Chicago Flame: February 3, 2002

Students Still Pushing for Asian American Center
Space Would be First of Kind in Midwest

By Hafsa Naz Mahmood

Rena Patel, chairman of the Asian American Coalition Committee, sits at her office desk in the Chicago Circle Center high rise. She is one of the coalition members focusing on establishing an Asian American resource and cultural center on campus.

Budget cuts at the University of Illinois, proposed to compensate for a funding shortfall caused by the state's looming deficit, have put many new programs in jeopardy, but plans for the long-awaited Asian-American cultural center at the university's Chicago campus seem to be on track.

Student members of the Asian American Coalition Committee at UIC have been constant in trying to build an Asian-American resource cultural center on campus for more than 10 years. Within the last three years, they finally have gained some momentum.

In their quest for the center, coalition members have pointed out UIC has such facilities for other minority groups, such as blacks and Hispanics, but not for Asian Americans. They submitted a plan in November to interim Provost Charlotte Tate requesting a cultural center at UIC.

UIC junior Rena Patel, chairman of the Asian American Coalition Committee, said the center still should be founded despite the university's money problems.

"The climate is favorable," Patel said. "UIC Provost Tate made a commitment to establish something for the center next year. But with budget cuts, she will need to see what she can allocate."

The center would be the only one of its kind for Asian-American college students in the Midwest.

Patel said the cultural center's most important purpose would be promoting awareness and understanding of Asian-American cultures, histories and experiences.

"We will have cultural production, films and speakers for the entire UIC community, as well as for the entire Chicagoland area," Patel said.

Other components would be academic support, career counseling, leadership development, psychological counseling and cultural events.

"Student organizations will have space to meet and express themselves through painting if they please," Patel said.

She said she wants to emphasize the center would be open to helping all UIC students, not just Asian Americans, and provide an education that is available outside of the classroom.

The center will be designed to provide an atmosphere where every student feels comfortable, Patel said. If its staff members cannot help a student, they will assist the student and redirect them to where they need to go, she said.

"The idea is not to make a different counsel center, but to focus on the thought of helping others and bring more students to a counseling center," Patel said.

"The topics of discussion will be of Asian Americans, as well as the things that are happening in this country today."

This year the coalition is working on building its staff for the center and appointing a director to ensure efficient planning. Next year members will focus on getting the actual place ready for the public to use.

The coalition members envision the center in a location accessible to the most number of people. Patel said she hopes for the building to be somewhere on the east campus.

Meanwhile, members are holding an Asian American Film Series, called "Telling Our Stories," at 3 p.m. about every two weeks through April 15 at the Montgomery Ward Lounge in Chicago Circle Center. The films will feature different stories from Southeast Asia, Japan, China, Korea, India and Pakistan.