Institute for the Development and Education of Asian American Leaders
Introduction
Texas A&M University is very proud of its rich history, tradition, and culture. A major source of this pride is the how student leaders are at the heart of this history, tradition, and culture. The moment they step foot on campus, students at Texas A&M are bombarded with leadership organizations, retreats, conferences, and seminars. At any other university, this attempt to immerse their students into leadership would result in total apathy, or at the other end of the spectrum, produce too many leaders, and would likely fail in either situation. However, at Texas A&M, students embrace these opportunities and make the most of them. As we move into the 21st century, we must challenge ourselves to foster leadership with respect to an increasingly diverse population. One key aspect of this increasingly diverse country is the Asian American Community, the fastest growing racial population in the country. Through IDEAAL we strive to improve Texas A&M’s ability to attract, retain, and produce leaders for the Asian American community.
For Texas A&M to continue to produce the best and brightest future leaders in the country, we must account for the booming Asian American population. This population has grown 48 % in the past decade, more than any other racial population (2000 Census). This has implications on higher education as 55% of Asian Americans reported having bachelors’ degree, also the largest of any population (2000 Census). In fact, the percentage of college students who identify as Asian American (6%) is actually larger than the percentage of Asian Americans in the total population (3%), with most of these students attending public research universities such as Texas A&M.
Unfortunately, institutions of higher education have been slow to respond to this growing trend. Less than 1% of all college administrators are Asian American. Furthermore, Asian Americans are less likely to utilize services such as counseling, mental health, etc (Uba, 1994).The opportunity for ethnic identity development is particularly important for the historically underserved and misunderstood Asian American community (Kawaguchi 2003). We must be intentional and precise in our efforts to serve this population as an essential part of remaining at the forefront of developing future leaders.
In order to address the unique issues of Asian American leadership at Texas A&M, we introduce IDEAAL, the Institute for the Development and Education of Asian American Leaders. Through IDEAAL, we seek to enhance the ability of Texas A&M to support Asian American students by creating a body of student leaders who are can effectively provide leadership to the Asian American community. Having a strong presence of Asian Americans can only enhance Texas A&M’s reputation for developing quality leaders and will help to maximize the experience of Asian Americans at Texas A&M so that we can continue to take the best and brightest to the next level.
References
- Kawaguchi, S. Ethnic Identity Development and Collegiate Experience of Asian Pacific American Students: Implications for Practice. NASPA Journal, Vol. 40, no. 3, Spring 2003.
- Uba, L. Asian Americans: Personality Patterns, Identity, and Mental Health. New York: Guilford, 1994.
Program Description
IDEAAL is a program designed to give Asian American freshman at Texas A&M early exposure to issues of culture, leadership, and community service. IDEAAL seeks to enhance the experience of its participants by giving them the opportunity to explore leadership and identity as it applies to Asian American Culture. The goal of the program is to give participants a greater understanding of self and community, thus making them more prepared and motivated to become leaders at Texas A&M University and beyond. The program will accomplish this through two avenues, workshops and mentoring.
Mentoring Component
Attending these workshops with participants will be peer mentors. Mentors will be upperclassmen (Juniors and Seniors) who will provide personal insight and perspective to topics covered in the workshops. Mentors will also be charged with watching over participants and providing aid as needed. Having mentors will also allow participants to have a personal connection with students whom they can relate to and look up to as role models. Mentoring will provide participants with insight into student life or Asian Americans at Texas A&M.
Mentors will be selected from a pool of applicants that only include third and fourth year students at Texas A&M. Their primary purpose is to watch over the participants and aid them in their understanding and application of the workshops. Mentors will play many roles. First, they will be teachers by providing the participants with insight from their experiences and therefore act as guides. Second, mentors will become role models by establishing a personal relationship with the participant that allows the freshmen to confide in them. Third, mentors are also participants in that they will attend the workshops with the freshmen and offer their opinions. Workshops allow mentors be exposed to many different perspectives on various issues. Exposure to new ideas and communicating with participants will also polish their social, networking, communication, and leadership skills.
Personal Reflections
Participants will have the opportunity to give immediate feedback upon topics discussed during workshops through personal reflections. Reflections allow the participants to continue processing workshop discussion after the workshop has ended and also to observe their environment in terms of the topics covered in the workshops. Reflections will be reviewed by the program advisor.
