Asian-Americans are central players in a lawsuit about affirmative action filed against Harvard University. Are they being set up and used? What is the role of Asian-Americans in campus debates in general? What do Asian-Americans contribute to campus movements for social justice? Where and when do Asian-Americans show up -- and what has been their contribution and involvement in improving American higher education, from the 1960s until today?

I first met Mark Tseng-Putterman when he was co-curator (with Jack Tchen, who I spoke with in another episode) for the incredibly powerful show, Haunted Files: The Eugenics Record Office, which explored the history and legacy of the U.S. eugenics movement and "scientific" racism. How could a university show this offensive material, without inadvertently replicating the hateful and bigoted message? Mark has been and is an important voice in campus politics, and uniquely able to explain the political dimensions of the field of ethnic studies. Read his essay,What Asian Americans are bringing to campus movements for racial justice, after listening to this episode.