East Coast Asian American Student Union

East Coast Asian American Student Union

Abbreviation	ECAASU
Formation	1977;48 years ago (1977)
Type	501(c)(3) intercollegiate student organization
Purpose	Asian-Pacific American advocacy
Headquarters	Connecticut
Region served	Eastern United States
Website	www.ecaasu.org
Formerly called	Intercollegiate Liaison Committee (ICLC) (1977–1978) East Coast Asian Student Union (ECASU) (1978–2004) East Coast Asian American Student Union (ECAASU) (2004–2008)

The East Coast Asian American Student Union (ECAASU) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes awareness of Asian and Pacific Islander social issues. ^[1] Run by volunteers, ECAASU's advocacy work focuses on outreach to AAPI student organizations across the United States and by educating individuals through various programs throughout the year. ECAASU hosts an annual conference for Asian American students. ^{[2] [3]} The organization's membership is primarily composed of universities from the Eastern United States, while its annual conferences draw students and activists from throughout the United States.

ECAASU was originally established in 1978 as the East Coast Asian Student Union (ECASU) before changing its name at a 2005 conference.^{[ clarification needed ]} It currently attracts over 1,500 students to its annual conference. The ECAASU conference held at the University of Pennsylvania (March 4–6, 2010) was attended by almost 1,700 students. Likewise, the 2013 ECAASU conference held at Columbia University drew in over 1,500 students from over 200 different colleges.

History

Background

In the 1960s, Asian American students organized rallies, sit-ins, and campus takeovers in San Francisco, California, and in other parts of the country that called for universities to improve access to higher education for these students. These efforts coincided with Asian Americans entering universities and colleges in significant numbers. Ethnic studies and other supportive programs were established to include Asian Americans. ^[4]

During the 1970s, Asian American student organizations were established to deal with their specific needs and concerns. The first was the Yale University Asian American Students Association (Yale AASA), which was established in 1969. Its members persuaded Yale to recruit more Asian American students, organized campaigns to repeal Title II of the 1950 McCarran Act, and developed the first Asian American Studies course on the East Coast during the Spring semester of 1970.^{[ citation needed ]}

The first East Coast Asian American student conference, "Asians in America," took place at Yale in April 1970. Over 300 students from over 40 different colleges attended. Members of Yale AASA, led by editor Lowell Chun-Hoon and publisher Don Nakanishi, of Yale's Class of 1971, founded Amerasia Journal , the first academic journal for the field of Asian American Studies.^{[ citation needed ]}

1977–1978: Establishment as Intercollegiate Liaison Committee and East Coast Asian Student Union

Impact of the Bakke decision

In 1978, the Supreme Court upheld Allan Bakke's claim that he had not been admitted to UC Davis medical school due to "reverse discrimination". This sparked a student-led struggle against this decision. This led to the founding of the West Coast Asian Pacific Student Union (APSU), the Midwest Asian Pacific American Student Organization network, and ECASU, with regions^{[ clarification needed ]} in the Mid-Atlantic and New England.^{[ citation needed ]}

2004–2008: Establishment as East Coast Asian American Student Union & ECAASU, Inc.

In addition, ECAASU began to apply for non-profit status and created new boards, including the Board of Directors (aka Directorate) and the ECAASU Representatives Council (which included about). The National Board has also taken steps to create ECAASU events outside of the yearly conference, ^[5] including regional fall mixers. Lastly, the National Board has revived the ECAASU journal, formerly known as Asian American Spirit, now titled Envision.

Following ECAASU's 2007 Conference at Yale, the council experienced a period of revival, growing from 2 to 12 people and occupying 10 board positions. In 2008, ECAASU became ECAASU, Inc. as it became an 501(c)(3) organization. ^[6] The council was then reestablished as the National Board, boasting around 60 members from over 40 schools.

2008–present: Continued success and reformation of board

COVID-19

In 2021, in-person attendance for the conference was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, following the end of 2020. The conference was moved virtually for both 2021 and 2022, resuming in-person activities in 2023.

Programs

ECAASU offers three major programs, which allows participants to receive a discounted registration fee to the annual conference.

