Asian Americans: Columbia University Archives

Columbia University Archives Resources

Columbia has welcomed Asian students to its campus since the 1870s. The following resources will provide interested individuals with information about the various materials found in our collections focused on the Columbia experience of such students over the years at the University.

Please note that the physical collections noted here are non-circulating materials available only at the Rare Book & Manuscript Library (RBML) reading room.  In order to use the University Archives collections at the Rare Book & Manuscript Library (RBML), visitors are required to register their own Special Collections Research Account before their visit and to validate the account in person with government-issued photo identification or Columbia ID card. Once you have created your Special Collections Research Account, you will be able to request the boxes directly from the finding aid or from the CLIO online library catalog record. For more information on how to access our collections, check out our Research & Access website.

Archival Resources and Publications

This collection consists of clippings, press releases, programs, and other printed matter compiled over the years by curators of the Columbiana Collection and staff of the University Archives. The files contain an assortment of information on numerous topics related to Columbia University history and are a very good reference source and starting point for research on many areas of Columbia's past. You can find the following folders related to Asian students, student publications and student groups:

  • Asian Students, 1950s-2000s
  • Asian Student Union, 1970s-1990s
  • Asian Americans Working for Education (AAWE), 1990s
  • Asian Journal,  2000s
  • Chinese Culture, 1970s-1990s 
  • Chinese Students, 1870s-1990s
  • Japanese Culture Center, 1930s-1990s
  • Japanese Club, 1900s 
  • Japanese Students, 1910s-1920s
  • Korean Students Association (KSA), 1990s-2000s
  • Spectrum: The Korean-American Journal of Columbia University, 2000s
     

To find news coverage of life on campus, you can search the archives of the student newspaper, the Spectator, and the University’s paper, the Record. Both publications have been scanned and are easily searchable. In addition to the newspapers, the University’s alumni magazines include class notes but also contain profiles on faculty members and former students. The Columbia Alumni News (1910 to 1948) and Columbia College Today (1954 to 2021) are both available online.

  • Yearbooks, Facebooks and Class Books

Yearbooks, Facebooks, and Class Books are a good source of information about former students, student activities, and the composition of the student body over the years. The University Archives collections include an extensive run of yearbooks from Columbia College (The Columbiad and later The Columbian) dating from 1869 to the present, as well as a representation of yearbooks from other schools of the University and a complete run of those for the Midshipmen's School (Side Boy), which was on campus during World War II. Incomplete runs of yearbooks for the School of Engineering and Applied Science (The Miner and later The Engineer), the Graduate School of Journalism, and the Graduate School of Business are also available. We have a compiled a list noting which yearbooks are available in our collections for consultation.  To find instruction on how to request these volumes, please consult our research guide about Student Life resources.

The Annual Reports of the President to the Trustees offer a yearly "state of the University" from 1865 to 1948. The tradition of a printed "Annual report of the President of Columbia College made to the Board of Trustees" started with University President Frederick A.P. Barnard. The reports include current events, facts and figures of students enrolled and degrees conferred, and as well as trends in each school. In addition to the President's remarks, the later reports include the Treasurer's financial reports and also each Dean reports to the President on the previous academic year at their school or division (Columbia College, Law, Business, Journalism, Barnard, Teachers College, etc.) as well as reports from the Librarian, the Registrar, the Secretary and other senior administrators. You can find access to the paper copies and links to the online reports from 1865-1948 in the President's Annual Reports finding aid.

  • Student Publications
  • New Horizons: In the 1940s the Chinese students' club published this monthly newsletter-like publication. The UA has issues from July 1944 to October 1945 (call# CP2 C44).
  • Bulletin of the Chinese Students' Club of Columbia University and Barnard College: Another publications issued by the Chinese students' club in the 1970s. The UA only has one issue (September 1977), but it is full of artwork, articles and poems. (call# CP2 C442)
  • Asian Journal: published by the Students of Columbia University. The UA has issues from 1978 and the 2000s (call# CP1 As5)

 

The following are the major Asian student groups currently operating, as self-identified on the Cultural and Identity Based Student Organizations webpage. Where archived versions of these sites exist, links have been provided to the University Archives Archive-It captures back to 2010 via the link in the title. Current website addresses are listed as well the links to Facebook pages - sometimes the only online presence for these clubs.

