and received an office space in the Old Fire Truck House. For the first decade of its existence, the center was staffed entirely by five student volunteer interns.
In 1987, the Dean of Students approved funding for a half time Director/Dean position in response to a set of demands proposed by the Rainbow Agenda (including students from AASA, MEChA, SAIO, BSU). In 1989, the Dean of Student Affairs formally institutionalized the A³C by hiring Richard Yuen as the first full-time Director. Soon after in 1991, Cindy Ng was hired as the first Program Coordinator, from which she was first promoted to Assistant Director and then promoted to her current position as Associate Dean and Director. In 2004, Shelley Tadaki, who received both her B.A. & M.A. from Stanford, joined the A3C as the Assistant Director of the center.
The A³C within the Context of the larger Asian American community at Stanford
The Asian American Activities Center is a University department and one of four ethnic community centers in the Vice Provost for Student Affairs Division. It is located in the newly renovated Old Union Clubhouse.
The Asian American New Student Orientation Committee (AANSOC) is a student organization working within New Student Orientation to host the “We are Family” event and assist the Big Sib/Lil’ Sib program. It aims to ease the transition to Stanford life by connecting freshmen to the Asian American community.
The Asian American Students Association (AASA) is an independent student-run cultural, political, social, and community service organization that serves as the umbrella organization for the other Asian American groups on campus.
Okada, located in Wilbur Hall, is the Asian American theme house. The dorm was named after John Okada, the author of No-No Boy, a novel about Japanese Americans during World War II.