• High School Program: The virtual program is an initiative offered by the organization that aims to educate high school students across the country on Asian American issues. Its three core themes are identity & self, political activism & community organizing, and social movements & history. ^[7] The program hosts workshops online, bringing projects and discussions over Zoom.
• Campus Summits: Aimed at those in higher education, Campus Summits offers a similar program to the High School Program but to undergraduate and graduate students alike. Originally known as Campus Tours, the summits are essentially mini-conferences that are hosted locally at the organizer's campus and/or community, where they primarily educate students, faculty, and staff about AAPI issues. ^[8]
• Artist in Residence: Established in 2020, the Artist in Residence program's mission is to "uplift and foster community between emerging Asian American (A/A) artists of all mediums." Offering meetings, guest mentors, craft workshops, and discussion workshops, AiR also focuses on uplifting selected artists by sharing their portfolios through ECAASU’s network, housing portfolios on ECAASU’s existing platforms, supporting artists in publishing opportunities including the ECAASU Journal, and providing a final exposition at ECAASU’s annual national conference. ^[9]
• ECAASU Journal: A recent publication, ECAASU Journal made its inaugural issue post-2025 Conference. ^{[10] [11]} An academic and artistic journal, the journal offers five major categories of works, ranging from creative writing, essays, poetry, photography/film, and visual art, with submissions from over 10 different artists.

Past conferences

ECAASU hosts annual conferences around the East Coast, ^[12] spearheaded by three major boards: the National Board, the Board of Directors, and the Conference Team. At the end of each conference, a group of students (usually those in an Asian American student organization) submits a bid proposal to the conference director in order to bring the conference to their campus, in which those will become part of the annual (External) Conference Team.

A thematic statement offers centralized tenants to the conferences' workshops, ^[13] exploring the nuances of the Asian American identity. Workshops are hosted by the National Board, offering plenaries and roundtables.

A conference also holds a keynote speaker during the opening ceremony. Recent keynote speakers included author R.F. Kuang and chef Edward Lee, at the 2024 and 2025 Conference respectively. ^{[14] [15]}

List of ECAASU conferences by year, location, and theme

Year	School(s)/Location	Theme	Ref.
1977	Yale University	—	[ citation needed ]
1978	Princeton University	Asian Student Unity	[ citation needed ]
1979	University of Massachusetts Amherst	Learning From the Past to Build Up to the Future	[ citation needed ]
1980	Harvard University	Asian Students Organizing for the 80's	[ citation needed ]
1981	Mount Holyoke College	Asian Women, Myth and Reality	[ citation needed ]
1982	Harvard University	Rising to the Challenge	[ citation needed ]
1983	Columbia University	Asian Students in Action	[ citation needed ]
1984	Brown University	Asian Americans and the American Dream	[ citation needed ]
1985	Smith College	Visions of Asians in America: Aspiration & Responsibilities	[ citation needed ]
1986	Princeton University	Asian Students: New Directions...Beyond the Model Minority	[ citation needed ]
1987	Boston University	Education in Action	[ citation needed ]
1988	Cornell University	Momentum for Change: 10 Years of ECASU	[ citation needed ]
1989	Hunter College	Asian Empowerment through Unity: A Challenging Future	[ citation needed ]
1990	University of Massachusetts Ahmerst Smith College Mount Holyoke College Hampshire College Amherst College	The 1990 Census and Beyond: A Map for Asian American Impact in the United States	[ citation needed ]
1991	Binghamton University	Speak Up, Speak Out: End of Marginalization	[ citation needed ]
1992	Harvard University	Changing Faces of Asian American Community	[ citation needed ]
1993	University of Pennsylvania	Lights, Camera, Action	[ citation needed ]
1994	Yale University	APAs in the Arts and Media	[ citation needed ]
1995	Duke University	Exposing the Plight of Asian Pacific Americans in our Nation's Inner Cities	[ citation needed ]
1996	University of Maryland, College Park	Building Bridges to our Future	[ citation needed ]
1997	University at Albany, SUNY	Where Do Asian Americans Fit in the Black and White Paradigm	[ citation needed ]
1998	Cornell University	Leading the Way to the 21st Century	[16]
1999	Brown University	Coming Together: A Pan-Asian Pacific American Movement into the Next Millennium	[17]
2000	Yale University	Stepping Forward: identity, unity, action	[ citation needed ]
2001	Columbia University	Evolution!	[18]
2002	Duke University	Strangers in America	[19]
2003	Georgetown University	New Horizons	[ citation needed ]
2004	University of Virginia	Awakening	[ citation needed ]
2005	University of Pennsylvania	Impact: Our Own Making	[ citation needed ]
2006	George Washington University	Foundations: Deep Roots, Lasting Growth	[ citation needed ]
2007	Yale University	Breaking Through	[20]
2008	Cornell University	Push Forward	[21]
2009	Rutgers University	Distinct Worlds, One Vision	[22]
2010	University of Pennsylvania	Behind These Eyes: Impression. Introspection. Innovation	[23]
2011	University of Massachusetts Amherst	B.R.E.A.K: Bridge, Revitalize, Equality, Action, Knowledge	[24]
2012	Duke University	Rediscovery. Renaissance. Revolution.	[ citation needed ]
2013	Columbia University	Within. Across. Beyond.	[25]
2014	Washington, D.C. (Georgetown University, George Washington University, American University and University of Maryland, College Park)	Mission IGNITION: Champion Your Cause	[26]
2015	Harvard University	New Asian American	[27]
2016	Rutgers University	Beyond Our Boundaries	[ citation needed ]
2017	North Carolina Triangle (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University, and North Carolina State University)	Atmosphere	[ citation needed ]
2018	Cornell University	Continuum: Power Through Perspective	[ citation needed ]
2019	University of Central Florida University of Florida Florida State University Florida Atlantic University University of South Florida University of Miami	Introspection	[ citation needed ]
2020	Carnegie Mellon University University of Pittsburgh	Building Bridges	[ citation needed ]
2021	Montclair State University Stockton University	Resilience	[12]
2022	Boston University Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Turning the Tides	[12]
2023	University of Virginia	Reconnection and Reflection	[ citation needed ]
2024	Yale University	Resistance in Joy	[ citation needed ]
2025	Washington, D.C.	Bloom	[28]

