For Immediate Use
Feb. 4, 2008
UCLA establishes nation's first program, endowed chair in U.S.-China relations and Chinese American studies
By Letisia Marquez, lmarquez@support.ucla.edu
310-206-3986
UCLA announced today that philanthropists Walter and Shirley Wang have pledged $1 million
to UCLA's Asian American Studies Center to establish the nation's first program and
endowed academic chair focused on U.S.-China relations and Chinese American studies.
The U.S.-China Media and Communications Resource program will seek to educate the
American public and policymakers about U.S.-China relations and Chinese Americans through
a variety of mediums. Among these will be an informational Web site, a media and policy
handbook, and a clearinghouse of experts on Chinese American issues.
A renowned,
tenured UCLA professor specializing in U.S.-China relations and Chinese American studies
will be chosen to hold the new Walter and Shirley Wang Chair in U.S.-China Relations and
Communications.
"UCLA's Asian American Studies Center is the premier research
institution on these issues in the nation and the world," Walter Wang said. "Shirley and
I are impressed by the quality, range and impact of its scholarship and significant
policy research and by the positive contributions it has made and can continue to make in
the years ahead.
"We are very passionate about fostering an accurate understanding of
the role Chinese Americans have played in our nation's history, and we are honored to
support the center's mission," he said.
"Effective communication is one of the biggest
barriers to achieving greater understanding and appreciation of U.S.-China relations, and
mass media is a vital vehicle for changing perceptions," Shirley Wang said. "By educating
the public about the historical significance of these cultures and the important
economic, social and political changes they have helped create, we can enhance
cross-cultural communication and achieve a deeper understanding."
Walter Wang is
president and chief executive officer of JM Eagle, the world's largest plastic pipe
manufacturer. Shirley Wang, who graduated from UCLA in 1990 with a bachelor's degree in
communication studies, is CEO of Plastpro, a leading manufacturer of fiberglass doors and
home products.
Over the past 10 years, the Wangs have supported philanthropic and civic
leadership endeavors that promote a better understanding and appreciation of Chinese
culture. They are active members of the Committee of 100, a national organization of
Chinese American leaders, and they support the China AIDS Initiative, an alliance led by
the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center that is dedicated to helping China accelerate its
response to HIV/AIDS. Shirley Wang also serves on the board of the China Institute, a
nonprofit educational and cultural institution that promotes understanding and
appreciation of Chinese culture, and of Facing History and Ourselves, a group that helps
educators teach moral responsibility, tolerance and social action.
In addition to being
honored recently by New York City's Museum of Chinese in America for their continued
support and generous donations, the Wangs have been recognized for their support of the
award-winning PBS series "Becoming American: The Chinese Experience" and of the film "The
Blood of Yingzhou District," which won the 2007 Academy Award for short subject
documentary.
"Walter and Shirley Wang are amazing visionaries, and we are extremely
honored that they have given us this extraordinary gift," said Don Nakanishi, director of
the UCLA Asian American Studies Center. "Their resources will allow us to pursue major
projects that seek fair and balanced media coverage - as well as influence policy
discussions - on issues that will likely remain prominent throughout the 21st century."
The UCLA Asian American Studies Center, founded in 1969, is the nation's leading
research, teaching, publications, public education, and archival and library program in
Asian American studies. Its more than 40 faculty members, drawn from throughout the UCLA
campus, specialize in disciplines ranging from the social sciences to the humanities and
represent many professional fields, including law, urban planning, education, public
health and the arts. The center's press publishes the Amerasia Journal and AAPI Nexius,
along with many books and reports. The center also maintains an array of relationships
with organizations, elected and community leaders, corporations, and foundations
throughout the nation and the world. |
