The Ethnic Studies Alumni Association's Statement of Purpose 

In light of the events which occurred in the Spring of 1996, and in light of the long struggle which led up to the takeovers, hunger strike, and other demonstrations which took place at that time, we are seeking to establish a new Alumni Association for Columbia University, centered on the issue of Ethnic Studies. We feel that this new Association is needed in order to keep interested alumni abreast of further developments in the Ethnic Studies movement, as well as insure that promises made by the Administration of the University are carried through. We also wish to continue advocating the creation of an Ethnic Studies Department, while opposing the separation of Asian American Studies and Latino Studies, or the attempt to sweep these programs under the American Studies rug.

There is a continuing interest in the issue of Ethnic Studies, expressed both by recent alumni who may have been involved in the Ethnic Studies movement as undergraduates, and by not-so-recent alumni who wish to see a process begun over a quarter of a century ago brought to fruition. A network of these alumni, once established, will present current students with a valuable resource; we are compiling an archive of relevant documents in order to guarantee that the historical string is not cut. Additionally, such a network will add a new, and focused, voice to the Ethnic Studies debate, by bringing concerned alumni to Low Library not as protesters, but as graduates whose goal is the improvement of the University's curriculum.

Our first newsletter, mailed June 2, 1996, was sent to approximately forty alumni, most of whom were members of the Columbia and Barnard Colleges Class of 1996. Several School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and Teachers' College graduates were also sent the newsletter; a second issue, with an expanded mailing list including more alumni as well as a few current students, is scheduled for the second week of July. Among other items, this issue will introduce our Executive Board, whose members will fill their current positions for the year to come: Michael Maldonado, CC 96, President; Patricia Merino, CC 96, Treasurer; Poorni Bid, CC 96, Archivist; Joneil Adriano, CC 96, Editor-in-Chief. We plan to make the newsletter, Ethnic Studies Now!, into a quarterly, and to use it as a vehicle to keep alumni informed of current developments in the creation of Ethnic Studies at Columbia.

Our long term goals include several general body meetings--the first of which is scheduled for September 10, 1996--for which we plan to reach out not only to our constituency, but also to enrolled students. We also plan to bring our agenda to the attention of other Alumni Associations, in order to raise awareness among all graduates of the University of the significance of these issues. Also, we would like to raise enough funds to eventually help create a permanent Work Study position to manage out data base, and take care of whatever clerical work may be necessary.

Most of us would qualify as disgruntled alumni whose vision of Columbia was never quite matched by the various Administrations in power during our time in Morningside Heights. This, however, does not mean that we will turn our backs on Columbia; we will continue to work towards our vision of a strong, autonomous Ethnic Studies Department, whose course offerings and research will help make Columbia's curriculum second to none, and prepare students for the challenges of the new America.