Department changes name to Asian-Middle Eastern Studies

and JORDANA HORN The Oriental Studies department faculty have voted to change the department's name to the Asian-Middle Eastern Studies Department following more than a year of student protests that the old name is offensive to Asians. The 23 faculty members voted late last semester, but department members said they do not know when the name will be changed. Since the fall of 1990, a group of students have opposed the department name because they said "oriental" is demeaning to Asians. The students faced opposition to the name change from within the department until early last fall. Once faculty members decided to change the name, they could not agree on whether to change the name to Asian-Middle Eastern Studies Department or Middle Eastern-Asian Studies Department. According to You-Lee Kim, chairperson of the United Minorities Council, the faculty's official decision was released on December 16. "I think it is great and it is about time," Kim said last month. "While I am upset with the time period, I am glad the faculty took the time needed and came out with a strong decision." According to Ludo Rocher, Chairperson of the department, some faculty were opposed to the name change, but he said it had to be renamed because of students' needs. "If it offends people's sensibilities, we have to react to it," Rocher said. He added that some faculty are opposed to the name change for two reasons. One reason, he said, is that no other name describes the scope of the department as well. The other reason is that faculty members oppose the principle of changing the name because they do not think it is necessary. "I personally don't find it [oriental] derogatory," Terry Kleeman, assistant professor of Chinese, said, adding that he supports the name change because the term "oriental" offends some people. But Rocher said the name still has not been officially changed because the University has no regulations for officially changing a department's name. He said the decision has been sent to School of Arts and Sciences Dean Rosemary Stevens for her evaluation. Stevens could not be reached for comment. Kim said she thinks the new name will be implemented by next fall. Kim also said the name change is an indication that the University is responding to the new strength of Asian student activism. "I think it [the name change] is very symbolic," Kim said. "I think there are a lot of signs of change." Ellen Somekawa, a member of the Asian American Student Alliance, said the struggle for the new name was the beginning of Asian activism on campus. "We [AASA] took up the name change as a basic issue of wanting respect on the Penn campus," Somekawa said. "The ability to name yourself is a minimum demand for respect." Somekawa also said she is glad the issue raised the awareness of non-Asian students on campus. "I am glad we were able to turn it into an issue discussed on campus," she said. "It was a way to let the Penn community know we do not like being called 'oriental.' "

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