What Former Participants are Saying About IDEAAL
Leadership skills I have learned through IDEAAL are…
- “Knowledge of approaching situations because now I have a stronger foundation”
- “Speaking up, working with people, and getting out of my comfort zone”
- “Communication, networking, public speaking”
- “Knowing what my weaknesses are and learning how to improve it, working with others, team building”
- “The issues confronting Asian Americans that we face, I have learned about many Asians that are successful and that we have quite a history”
- “How to more effectively deal with Asian American issues while developing as a leader”
- “My culture and how it affects me in the real world”
- “The issues confronting Asian Americans that we face, I have learned about many Asians that are successful and that we have quite a history”
- “How to more effectively deal with Asian American issues while developing as a leader”
- “My culture and how it affects me in the real world”
- “Being assertive, understanding how my culture affects my life and my perspective”
- “Understanding my identity as Asian American and using it to propagate my role as a leader”
- “Being active in group discussion”
- “Social skills and confidence”
- “Responsibility and I have a greater motivation to make a difference”
Workshop Descriptions
MODEL MINORITIES: THE STATUS AND IMAGE OF ASIANS IN AMERICA
For years, Asian Americans have been perceived as the “Model Minority”, successful and high achieving in a discriminating world. Where did this perception come from? What are the implications of being called “model minorities”? How do Asian Americans compare with other minority groups? Are Asian Americans truly the “Model Minority”? Participants will gain an understanding of the perceptions they will face as Asian American leaders.
Workshop Outcomes
- Participants will know about the perceptions and stereotypes regarding Asian Americans
- Participants will understand how the Model Minority Myth affects society, particularly Asian American leaders
- Participants will understand how harmful stereotypes affect their self-perceptions and self-efficacy as Asian American leaders
- Participants will understand the implications of race in society and leadership
- Participants will learn ways to cope with these effects
WHO AM I? I AM…
One of the most asked question towards Asian Americans is “What are you?” This self-evaluating discussion will allow each participant to introduce themselves and present a brief history of their own culture and any experiences. When did their family immigrate? For what reasons did they immigrate? What are some of the challenges they faced? Were these challenges resolved, or are they still on-going? This will allow participants the opportunity to develop a greater sense of unity and self-identity as a foundation of being a strong leader.
Workshop Outcomes
- Participants will have a knowledge of their family history as well as that of their peers
- Participants will know about their Asian and American background
- Participants will have a better understanding of their own ethnicity
STRANGERS FROM A DIFFERENT SHORE… WHAT IS ASIAN AMERICA?
Have you ever wondered what exactly the term Asian American actually refers to? Participants will research and discuss history and impact of the Asians in America, problems that affecting the Asian Americans throughout the country, and where the future is leading. The participants will be able to gain a deeper knowledge of the Asian American community they represent as leaders.
Workshop Outcomes
- Participants will know about the history of Asians in America
- Participants will know about issues affecting the Asian American Community
- Participants will have better understanding of the community they represent as leaders
ASIAN AMERICAN LEADERS … MORE THAN JUST MARTIAL ARTS
Often the Asian American community is stereotyped by what is portrayed through mainstream media. The contributions of Asian Americans are often overlooked. Participants will research and prepare a brief presentation on an Asian American leader that has impacted society. A discussion will follow the presentations to encourage active leadership roles. Participants will gain an understanding of the struggles and triumphs of other Asian American Leaders.
Workshop Outcomes
- Participants will be able to identify leaders in the Asian American community
- Participants will be able to identify common struggles for Asian American Leaders
- Participants will be able to identify best practices of Asian American leaders
WHAT IS ASIAN AMERICAN LEADERSHIP?
There are many aspects to effective leadership, one such factor is culture. Both the culture of the leader and the dominant culture in the environment play a crucial role in the success of a leader. Through this workshop, participants will explore the leadership as defined by Asian and American cultures and the dynamics of the intersection of the two. Participants will also discuss how to apply leadership skills here at Texas A&M.
Workshop Outcomes
- Participants will be able to identify Asian (Eastern) Leadership values
- Participants will be able to identify American (Western) Leadership values
- Participants will understand dynamics and conflicts between Eastern and Western leadership values
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