This is a call for papers, but the conference itself is a joint one and a great opportunity to attend if you’re in the California area. Check out the links below for more information.

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Location: Pacific Basin Institute at Pomona College in Claremont, CA (in the Los Angeles area)

Date: June 17-19, 2011

The two regional conferences of the AAS in western North America are holding a single annual conference this coming year, set around the usual meeting time of the ASPAC conference. The venue’s location near major airports ought to mean that transport costs would be more reasonable for participants

CALL FOR PAPERS

Annual Meeting of Asian Studies on the Pacific Coast (ASPAC) and the Western Conference of the Association for Asian Studies (WCAAS)

The conference theme is Asia Rising and the Rise of Asian America. This conference will provide a low-key venue to share your latest research with peers on any topic in Asian Studies. We welcome advanced graduate students and foreign participants.

Presentations on Asia’s rising prominence and the growing Asian presence in America are especially welcome. Proposals for panels, individual papers, workshops, and discussion roundtables will be accepted until May 15, 2011. Authors will be notified of proposal acceptance within two weeks of submission.

To submit proposals, register for the conference, and make other arrangements visit: http://www.pomona.edu/pbi/aspac.shtml

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Program Chairs: Hung Cam Thai and David Arase
Email contact: pbi@pomona.edu

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A special joint annual meeting of Asian Studies on the Pacific Coast (ASPAC) &

Western Conference of the Association of Asian Studies (WCAAS)

Conference Theme

Asia’s Rise

Asian societies and cultures are experiencing unprecedented change and are having a palpable impact on the direction of global affairs. Asia is the most populous geographic region, with 56 percent of the worlds population. The Asian economy today encompasses 33 percent of real world GDPsurpassing the size of either Europe or North America. Asias political influence is also on the rise. Of the Group of Twenty (G-20) nations currently managing the global economy, there are five Asian members (China, Japan, South Korea, India, and Indonesia), a substantial increase of Asian representation at the global level over the old G-8, which had Japan as the only Asian representative. And one cannot overlook how the rapid rise of China and India is unavoidably changing the international security order.

With successful development comes environmental cost. In a world with limited oil reserves, three of the top four oil importing countries are in Asia. Chinas growth now makes it the world’s largest contributor to climate change. Asia also confronts harsh natural resource constraints. The demand for fresh water is already unmet in many places and will exceed supply by at least 20 percent across the entire region by 2025. However, Asia may be in a position to address these problems. It leads in many areas of innovation and problem solving: three of the top four patent-filing countries are Asian; the US is number two on the list. Finally, Asia also makes leading contributions to world culture. Asian cuisine is changing the worlds taste for fine food, Asian corporations set the standard in consumer products, and Asian fashion designers and film makers attract international attention and awards. Other leading cultural contributions come in music, religion, literature, architecture, and the fine arts, redefining how human civilization regards itself.

Rising Asian America

Globalization ensures that the impact of Asia’s rise is not limited to Asia. In a very real sense it is changing America at home. In Southern California and other parts of the country, an increasing number of Asians and those of Asian heritage establish their lives and form communities, raising issues of changing identity, power relations, and hybridity in culture. Yet the impact of Asians and those of Asian heritage born here in America has received relatively little attention. Therefore, we include Asian America in our scope of interest and invite proposals from those who can expand our knowledge in this area as well.

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Proposals

Individual paper proposals are welcome. Those accepted will be grouped according to general topic and organized in a panel format (see next). Multiple paper panel proposals should address a single theme and have three or four paper presenters, a chair, and a discussant. The chair may serve as a discussant.

A roundtable proposal should organize 3-6 participants who will engage in informed discussion on a particular theme of wider interest. The organizer should designate a chair or moderator. Written papers are not required.

Proposals will be reviewed and a response will be sent within two weeks of submission. To submit a proposal, click the link below and fill out the form. Send the proposal at the earliest convenience to facilitate conference planning.

The deadline for submission is May 15, 2011.

For Proposal Form link to URL:
http://www.pomona.edu/pbi/aspac/proposal.shtml

For Tentative Program Schedule link to URL:
http://www.pomona.edu/pbi/aspac/program.shtml

Registration

Conference Registration EARLY RATES General registration will be $110 for participants and attendees. Student registration will be $55.

The deadline for early registration is March 15, 2011.

Late registration begins March 16, 2011. After that date, general registration will be $160 and student registration will be $70. On-site registration will also be considered late registration.

You may also select housing and meal options during registration.

ASPAC-WCAAS Registration online event registration by Regonline

< http://www.regonline.com/Register/Checkin.aspx?EventID=895371 >

For questions or concerns regarding your registration contact Kayo Yoshikawa at 1-909-607-8035 or email Kayo.Yoshikawa@pomona.edu .

Housing

A number of Pomona College student dormitory rooms (singles) will be available to attendees at a rate of $40 per night (June 16, 17 & 18). You may select to reserve a dormitory room on the Additional Events page of the conference registration form.

Room blocks have been reserved at two local hotels in Claremont (follow links on the ASPAC-WCAAS Registration site). *Be sure to mention you are part of ASPAC to receive discounted rates.

Meals

You may prepay $14 to have lunch on Friday, June 17 and Saturday, June 18 at a dining hall conveniently located on the Pomona College campus. You may select this option on the Additional Events page of the conference registration form.

A banquet dinner will be held on Saturday, June 18 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm in Smith 201.

You may select to attend this event on the Additional Events page of the conference registration form.