At CEAS, we pursue diversity and inclusiveness not as mere objectives for reaching social and institutional equity, but as philosophical principles for human understanding. We view all human stories and identities as complex, recognizing that they emerge in situated social, geographical, historical, and material circumstances. We recognize that it is impossible to engage diversity with a single language, a single story, a single history, or a single point of view. Hence, in CEAS we dedicate ourselves to multiculturalism, multilingualism, expansive narratives, and diverse perspectives. In recognition of the fact that human stories and identities through history are shaped by unjust social relations that still exist today, all of our practices—hiring, promotion, research, teaching, training, learning, outreach, and beyond—are guided by the principles of equity and inclusion.
Located in the U.S. southwestern borderland, the University of Arizona is both the largest Minority-Serving Institution in the state of Arizona and the only member of the Association of American Universities of the state. The CEAS at the University of Arizona will be one of the only two minority serving institutions with an NRC focusing on East Asia, and the only one that is a Hispanic Serving Institution. CEAS will also engage in comparative research and teaching of borderlands, focusing on cultural diversity, human rights, and indigenous populations in borderlands of East Asia, North America, and elsewhere.