For older versions of student group websites, we recommend using the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine to search for older captures of www.columbia.edu and then navigating the archived Columbia University website to the appropriate student group page.

Archived and Active Student Group Websites

  • Columbia University Asian American Alliance, Asian American Alliance (2010-2020)
    http://www.columbia.edu/cu/aaa/
    The Asian American Alliance (AAA) is a student organization that strives to promote understanding, foster dialogue and create a sense of awareness within the Asian Pacific American community at Columbia University. It seeks to educate and address key issues and topics that affect the APIA community at Columbia and beyond.

     
  • Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
    http://www.columbia.edu/cu/apahm/
    CU APAHM (Asian Pacific American Heritage Month) commits itself to organizing a wide range of programs for the month of April, Columbia's Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, in order to bring broader awareness of the Asian American/ APIA community and its rich history to campus. Every year, APAHMs events all take place during April, which is APA Heritage Month here at Columbia. During that month, APAHM celebrates the culture, investigates the issues, and showcases the talents of Asian Pacific Islander Americans within and beyond our community.
     
  • Columbia University Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CUCSSA) (2011-2018) CUCSSA, Columbia University Chinese Students and Scholars Association (2019-2020)
    https://cucssa.studentgroups.columbia.edu/
    Founded in 1996, Columbia University Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CUCSSA), the largest Chinese students and scholars NGO in the United State is one of the most influential and well-known Chinese organizations. The members in CUCSSA include Chinese Columbia students and scholars, Chinese Columbia alumni and overseas Chinese who voluntarily joined the Association, which are about twenty thousand people in total. The four missions of CUCSSA are doing the services for the Chinese Columbia students, scholars and Chinese communities, uniting the alumni, overseas Chinese and Chinese students, promoting the Chinese culture, and increasing the cultural exchanges and mutual understanding between China and America.
     
  • Chinese Student Club
    http://www.columbia.edu/cu/csc/
    https://www.facebook.com/ColumbiaCSC/
    The Chinese Students Club (CSC) of Columbia University is a non-profit student-run organization that promotes social, cultural and political activities both on and off campus. We host various events and activities throughout the school year intended to promote awareness of Chinese culture at Columbia. All of our events are open to everyone; they are Chinese in theme, but not limited to Chinese in attendance.

  • Columbia Japan Society
    https://www.facebook.com/ColumbiaJapanSociety/
    Columbia Japan Society is an undergraduate organization of Columbia University, run by and composed entirely of students. We are dually recognized by the University under the Activities Board of Columbia and the Student Governing Association. Our purpose is to introduce and spread aspects of Japanese culture to the Columbia community, bridging the gap between East and West.

  • Columbia Korean Students Association 
    https://www.facebook.com/ColumbiaKSA/
    Established in 1989, the Columbia University Korean Students Association (CU KSA) is the representative Korean organization of Columbia University. KSA's primary mission is to promote cultural and social events both on and off campus to celebrate Korea's rich heritage. Through events, programs, and other club functions, we constantly strive to achieve a unified and inclusive community on campus. The diverse range of events that KSA sponsors offers various ways of involving all those who are interested in Korean and Korean-American culture. Our organization also extends its celebration of Korean culture to all corners of the Columbia community as well as New York City by participating in various inter-group activities and off-campus projects. For these efforts, KSA has been awarded the coveted King's Crown Alma Mater Award for "best embodying the community-building ethnic and the spirit of Columbia." We invite you to join us in our celebration!
     
  • Queer and Asian (Q&A)
    https://www.facebook.com/QandA.cu/
    Q&A is a student group dedicated to creating a space for queer, genderqueer, and trans Asian students, domestic and international.

  • The Sapna Project
    https://www.facebook.com/CUSapna/ 
    Active since 2015, the Sapna Project is an experimental space at Columbia for the exploration of South Asian identity. We have a unique structure of rotating leadership, which allows everyone to lead for a period (or chapter) of time. In past chapters, we have discussed personal identity, read books by South Asian academics, learned phrases from different South Asian languages, and visited South Asian artists’ exhibits around New York City.
     
  • Taiwainese American Students Association
    https://www.facebook.com/Columbia.TASA/ 
    The Columbia Taiwanese American Students Association believes: College is a gateway between childhood and adulthood that shapes who we are. TASA provides a home where people can foster their interest in the Taiwanese American community, create life-long friendships, and find inspiration from one another. We believe that when we unite people to promote the growth and presence of Taiwanese culture, they will be equipped with the support they need to follow their dreams.
     
