I'm perfectly content with my concentration. Good literature is good literature, no matter who writes it. And I'm studying some great stuff. Do I fear that by supporting ethnic studies, I am advocating the advent of a waste-land of academic vapidity, racial separatism and cultural malaise?

Not at all. Some of the most exciting work that's being done in the fields of literature and history has to do with racial issues and previously under-studied ethnic groups.

And in any case, what does "supporting ethnic studies" mean?

Does it mean that everyone has to start concentrating in Asian-American and Latino studies? That everyone has to take a course on Marcus Garvey and Cesar Chavez? That everyone should start wearing. Maxine Hong Kingston t-shirts?

No. If that were the case, you could have counted me out long ago. I like studying Walt and Waldo, thank you.

The main things that the Ethnic Studies Action Committee and Academic Affairs Council want are more professors with experience teaching ethnic studies and more courses that deal with this scholarship.

More elective courses, mind you.

Recently, the chair of the Committee on Ethnic Studies recommended that the administration make the current dean's committee into a standing committee of the Faculty. That's a good idea.

I personally am unsure about whether ethnic studies should have its own separate department (although the Afro-American Studies Department begs the question), but that's not even a consideration at this point.

If anything, you need at least a standing committee if you're going to be serious about promoting scholarship in the field. Such a committee could raise funds and encourage faculty hiring and research in ethnic studies.

Establishing it would give ethnic studies some institutional permanence at Harvard. And it would also be a meaningful sign that the administration finally thinks ethnic studies has some academic merit.

It's about time. Students have been telling them that for more than 20 years.

Students have also been asking for more courses these last two decades. Harvard lists more than 90 courses in its "Ethnic Studies at Harvard" booklet that are outside the Afro-American Studies department.

You read the titles.

"Asian and Hispanic Politics in the United States."