Asian Americans to Sponsor Forum on Nuclear Survivors

When the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the close of World War II, close to 1000 Japanese Americans were among those who lived to relate firsthand their memories of those nightmarish explosions.

Back in the United States today, critics charge many of these survivors continue to live a bad dream: the government offers them no medical or financial assistance to treat the physical and psychological illnesses resulting from their exposure to radiation.

The fate of these survivors, will be the topic of a presentation hosted by Asian American students tomorrow, as part of an ongoing effort to educate the Harvard community about the experiences of Asian Americans.

The Asian American Association (AAA), the sponsoring group, represents the 395 Asian Americans--6 percent of the total undergraduate population--currently enrolled in the College. Both the number and percentage of Asian American students at Harvard have increased substantially over the past several years, and they now approach Blacks as the College's largest single minority group.

But Margaret M. Chin '84, co-president of AAA, said this week that Asian Americans are still underrepresented on campus, adding that while the number of enrollments has increased, the actual admission rate of Asian Americans is the lowest of any single applicant group and has actually dropped in recent years.

"Harvard is picking the cream of the cream of the cream of Asians that apply." Chin said yesterday. But Admissions Officer Jennifer D. Carey said that there is no ceiling on the number of Asian Americans the admissions committee will accept. The AAA, formed in 1977 works with the admissions office to help recruit Asian Americans and to make admissions officers aware of the special obstacles these students must overcome Chin said.

Ironically the image of Asians as a "model minority" who are unusually well assimilated may prove damaging Paul F. Hsich '84 AAA co-president said yesterday. This image may create unrealistically high expectations concerning Asian Americans and even foster some resentment toward them, he added.

Both Chin and Hsieh said their group, which has close to 40 active members, will continue to work to educate the community about the experiences of Asian Americans in the United States. They will also exert pressure on the University to hire more Asian Aemrican professors and offer courses in Asian American studies.

Chin added that she had spoken with representatives of the Harvard Foundation, an adminstrative body created to improve campus race relations, about efforts to hire more Asian American professors.

S. Allen Counter Foundation director, said yesterday that he had spoken with members of the administration about increasing the number of minority faculty members overall adding, "I think we can do a lot more to improve the situation" Counter said he plans to meet this semester with official responsible for faculty hiring.

The Foundation has helped organize and fund several of the group's events, and both Chin and Hsich said they were pleased with the work of the Fundation overall. However, they added that they do not consider the agency an adequate response to their call for a Third World Center, which would provide a fixed meeting place for minority groups.

In the past, the AAA has sponsored films, speeches, cultural festivals and an Asian American newsletter, in addition to its work with the adminsitration. The group also meets with Asian American student organizations from other colleges in the Northeast.

Tomorrow's presentation, which will include two short films and a speech, was funded by the Foundation and the Undergraduate Council