Module 2: Education for Liberation: Asian Americans and Third World Studies
Was Asian American Activism successful in improving the lives of Asian Americans?
This module examines the historic student strikes for Third World Studies that led to the formation of Ethnic Studies as a new academic field. It also examines the student-led Third World Liberation Front (TWLF) strikes, their vision for an alternative education, and the role of Asian American activism in the strikes. The module focuses on the two major student strikes in 1968–1969 at San Francisco State College (SF State, now University) and the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), where the first college and first department of Ethnic Studies in the nation would be built, respectively. In this module, we examine the original goals and vision for what many called Third World Studies.
Which communities took part in the Third World Liberation Front, and what were their demands?
What led to the 1968 student strikes at San Francisco State College (now University) and the University of California, Berkeley, and what role did Asian American activists play?
What lasting impact did the Third World Liberation Front struggles have on our education system today?
