The SJSU Asian American Studies Street Team is a student-led outreach group of AAS majors and minors who work to build community, raise consciousness, and advocate for students in the Asian American Studies major, minor, and classes at SJSU. 

Our understanding of Asian American Studies is that it is a field of study which examines how imperialism, settler colonialism, and capitalism shapes Asian American communities, histories, and experiences. Asian American Studies both critically examines these systems and is unrelentingly critical of them. 

We believe that Asian American Studies allows us to understand how war and structural racism both "here" and "there" are intertwined, connected to the aforementioned. We also believe Asian American Studies emphasizes power from below to create resistance movements challenging systems of domination and to create visions of new, more equitable worlds.

Inspired by the student and community scholar-activist roots of Asian American Studies, the AAS Street Team uses the power of students and community to lead the charge of using Asian American Studies to change society. 

Our goals are to: 

• increase the major/minor count of Asian American Studies at SJSU 

• expand critical consciousness and awareness of Asian American Studies on campus

• create opportunities for students to put Asian American Studies into action outside the classroom

The AAS Street Team is supervised by Dr. Trung PQ Nguyen. 

We invite anyone interested in Asian American Studies to get in touch with us: sjsuasianamstreetteam[at]gmail.com

We believe that Asian American Studies is about students empowering students to get through institutions that were not built for us. To this end, we provide peer-led, soft advising services and an empowerment-based internship to guide other students through graduation and to become scholar-activists in their own right.

Our advising programs include: 

Drop In Hours

Come to the SISS Study Lounge to chat with a AAS Street Team member, no RSVP required. Chat with us about exploring AAS, whether a minor can fit in your academic plan, navigating the bureaucratic system at SJSU, and more.  We might not be able to solve all of your problems, but we can hear you out and try to figure out what might help. 

In Spring 2026, Drop In Hours are Thursdays from 12:00PM - 1:00PM at the SISS Study Lounge (DMH 235B)

Junior Team Internship 

Want to expand your organizing skills or deepen your understanding of Asian American Studies? Want to take what you learn in the classroom and apply it to real life? Want to work on projects related to marketing, data collection, or coalition building? Consider joining our on-campus Junior Team Internship! Junior Team Internship is run and cooordinated by the Street Team. Junior Team Internship hires every December for January start dates, and last for one semester. This is unpaid. 

Street Guide

Sign up for one on one mentorship with our Street Team members! We can chat about strategies for success in AAS, at SJSU, and more.  Email us and one of us will reach out to pair you with someone: sjsuasianamstreetteam[at]gmail.com. 

Community Liaisons and HS/CC Recruitment

Want to connect with off-campus Asian American community and activist organizations, but too afraid to go by yourself? Or want to spread the word about AAS/ES at SJSU to high schools and community colleges? Come with us! We regularly attend outreach events or panels at high schools and community colleges to recruit for AAS/ES at SJSU. We also attend meetings with different organizations addressing immigrant rights, housing justice, and social justice in Japantown, and elsewhere in San Jose.  

If you want to be a part of planning these events, and making a lasting impact on campus and beyond, consider joining the  Street Team. See below for details!