Bibliography

• Takanagi, Dana Y (1992). The Retreat from Race: Asian-American Admissions and Racial Politics. Rutgers University Press. ISBN   0-8135-1914-4 . Retrieved 27 February 2008.
• Vellela, Tony (1988). New Voices: Student Activism in the '80s and '90s. South End Press. pp. 113–116. ISBN   0-89608-341-1 . Retrieved 27 February 2008.
• Wei, William (1994). The Asian American Movement. Temple University Press. ISBN   1-56639-183-0 . Retrieved 25 February 2008.

References

1. "East Coast Asian American Student Union". InfluenceWatch. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
2. "ECAASU conference is reborn at U.Va". ECAASU conference is reborn at U.Va. - The Cavalier Daily - University of Virginia's Student Newspaper. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
3. "ECAASU conference is reborn at U.Va". ECAASU conference is reborn at U.Va. - The Cavalier Daily - University of Virginia's Student Newspaper. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
4. "Third World Liberation Front Research Initiative (twLF) | Center for Race and Gender". crg.berkeley.edu. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
5. "ECAASU - Upcoming Events". 10 March 2008. Archived from the original on 10 March 2008. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
6. "ECAASU Representatives Council". 24 March 2008. Archived from the original on 24 March 2008. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
7. "High School Program". ECAASU. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
8. "Campus Summits". ECAASU. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
9. "Artist in Residence Program". ECAASU. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
10. "Journal". ECAASU. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
11. "2025 Journal". ECAASU. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
12. "Past Conferences". ECAASU. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
13. "2025 Conference Theme Statement: Bloom". ECAASU. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
14. Yale, ECAASU [@ecaasu.yale]; (19 January 2024). "Last (but certainly not least), meet ECAASU 2024's keynote speaker, Rebecca F. Kuang!" . Retrieved 1 September 2025– via Instagram.
15. @ecaasu2025; (22 January 2025). "Meet our 2025 Conference Keynote Speaker, Edward Lee!" . Retrieved 1 September 2025– via Instagram.
16. "[ECASU 1998] Azn-Extension by Sigma Psi Zeta Sorority". 28 August 1999. Archived from the original on 21 October 2009. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
17. "1999 East Coast Asian Student Union Conference". 24 February 2005. Archived from the original on 24 February 2005. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
18. "Welcome to ECASU 2001". www.columbia.edu. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
19. "ECASU 2002 | Presented by Duke University and the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill". 11 May 2008. Archived from the original on 11 May 2008. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
20. "ECAASU2007". 30 December 2009. Archived from the original on 30 December 2009. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
21. "Push Forward". Archived from the original on 9 May 2008. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
22. "ECAASU 2009: Distinct Worlds, One Vision | Hosted by Rutgers University". 12 October 2008. Archived from the original on 12 October 2008. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
23. "ECAASU 2010". ECAASU 2010. Archived from the original on 3 April 2010.
24. "UMass ECAASU 2011". 1 July 2011. Archived from the original on 1 July 2011. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
25. ECAASU. "ECAASU 2013". Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
26. "ECAASU 2014 Conference | Mission IGNITION: Champion Your Cause!". 7 January 2014. Archived from the original on 7 January 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
27. "Home - ECAASU 2015". 10 February 2016. Archived from the original on 10 February 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
28. "ECAASU 2025 Conference @ Washington, DC". ECAASU . Archived from the original on 18 June 2025. Retrieved 1 September 2025.

External links

• ECASU: East Coast Asian Student Union ^{[ usurped ]}
• East Coast Asian American Student Union (ECAASU)