Week 10 - Kimberly Pariyavanh

As an Asian American Studies major, I think acknowledging and incorporating spirit realm into the subject is beneficial. Being in this major, I feel that it gives an opportunity for others to learn about narratives that are not discussed or not displayed as the “truth”. I think exploring the spirit realm in relation to Asian American Studies is also a way to recognize different experiences of others. One could ponder on questions such as: how does one’s belief in the spirit realm affect their navigation of life in America? Incorporating the spirit realm would bring another perspective of the Asian American experience.

While being in ASA 189B this quarter, I learned that although one may think universities are places of vast knowledge, they also place restrictions on certain topics. A challenge in implementing spirit realm within Asian American Studies could be that some higher-ups view the topic as not “academic” enough. They may question the value of the spirit realm being taught in the classroom. Another challenge could be finding professors who are interested in teaching or facilitating a class on the spirit realm. In order to combat these challenges, I would hope that student petitions and student voices could push for the topic of spirit realm to be incorporated into a discipline such as Asian American Studies.

(Image represents that there is always more to learn and that one can learn from the stories/experiences of others)