For more than thirty years, the East Coast Asian American Student Union (ECAASU) conference has brought together Asian American student activists from across the country to participate in a weekend-long dialogue on Asian American issues, engaging youth leaders on issues ranging from immigration to media, social justice to sexuality.

This year, the much-anticipated ECAASU 2011 conference will be held at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst from February 18-19, 2011, and will center around revitalizing Asian American political activism with this year’s innovative theme: B.R.E.AK—Bridge, Revitalize, Equality, Action, and Knowledge.  The conference carries a decisively political edge as it enters its 34th year, as conference planners seek to reinvigorate the Asian & Pacific Islander American political movement to push to end racial inequities, encourage collective actions across color-lines, and promote Asian American unity.

Confirmed keynote speakers headlining the 2011 conference include Vijay Prashad, Lai Wa Wu, and Kent Wong.  Entertainers for the weekend will feature Paul "PK" Kim, Dumbfoundead and DJ Zo, Beau Sia, Staceyann Chin, Sam Kang, Epic Motion, Adam Ramirez and Brownstar.  The workshop line-up, perhaps one of the most engaging and anticipated parts of the conference in which attendees will have the opportunity to meet with nationally recognized Asian American leaders, will be announced on January 15, 2011. Past workshop facilitators include: Asian Pacific Americans for Progress, Asian & Pacific Islander American Vote, the Organization of Chinese Americans, the Asian American Justice Center, Teach for America, South Asian Americans Leading Together, the Asian American Civics Project, and the United States Navy.

The 2011 conference has students across the country talking, especially after the 2010 conference at the University of Pennsylvania drew almost 1500 students and proved to be one of the most successful conferences to date. The 2010 conference featured Congressman Mike Honda of California and Helen Zia, a renowned Asian American journalist and scholar.

The Asian American Justice Center’s Olivia Chow relishes the ECAASU conference as a “tremendous opportunity to harness the power of over a thousand student leaders all pushing forward together… the conference does a great job in raising awareness about some tough issues and using our collective strength to build for the future.” Olivia Chow recently organized the AAJC’s Youth Advisory Council, a group of Asian American student activists seeking to address issues of racial equity pertinent to the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.

ECAASU Board of Directors’ member Nancy Liang praises the conference as “an opportunity to look outside… our own universities and interact with the larger, national community… you meet so many different people with different perspectives, though connected through common interest in Asian American issues.”

Aside from the annual conference, ECAASU also cultivates Asian American student advocacy through its National Board. The current board features advocacy campaigns centering on women’s issues, immigration, and South Asian discrimination; these campaigns are launched alongside extensive regional outreach through regional mixer tours in several major cities including Washington D.C., Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia. Additionally, ECAASU National recently took part in the Youth Charge Now campaign—a groundbreaking national campaign to promote Asian American civic engagement through outreach to college and college-aged youth. In 2011, ECAASU National will be hosting workshops at the conference to promote its advocacy campaigns and will be seeking dedicated student leaders to serve on its national board this spring.

The ECAASU National Board also facilitates the 2012 conference bid through which attendees have the opportunity to apply to host the 2012 conference on their own campus. All schools are encouraged to apply, and information about the 2012 conference bid can be found at ECAASU National’s website at http://www.ecaasu.org. Additional details and registration information for the ECAASU 2011 Conference can be found at http://www.ecaasu2011.org.

Please feel free to contact Derek Mong by e-mail: vice.chair@ecaasu.org, or phone: (240) 506-5436 for more information about ECAASU and ECAASU 2011 Conference.