  • The Thai Club
    https://www.facebook.com/thaiclubcolumbia/ 
    The purpose of Thai Club is to provide information about Thai culture and heritage, promote and foster an awareness and appreciation of Thai culture, and provide a network support for Thai students.
     
  • Vietnamese Students Association
    https://www.facebook.com/vsacolumbia/
    The Vietnamese Students Club (VSA) of Columbia University is a student-run organization dedicated to promoting the rich Vietnamese heritage through social and cultural events both on and off-campus.

The following resources will provide interested individuals with information about the study of Asian languages, cultures and history over the years at the University.

Please note that the physical collections noted here are non-circulating materials available only at the Rare Book & Manuscript Library (RBML) reading room.  In order to use the University Archives collections at the Rare Book & Manuscript Library (RBML), visitors are required to register their own Special Collections Research Account before their visit and to validate the account in person with government-issued photo identification or Columbia ID card. Once you have created your Special Collections Research Account, you will be able to request the boxes directly from the finding aid or from the CLIO online library catalog record. For more information on how to access our collections, check out our Research & Access website.

Archival Resources and Publications

This collection consists of clippings, press releases, programs, and other printed matter compiled over the years by curators of the Columbiana Collection and staff of the University Archives. The files contain an assortment of information on numerous topics related to Columbia University history and are a very good reference source and starting point for research on many areas of Columbia's past. You can find the following folders related to Asian studies and the East Asian Library at Columbia:

  • Asian American Studies and Asian Studies, 1960s-1990s
  • Dean Lung Professorship
  • Chinese and Japanese Studies, Department of, 1900s-1980s, undated
  • Chinese Language Program, High School, 1960s 
  • Committee on Race, Religion and Ethnicity (CORRE), 1940s-1990s
  • East Asia at Columbia (includes info on Starr Library, Department of East Asian Studies, and Weatherhead Institute), 2000s 
  • East Asian Institute, 1940s-2000s 
  • East Asian Languages and Cultures, Department of, 1980s-2000s 
  • East Asian Studies, 1960s-2000s, undated
  • Ethnic Diversity Awareness Program (EDAP), 1990s
  • Ethnic Studies, 1970s-2000s
  • Japanese American University Quarterly, 1950s and 2000s
  • Center for Korean Research, 1980s undated 
  • Korean Studies and Cultural Center, 1930s-1990s 
  • Middle Eastern and Asian Languages and Cultures, Department of, 1970s-2000s 
  • Center for Race and Ethnicity, 1990
  • South Asian Studies, NDEA Center for, 1980s 
  • Southern Asian Institute, 1960s-1970s 
  • East Asian Library, 1990s-2000s
  • C. V. Starr, 1930s-1990s
  • Japanese Collection at Columbia University 1926-1983, by Miwa Kai (3 folders), 2011 (Incomplete manuscript written by Miwa Kai, former Head of the Japanese Collection at Columbia University)

 

While these are officially the Office of the President records, that description does not fully capture the breadth and depth of these records. President Nicholas Murray Butler and his surrogates were closely involved in all University matters. These records are closed for 25 years after the date of their creation.

In the Horace W. Carpentier files (Box 320, folders 4-6) there is correspondence concerning the establishment of both the Department of Chinese Languages and Literatures as well as the Dean Lung Professorship.  We previously scanned the Dean Lung Professorship documents from these files. You can access the PDF containing these materials at the link provided.

As the chief academic officer, the Provost is in charge of the academic program, faculty hiring, advancement and retention, and even student recruitment and enrollment.  The Office of the Provost also includes the Office of Institutional Research and Planning which publishes statistical abstract covering the yearly roundup of the University’s facts and figures.

The yearly bulletins or bulletins of information are the course catalogues for each school and/or division. These volumes include department course offerings, with full descriptions of the courses and the faculty assigned to teach those courses as well as degree requirements, prizes and honors, etc.  You can find our holdings, organized by school or faculty, in the Columbia University Bulletins finding aid. There are also many volumes available online.

