It’s no secret that the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign recruits a large number of international students, many of whom hail from Korea, China, and other countries in Asia. In 2008, owner and CEO Joohyun Kang began a publication geared toward this community: a newspaper now known as the Asian Campus Tribune. This month, Kang’s will be expanding from Champaign-Urbana to the Greater Philadelphia Area as well as Chicago and Indiana.
Here in C-U, you may have encountered the print edition of the Asian Campus Tribune, which was formerly known as the C-U Asian Times. It looked something like this:
The newspaper features ads and articles that are geared toward members of the Asian community:
In March, the Asian Campus Tribune expanded its mission from “providing a genuine and authentic voice to the Asian community in and around the University of Illinois campus in Champaign-Urbana” to “becom[ing] the leading voice of the Asian campus communities around the nation.”
In its new manifestation, the newspaper provides local news relating to four campuses — the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Purdue University, University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Delaware — as well as international news.
Meanwhile, its Culture/Life section features recipes as well as general information on health and science. In the Student Life section, readers can find reflections on issues of local concern, such as the University of Illinois’s smoking ban and advice on what to look for when renting an apartment in C-U.
Writers also confront local manifestations of the peculiarities of American culture. In November, one columnist reflected on the differences between his perception of the police and those of a black man from the United States:
Now on its 119th issue, the Asian Campus Tribune offers a perspective on C-U life rarely available to those who don’t frequent Campustown. It features voices and viewpoints that are an increasingly strong presence in C-U but that remain largely absent from most mainstream media sources. The publication offers a bridge between Champaign-Urbana and one of its fastest growing communities.
Kang answered some of our questions about the Asian Campus Tribune.
Smile Politely: When did you first move to C-U? And where do you live now?
Joohyun Kang: I came to Champaign Urbana to pursue my Master’s degree 1992. I currently live in Delaware.
SP: How did C-U Asian Times get started?
Kang: When I graduated The University of Illinois, I opened my own design firm as a Korean resident in Champaign-Urbana. I wanted to publish a newspaper to better connect the Korean community, as well as the Korean Community with Champaign-Urbana. We started with English and Korean pages in one newspaper called C-U Korean Times.
SP: How many people currently write for C-U Asian Times? How do you recruit your writers?
Kang: We have about 10 to 15 writers. We recruit writers who read our publication and want to contribute stories and articles for the Asian community’s readers as well as American readers.
SP: What topics do writers tend to cover? What topics do you think are most important to the Asian community in C-U?
Kang: I find that our writers enjoy topics related to culture. They enjoy writing about well-being and campus life in Champaign-Urbana.
SP: I see that you are soon expanding to other regional universities. What has the process of expansion been like so far?
Kang: The process has been rewarding. I knew that is was going to take a lot of time and effort to expand the publication, but I have enjoyed it thus far. Our publication has available at other universities beginning on March 4th.
SP: What, in your view, are some of the common experiences that members of the Asian community have when they move to C-U? What are the biggest culture shocks?
Kang: Some of the main differences in culture are how people make relationships with others, the differences in manners, and the language barrier.
SP: What, in your view, could the local media and the community of C-U do to be more welcoming and accommodating of members of the Asian community?
Kang: I believe that if the C-U community was more open to Asian culture and showed more interest in learning about its values, it would be beneficial for the community!