Who Are We?
The Asian American / Asian Research Institute (AAARI) was established under the aegis of Queens College on November 19, 2001, by the City University of New York (CUNY) Board of Trustees, in a resolution introduced by Chancellor Matthew Goldstein. The Institute is a university-wide scholarly research and resource center that focuses on policies and issues that affect Asians and Asian Americans. It covers four areas: Asian American Studies, East Asian Studies, South Asian Studies and Trade and Technology Studies.

Our Mission
The City University of New York with twenty-three colleges city-wide, is rich in faculty who have expertise in Asian and Asian American studies. As of Fall 2006, CUNY enrolled over 31,000 Asian American students, who will soon emerge as a vital segment of New York City's workforce and leadership.

AAARI aims to achieve the following:

• To become an Asian intellectual and cultural center that addresses the needs of New York's diverse ethnic subgroups of Asian origin

• To stimulate the study of Asian people, languages, cultures, and countries as well as Asian immigrants and their descendants who live in the United States

• To bring together a community of scholars and channel their scholarship and research energies on Asia and the Asian American experience

• To identify timely issues that affect the Asian and Asian American communities

• To conduct scholarly, non-political, and unbiased studies on policy goals and community concerns

• To disseminate its research results and educate the public about Asian and Asian American issues

Accomplishments
Since its formation, with minimal funding and a skeletal office, AAARI has achieved the following:

• Established a weekly public lecture series, featuring over 150+ topics
   

• Produced major conferences on Asian American Leadership: Healing and Rebuilding New York after 9/11; Asian American Education: Challenges and Perspectives; South Asians in the U.S.; Asian American / Asian Students: Aspects of Social Interaction; Global Entrepreneurship: Economic Development for Asia and the U.S.; Korean Americans; South Asians and the Diaspora; The Well-Being of Asian American Senior Citizens; Caribbean Asians; Forum on Buddhism; and Asian American Women: Celebrating Successes, Meeting Challenges
   

• Produced a CUNY Bulletin of Asian American / Asian Affairs: Vol. 1 - 6
   

• Produced a website featuring live webcasting, streaming video, and audio podcast audio of activities; and instant messaging for live interaction during events or online assistance
   

• Received a Diversity Grant from CUNY to establish the "Chinatown in the 21st Century" workshop, and conference on "Asian American Women"
   

• Received a grant from the Verizon Foundation to establish the "Community / Academia Hi-Tech Bridge Workshop"
   

• Provided funding for research proposals by six CUNY faculty members
   

• Established an annual CUNY-wide Asian American Film / Media Festival
   

• Established a community forum for Asian organizations to conduct outreach
   

• Offered language workshops in Cantonese-Chinese; Mandarin-Chinese; Japanese; Korean; Hindi; and Vietnamese
   

• Established an Asian cinema series during the summer and winter sessions
   

• Offered workshops on Chinese Calligraphy and Painting; Tai Chi; Asian Civilizations: Exploration of the Chinese Mind; and Dharma
   

• Produced a speakers bureau in response to the tsunami disaster in South Asia

Plans for the Future
We envision the Asian American / Asian Research Institute to be a financially well-endowed organization, supported by the New York State and City legislature, as a respected authority regionally, nationally, and internationally on issues concerning Asia, and the Asian American community. It will be a non-partisan research institution and a pan-Asian intellectual and cultural center that addresses the needs of New York's diverse subgroups of Asian origin. The Institute will become a bridge between the City University of New York, and the Asian American community.

• Set up a media production and print publication center
   

• Initiate a fund raising program to sustain the growth of the Institute
   

• Provide support to research fellows
   

• House a library and a core collection of archival materials
   

• Establish an exhibition hall