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.
Asian Studies Program
“Asian Studies at Bowdoin,” program brochure, 1989.
No participant in an Asian Studies course will ever view the world in the same way again... This exchange of ideas, beliefs, and culturally conditioned perspectives about the world that we all share helps students from diverse backgrounds to develop cross-cultural understanding.
The Asian Studies program at Bowdoin College was formally established in 1987 after over a decade of related course offerings across the curriculum. In 1973, professors of history taught Chinese and Japanese intellectual and civilizational history. The following year, the Religion department offered courses on Hinduism, Buddhism, and religion in China.