The Asian American Studies Program (AASP) at Hunter College of the City University of New York provides students with a multidisciplinary undergraduate education in Asian diasporas with a focus on the United States and New York City. The Asian American Studies Program at Hunter proceeds from the premise that studies of Asian American experiences are needed to understand American history, immigration, law, politics, labor, health and cultures; and that knowledge of the rapidly growing Asian American communities, as part of post-1965 large scale immigration, informs our understandings of globalized cultures, economies and politics. Our curriculum and programming pays attention to race/ethnicity, national origins, socio-economic status, sexual identity, and gender, along with coalition building among diverse Asian American groups and across racial/ethnic lines to build the common good. 

Our undergraduate curriculum focuses on the historical and contemporary experiences of Asians in the United States, Asian American communities and Mental Health and Asian American Civil Rights & Law. The curriculum includes exciting survey courses on Asian American Literature, Asian American Art, and Asian Pacific American Media. Furthermore, we offer courses with in-depth analyses of specific populations and topics, such as South Asian Women's Literature, Filipino American Literature, and Muslim Diasporas. In our 28 year history, we have offered more than 90 undergraduate courses, in the humanities and social sciences. [AASP Course Catalog]

The program reflects the diverse Hunter student body and Hunter's deep connections to New York City and contributes to the growing scholarship in the vital field of Asian American Studies and serves as a resource for New York City's Asian American communities and community-based organizations.

The program was founded in 1993 thanks to student activism, community support, faculty and administrative support, including from Dr. Shirley Hune, Professor Emerita, Educational Leadership & Policy Studies University of Washington, when she was Associate Provost at Hunter from 1990-1992. Dr. Peter Kwong served as the founding director from 1993-2001 and was succeeded by Dr. Robert Ku and Jennifer Hayashida. Dr. Joong Oh has also served as interim director. Vivian Louie served as Director from 2018-2024. Student, faculty and community engagement have been defining features of Asian American Studies at Hunter.