The Asian American Studies Program is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2024 Dr. Rosane Rocher Prize in Best Undergraduate Essay in Asian American Studies: Fariha Nawar for her paper "The Resilience of Refugees: Exploring Storytelling as a Method of Addressing Intergenerational Trauma in Vietnamese Refugee Families in Ocean Vuong’s On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous" and Vernon Wells, for his paper "From Subaltern to Suburban: A Personal History of Filipino Migration."
The submissions this year were strong examples of research and writing and the decision was very difficult. The Committee agreed that both papers were excellent.
Vernon and Fariha, congratulations, great work!
Vernon Wells is a senior from Maine majoring in Anthropology and Sociology with a minor in Asian American Studies. Vernon is a current Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow and 2022-2023 ASAM Fellow, also holding positions in the Southeast Asia Working Group, Penn Philippine Association, and Queer People of Color. Vernon is member of the ASAM Undergraduate Advisory Board.
Fariha Nawar is a junior from Vermont studying Political Science and English with a minor in Comparative Literature. She is the president of the Bangladeshi Student Association, on the advisory board of the Netter Center for Community Partnerships, on the Asian Pacific Student Coalition board, and performs spoken word poetry with the Excelano Project. She loves painting, reading, creative writing, and exploring bookstores in the city. She’s excited to get more involved with ASAM during her time with the UAB.