Tracing the Roots of Asian Community at Bowdoin

An Ongoing Discourse

REPRESENTASIAN

This exhibit uses archival holdings in the Library’s Special Collections & Archives to explore some of Bowdoin’s earliest Asian students, Asian affinity groups, and the development of the Asian Studies program. Our goal is not to present a definitive history, but to introduce a more holistic history of Bowdoin College and bring to light the Asian students and alumni who are an integral, yet under-acknowledged presence at the College.

Early Asian Students: Anand Sidoba Hiwale, Class of 1909

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Anand Sidoba Hiwale, Class of 1909

Hiwale was born in Ahmednagar, India, in 1879. He received early schooling from the American Marathi Mission (AMM), the South Asian station of a major missionary organization at the time and later moved to the United States to continue his religious education. After graduating from the Bangor Theological Seminary in 1907 at the age of 28, he transferred to Bowdoin College, where he became an active member of the Christian Association, a club on campus. In addition to leading club meetings at Bowdoin, he preached and lectured in churches across Maine during his two years as a student.

[Application for Admission to Bowdoin College]

The Tracing the Roots of Asian Community at Bowdoin: An Ongoing Discourse exhibition was conceived by members of RepresentAsian: Bowdoin’s Asian Alumni Association, the first formal entity established to represent the generations of Asian graduates. The group’s principal mission to build the foundations for and diligently maintain the bridges that will give our community the ability to create and sustain meaningful relationships with each other. Benjamin Wu, Class of 2018/2020 and Andrew Park, Class of 2015 reached out and connected with Special Collections & Archives; Amy Cai, Class of 2025 researched and curated the exhibition during the final weeks of her senior year. The exhibit was on view on the first floor of the Hawthorne-Longfellow Library for Commencement and Reunion (May-June) 2025. Special Collections Education and Engagement Librarian, Marieke Van Der Steenhoven and director of Multicultural Alumni Engagement, Joycelyn Blizzard also supported this project and related Reunion events.