  • Annual Reports

The Annual Reports of the President to the Trustees offer a yearly "state of the University" from 1865 to 1948. The tradition of a printed "Annual report of the President of Columbia College made to the Board of Trustees" started with University President Frederick A.P. Barnard. The reports include current events, facts and figures of students enrolled and degrees conferred, and as well as trends in each school. In addition to the President's remarks, the later reports include the Treasurer's financial reports and also each Dean reports to the President on the previous academic year at their school or division (Columbia College, Law, Business, Journalism, Barnard, Teachers College, etc.) as well as reports from the Librarian, the Registrar, the Secretary and other senior administrators. You can find access to the paper copies and links to the online reports from 1865-1948 in the President's Annual Reports finding aid.

  • Masters Essays and Doctoral Dissertations

To find Asian authors and/or topics in older Masters Essays and Dissertations one can consult a set of publications printed by the University listing authors alphabetically and arranging essays by department for a particular year. In the  Research Guide linked to above, look to the “Online Essays and Theses Links” tab for digitized versions of these publications as well as other resources for finding these academic publications.

Columbia University masters' essays and doctoral dissertations on Asia, 1875-1956. (call# COA F57a )

To find news coverage of life on campus, you can search the archives of the student newspaper, the Spectator, and the University’s paper, the Record. Both publications have been scanned and are easily searchable. In addition to the newspapers, the University’s alumni magazines include class notes but also profiles on faculty members and former students. The Columbia Alumni News (1910-1948) and Columbia College Today (1954 to 2021) are both available online.

The Spring 1969 issue of Columbia College Today features articles about what was then called the "Oriental Studies" program at Columbia


Articles on academic topics found in issues of Columbia University Quarterly
Articles on academic topics found in issues of Columbia College Today

 

  • Columbia Library Columns
    Columbia Library Columns was published from 1951 to 1996. Over the years contributors included faculty, University administrators, writers, historians and collectors, as well as Columbia librarians. Articles focused on individual collections, special acquisitions, literary topics and issues relating to the growth of Columbia's libraries and special collections generally. To look for specific articles about the East Asian Library and related collections, please consult the table of contents and/or the ten and twenty year indices for subject areas presented in this publication. Paper copies are available at the University Archives.

If you are interested in finding information on specific Asian-American alumni, faculty, and other Columbians, the following resources are good places to start your search. For additional resources please consult our research guides for Alumni Searches and Faculty Searches.

Please note that the physical collections noted here are non-circulating materials available only at the Rare Book & Manuscript Library (RBML) reading room.  In order to use the University Archives collections at the Rare Book & Manuscript Library (RBML), visitors are required to register their own Special Collections Research Account before their visit and to validate the account in person with government-issued photo identification or Columbia ID card. Once you have created your Special Collections Research Account, you will be able to request the boxes directly from the finding aid or from the CLIO online library catalog record. For more information on how to access our collections, check out our Research & Access website

Archival Resources and Publications

Alumni registers and directories can confirm dates and degrees, but also offer some information about the alum’s life after graduation. Registers often have geographical indexes but do not normally include demographic information. However, in the 1990s, Columbia College published three such directories, including the Asian Alumni Directory of Columbia College (1992). 

Compiled by the Columbiana curators and University Archives staff, this collection contains information on alumni, faculty, officers and other notable Columbians. You can request materials directly from HBF Finding Aid: click the check box located on the right for the box(es) you need, and then scroll back to the top of the container list document and click “Submit Request” button in the red-rimmed box at top. This should lead you directly to your Special Collections Research Account to complete the request form.

Staff and student directories, from 1893-1894 to 1943-1944, can be found in the back of the yearly Catalogues of Officers and Students. The Catalogues often include student registers (list of students in each division or school) and lists of degrees conferred.

To find news coverage of life on campus, you can search the archives of the student newspaper, the Spectator, and the University’s paper, the Record. Both publications have been scanned and are easily searchable. In addition to the newspapers, the University’s alumni magazines include class notes but also profiles on faculty members and former students. The Columbia Alumni News (1910-1948) and Columbia College Today (1954 to 2021) are both available online. 

 

Articles About Alumni and Faculty found in Columbia College Today
Podcasts
  • Dean's Table Podcast Series: Interview with Sociology Professor Jennifer Lee, who is also a core faculty member at the Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race at Columbia University. In this conversation, Professor Lee reflects on her trajectory through Columbia as both an undergraduate and graduate student, as well as a faculty member.

Research Topics