- The addition of the term “Islander” recognizes the specific circumstances of indigenous populations that inhabit the islands of the Pacific.
- The term “Islander” acknowledges the necessity to consider the experiences of inhabitants of the Pacific Islands along with those of Pacific rim countries.
- The use of the slash mark between “Asian” and “Pacific Islander” is necessary to indicate that both qualify “American.”
- The use of the slash mark between “Asian” and “Pacific Islander” also brings Americans of Asian and Pacific Islander ancestry into a framework that allows study of intersections among multiple communities as well as unique situations within particular communities.
- The presence within Asian/Pacific Islander American Studies of a cluster of four faculty whose research and teaching specialities focus on Pacific Islands studies and Pacific Islander American issues is a conjunction that signals important new directions in three fields: Asian American studies, Pacific Islands studies, and American studies.
