The Filipino American Studies Program (FAST) began as a direct result of a request from the newly appointed Director of Asian American Studies, Larry Hajime Shinagawa. During the Fall of 2006, he asked Jonathan Sterlin and the executive board of the Filipino Cultural Association, who played a substantial role in the establishment of the University of Maryland’s Asian American Studies Department, to lead this endeavor with the following three goals in mind:

1. To enhance the diversity of the University’s course offerings by educating the campus community about the role Filipino Americans have played throughout the history of the United States and examining the culture, societal contributions, and contemporary experiences of Filipino Americans;

2. To partner with the Asian American Studies Department and representatives from the greater Filipino American community to develop the curriculum; and

3. To serve as a model for other ethnic groups to follow in the future development of diversity offerings at this University as well as other postsecondary institutions throughout the country.
The Filipino American Studies Program is integrally linked to the Asian American Studies Department at the University of Maryland, College Park whose mission is to provide students with the opportunity to study critically the experiences of Asian Americans.

In FAST, we offer two scholarships, the Philip Veracruz and the General Taguba scholarships.

The Philip Vera Cruz Outstanding Community Service Scholarship ($1,000 per recipient) in recognition of a highly accomplished undergraduate who personifies the vital relationship between a college education and the human condition through service to the under-served and under-represented. One recipient to be selected.

Philip Vera Cruz (12/25/1904 to 6/12/1994) was a Filipino American labor leader, farm worker, and leader in the Asian American civil rights movement. A co-founder of the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee, which later merged with the National Farm Workers Association to become the United Farm Workers, he was the union’s long-time vice president, working to improve housing and employment conditions for migrant workers. With Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, Larry Itliong, and Pete Velasco, Vera Cruz led the historic 1965 Delano Strike against grape growers of California.

The Major General Antonio Taguba Profiles in Courage and Leadership Scholarship ($1,000 per recipient) in recognition of undergraduates who demonstrate scholarship and leadership and who are considering a future in federal public service, both civilian and military. Two recipients to be selected, one for an AAST student and one for an Army or Air Force ROTC cadet seeking a degree at the University of Maryland College Park who is/has/will be enrolled in an AAST course(s) or pursuing an AAST minor.

Antonio Mario Taguba is a retired Major General in the United States Army having served 34 years on active duty. He is the second Filipino American to attain the rank of general officer in the U.S. Army. General Taguba is best known for authoring the Taguba Report, an internal U.S. Army report on detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, which was leaked and published in 2004. His courage and steadfast commitment to integrity in the face of adversity are admired by all who known him. Today, General Taguba gives generously of his time nationally and abroad to educate and mentor future generations of leaders. The Filipino Cultural Association at Maryland established this scholarship in 2008 to honor General Taguba and his dedication to young people.