Most Harvard students didn't notice the fluorescent green armbands worn by members of the Ethnic Studies Action Committee (ESAC) at the Cultural Rhythms performance in February.

But the armbands were one of the only signs that ethnic studies activism, a hot topic several years ago, is experiencing a rebirth on the Harvard campus.

Ethnic studies activists say the issue is less contentious today because students and faculty are approaching it from similar positions. However faculty and students are not yet in total agreement.

"How different ethnic groups interact is an important field of study for social and academic reasons and you can separate it from representative politics," says Michael Hsu '98, a member of the Academic Affairs Committee (AAC). "That has helped us touch base with the faculty on a common goal, which we didn't have four years ago."

In 1995, ethnic studies activists were disappointed when Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles rejected a proposal by the AAC which called for an increased focus on ethnic studies.

Knowles wrote in a letter to the AAC that the Faculty should not establish programs limited to "narrowly defined ethnic groups but [should] focus on ethnic studies generally."

The Faculty Council has not received any more proposals or discussed the issue since that time, Knowles says.

Although many other universities, including Yale and Brown, have developed ethnic studies departments in the wake of student activism, Harvard does not have an ethnic studies department or a degree committee.

Recent Developments

Both students and faculty say the University has shown a much more substantial response to ethnic studies activists in the past couple of years.

"I have seen a few more courses which deal with race and ethnicity," says Gonzalo Martinez '98, former president of RAZA. "It seems to me there has been more focus or at least lip service to ethnic studies."

In a recent interview, Knowles outlined the University's goals for ethnic studies.

Knowles says Harvard aims to "enrich the curriculum with visiting appointments" and to "recognize and encourage the appointment of Faculty interested in these areas."

"There will be an increasing number of faculty appointments, largely in the social sciences and humanities, of professors whose scholarly work is relevant to these areas," he says.

In addition, the Course Catalog includes a section on courses related to ethnic studies.