In 1872, the University of California’s first endowed chair was created for the teaching of Asian languages, reflecting the UC founders’ vision to build a great public university on the Pacific Rim. Established in 1896, what is now called East Asian Languages and Cultures (EALC) was one of the first such departments in the United States. It offered Mandarin, Cantonese, and Japanese. In 1943, UC Berkeley became the first U.S. university to teach Korean. Today, more than 60 languages are taught at Berkeley — more than any other UC.
“We believe that making languages more visible on campus can be an important reminder … that people across California, the U.S., and the globe routinely live, work, dream, imagine, and invent in more than one language.” — Michael Iarroci, associate dean of the Division of Arts & Humanities
Berkeley’s focus on linguistic diversity has motivated several recent gifts that reflect the vital role languages play as repositories for culture, history, and human connection. Within the last two years, donors have established endowed funds to support Ukrainian studies and Armenian language and literature, recognizing the importance of academic communities for languages under pressure from war or diaspora.
EALC is also receiving strong support. In response to a swell of interest in expanding Cantonese classes, James ’95 and Eudora ’94 Ting created the Cantonese and Regional Sinitic Languages Fund last summer. Other donors have contributed to it, including Charles Huang ’93 and siblings Vanessa ’06 and Vincent ’03 Cheung. Last fall EALC launched its first class in Taiwanese.
“By enhancing the curriculum and expanding language offerings, we hope to empower future generations to connect more deeply with their heritage and communities,” say Vincent and Vanessa.
