Around the country, the founding of Ethnic Studies programs in the 1970s responded
directly to the demands of students. At UWM, African American and Latin@ students staged
protests to draw attention to the lack of faculty and students of color and the need for
classes and services to support them.
In the democratic tradition of the Wisconsin Idea, UWM has responded to these demands
over the past 40 years. The university now has a wide range of departments and programs,
classes and services that address the histories and concerns of students of color, including
the Hmong Diaspora Studies program founded in 2010. (?) Because they address key issues
of identity, these units play a vital role for all of our students at UWM, educating them about
living in our complex and multiracial society. Many students combine a certificate in
Comparative Ethnic or Hmong Diaspora studies with other majors; others choose to focus
on these areas during their academic studies.
Many of these units, like Comparative Ethnic Studies and Hmong Diaspora Studies, tend to
be small. With the current proposed budget cuts, we will be challenged to continue to
provide the courses and services on which our students have come to rely. Some units will
likely disappear altogether.
Here are the voices of some of our students explaining what these programs mean to them:
“Ethnic Studies exemplifies the best of a college education-broadens the global exposure to
the students, introduces them to new and challenging information, provides provocative
reading and discussions, and opens opportunities for lifelong interests and possibly
careers.”
“I’ve had the opportunity to reevaluate my Hmong and American identity and have become
more comfortable with my Hmong background and my American background as well—it’s
an insightful experience that you need to take critically with an open mind.”
“Learning about structural and institutionalized violence amongst different types of people
and cultures has not only allowed me to broaden my horizons as a student, but to really
understand how my studies in the STEM field play a greater role in society. The Comparative
Ethnic Studies program at the UWM not only teaches students about social identity and
power, but how applicable these concepts are in everyday life.”
“I spent my first two and a half years at UWM searching for something I was genuinely
passionate about. I felt hopeless and lost. But when I discovered the Comparative Ethnic
Studies program at UWM before my second semester as a junior, I started to blossom not
only as a student, but as a young woman who is fiercely passionate about something for the
first time in my life. I am so happy and so proud of myself because I enjoy my classes and
have opinions to share with the people in my life. The Comparative Ethnic Studies major and
program at UWM has given me a purpose in life and I want to fight to keep it.”
“As a Criminal Justice major the fact that most victims do not report crimes to the
police has always interested me and I love learning and exploring the reasons why. This
class… has made me even more determined to work with victims of abuse and hopefully
help them realize they have resources and options. “