Our very own Dr. Constantine Vaporis (Founder & Former Director of Asian Studies) spoke on Samurai: Anime, Manga, and Historical Realities during this year's Otakon 2026! Check out his photos and highlights below!

What an experience! 50,000 young people (and some not so young...) lining up for three city blocks to get in; many of them in full anime/manga attire. It was such a positive, supportive environment--people enjoying each others' costumes, taking photos of each other in various poses (including one whole floor for staged photos for social media), workshops on armor making, costume making, language acquisition. A huge floor where vendors and artists displayed their wares (photo included).

There was standing room only for my talk (sponsored by the Embassy of Japan), with over 300 in attendance. There actually was a line to get in after I started (as reported to me). Rousing applause BEFORE I even spoke. Great questions. Too many for the allotted time. A number of former students were there representing UMBC and I've included a photo of two of them Peri Johnson and Randy Duran (both Asian Studies, both gave their permission to use the photo on social media). They allowed me to sell my samurai encyclopedia afterwards and I sold all the copies I brought (too bad the new book isn't out yet but I had a display with the discount code).

All in all, a great experience.

Best,

Constantine

Happy summer everyone!

Asian Studies is pleased to release our 2nd newsletter for the program filled with student/faculty achievements, upcoming events, and more.

Big shout out to our Publicity and Student Program Coordinator, Michelle Yang, for helping us put this together!

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Join us on Friday, May 1st (11am), for this dedicated day to honor the voices, contributions, and vibrant cultures of our immigrant community members who make UMBC feel like home.

Keynote Speaker: Anna Lapera; "Through Story, The Root is Not Far"

Anna Lapera teaches middle school by day and writes stories about girls stepping into their power in the early hours of the morning. Her debut novel, Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice, is an International Latino Book Award winner, the 2025 International Literacy Association Honor book, a Jane Adamms Children's Book Award Finalist, and a 2025 American Library Association’s Feminist Book Project selection. It was named one of the Best of 2024 by the School Library Journal, New York Public Library, Booklist, and was recently translated to Spanish. Her second novel, a YA speculative historical fiction story set in 1978 Guatemala, is forthcoming.

Anna Lapera is a pushcart prize-nominated author and educator in the DC area. She comes from a Guatemalan mother and Hawaiian-Filipino-German father, and was raised all over the world. She teaches by day and writes stories about kids stepping into their power in the early hours of the morning. She is a member of Las Musas, a Tin House and Macondo Writers Workshop alum and Kweli Journal mentee, and has received financial support from Tin House, Kweli Journal and SCBWI. When she is not writing or teaching, you can find her visiting trails and coffee shops in DC and Maryland, where she lives with her family. 

Learn more about Anna at: https://www.annalaperawriter.com/

This event is open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.

“I Probably Shouldn’t Say This, But…” Sociological Approach to Understanding Motivation to Give in Japan

The Department EDHS, Japanese Area-MLLI, & the Asian Studies Program are excited to welcome guest lecturer, Dr. Aya Okada to campus on Monday, May 11th, at 1pm in FA 459! This discussion will be hosted with professors, Dr. Jungwon Yeo & Dr. Tomoko Hoogenboom.

Dr. Okada specializes in civil society studies with focus on the role of nonprofit organizations and voluntary actions in contemporary Japan. Her research asks, is there anything distinctive about civil society, philanthropy, and giving behaviors in Japan? If so, how and why?

More details from the flyer below.

This event is open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.

Original Post Listing

The Global Asias Initiative was well-represented at this year's Association for Asian American Studies (AAAS) Conference in Honolulu, Hawai'i! While there, we were also hosted by colleagues at University of Hawai'i Manoa for our Global Asias Site Visit to learn about the incredible work they're cultivating in Ethnic Studies, Native Hawaiian Studies, Asian Studies & Student Services. Read about our presentations to colleagues across the country below!

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Dr. Tamara Bhalla, Associate Professor, American Studies, & Co-PI of the Global Asias Initiative organized and facilitated a roundtable discussion Power and Privilege in South Asian American Studies

Dr. Emily Yoon, Assistant Professor, English & Global Asias Advisory Board Member, was supported by a Global Asias faculty Conference Grant to present Little Plastic Intimacies: Offshore Solidarity Against Empire

Dr. Mika Thornburg, Global Asias Postdoctoral Fellow, was supported by a Global Asias faculty Conference Grant to present Oceanic Orbits: The Colonial Circuits of Transpacific Tourism

Priya Bhayana, Global Asias Project Manager, and Angelina Jenkins, Global Asias Advisory Board Member & Assistant Director of the Mosaic Center, were supported by the Dresher Center for Humanities (Priya) and the Division of Student Affairs (Angelina) to co-host a roundtable discussion Cultivating Connections: Asian American Studies & Student Affairs at AANAPISIs

We had so many rich conversations and look forward to next year's conference happening March 2027 right here in Baltimore!

For this upcoming summer and fall semester, we're excited to provide a range of diverse courses across the many programs & departments that can count towards your Asian Studies BA, Minor, or Certificate.

Check out our list of ASIA-affiliated courses for more information on available electives, class times, and instructors!

Feel free to schedule an advising appointment with our Asian Studies Director, Professor Yang, as you prepare for registration. Please fill out your advising worksheet in preparation for the session.
For more info on Asian Studies requirements, refer to the undergraduate catalog. Additional questions can be emailed to asianstudies@umbc.edu. 

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Join us for our end of the year Celebration & Awards! 

Asian Cultural Celebration & Awards

Thursday, May 14, 2026

5:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. 

University Center Ballroom 3rd Floor

This celebration commemorates the achievements of graduating UMBC students while celebrating the vast cultural diversity of Asian communities and heritage on our campus. We recognize the difficulty of choosing just one identifier or term to capture the vast diversity of all people with heritage in the Asian continent, representing 49 countries and hundreds of cultures. We seek to honor the breadth of experience of people across Asia - East, South, Southwest, West, and Central Asia. 

During the gathering, we'll enjoy food together, we'll showcase keynote speakers, student musical and dance performances, and award presentations to honor student contributions, as well as the faculty and staff who've contributed to their success.

Light refreshments and appetizers will be served starting at 5:30 pm for all guests in attendance. 

Graduates must check in no later than 5:45 p.m. The program will begin promptly at 6 p.m. 

Dress code: We encourage all attendees and graduates to dress in their "celebration best." While cap and gown are not required, we would be thrilled to see attendees embracing cultural attires.

If you would like to nominate a community member for one of our Affinity Celebration & Awards, you may nominate them here using the Awards Nomination Form or https://forms.gle/TLH8uDwccy5gBJtj8. You may submit multiple nominations for the same or different individuals. Please submit all nominations by April 20th, 2026. 

For those interested in attending, you can RSVP HERE!  Save the date on your calendars! Graduates that RSVP by Thursday, April 30th at 6pm will be highlighted during the event and receive honorary graduation cords.

If you have any questions, please email us at themosaic@umbc.edu.

This event is open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.