Founded as Hamilton-Oneida Academy in 1793 and chartered as a college in 1812, Hamilton’s history goes back almost 230 years. Hamilton College was an all-male, rather conservative institution until it merged with all-female Kirkland College in 1978, becoming coed and expanding its campus from “light” to “dark side”. Founded in 1968 and named after Sameul Kirkland (who founded Hamilton College), Kirkland College introduced a more diverse and progressive student body and faculty. Kirkland ushered in new areas of study like arts, creative writing, and social sciences — all of which Hamilton integrated into its curriculum after the two schools joined together. Today, students have a variety of courses to choose from, leaving the hill with a rich liberal arts education.
We wanted to document the social, academic, and political evolution of Hamilton by interviewing Asian and Asian American alumni. We reached out to around 54 alumni from class years ranging from 1967 to 2020 and were able to interview 28 of them.
List of class years: 1967, 1973, 1986, 1991, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020
Academics
Over the years, Hamilton has modified and expanded its curriculum. Currently, students have 44 majors to choose from among the college’s 57 areas of study. The college did not adopt an open curriculum until the class of 2005. According to our interviews, alumni took full advantage of their liberal arts education by enrolling in classes across departments. Some avoided STEM courses, leaving behind pre-med futures they once saw themselves pursuing. In fact, the majority of interviewees majored in social sciences, humanities and Chinese. Among majors, government was most popular. Similar to statements made by current students, most alumni agreed that Hamilton sustained high academic rigor and provided an excellent education. The ‘work hard, play hard’ mentality motivated alumni to take classes outside of their comfort zones, study daily, work campus jobs, and decompress over the weekend with friends.
Alumni also listed the benefits of Hamilton’s open curriculum. Many entered Hamilton with an intended major based on their interests or what they excelled at in high school. However, over the course of their first couple of semesters, they found themselves gravitating to another department or professor unrelated to their intended area of study. Alumni appreciated the academic freedom and the ability to experiment with different courses.
Answers varied on whether or not alumni found Hamilton academically challenging. Alumni #3 ‘20, #5 ‘20, #6 ‘10 found the first two years rather easy, yet, would later encounter an increase in academic rigor. Highly competitive high schools with large workloads seemed to ease the academic transition for Alumni #3 ‘20, #5 ‘20, #6 ‘10. Freshmen and sophomores tend to fill their schedules with introductory courses as prerequisites prior to fulfilling upper level, more specific major requirements. Other interviewees felt unprepared during their freshman year due to their high school education and preparation.
Several alumni talked about how Hamilton’s high academic rigor influenced their social life. Alumnus #26 ‘18 remembered how difficult it was to adjust to Hamilton academically in the beginning which affected them socially, as they were too busy studying to find the support systems they needed.
Alumnus #21 ‘16 commented that, “Hamilton could do more to help students ease into college life. I know they have Adirondack Adventure and HEOP, but as for the entire student population, it is difficult to transition, especially at a high academic rigor.” They expanded on the importance of mentorship, whether it was by an Hamilton employee or an upperclassman, particularly for first-year students. Various interviewees shared their desire for greater mentorship.
Alumni also reflected on their experiences with professors. Many alumni praised certain professors for their devotion to students and the college. Alumnus #19 ‘18 remembered feeling overwhelmed by Hamilton’s writing intensive curriculum. A professor provided time and attention to Alumnus #19 ‘18, teaching them how to efficiently read and write, and helping them build foundational skills that would last through college. “I don’t know if this is the case for all colleges, but I know that my friends who went to bigger universities never had the experiences I had with my professors. Hamilton had some really great professors who would sit down with you and teach you from the beginning as long as you were willing to learn,”Alumnus #19 ‘18 remarked. Hamilton’s small class sizes give opportunities to students to form meaningful and lasting connections with faculty members.
Alumnus #17 ‘18 also brought up a positive memory involving a faculty member. “Having a professor who looked like me and taught me about my identity really helped me inform myself of who I wanted to be in the future and that it was okay to prioritize my mental health, where, in Asian culture, that isn’t considered a thing or as important.” Alumnus #17 ‘18 appreciated their professor’s empathetic response to their academic challenges and mental health. Additionally, the alum recalled taking a class with a professor and thinking, “Hey, I’m Asian and I’m proud of it, and I’m able to be who I am without being ashamed.” This epiphany came to them during a specific class that covered social demographics at the end of their sophomore year of college. They went on to say, “It wasn’t until then when I brought up my Asian experiences in class and was able to talk through them, and I never got negative feedback.”
Fortunately, the majority of interviewees did not have negative interactions in class or with Hamilton employees that they thought were influenced by their racial identity. However, those who did displayed resilience and forgiveness. Alumnus #10 ‘20 explained a situation in which they felt uncomfortable in a class due to its lack of diversity and the professor who appeared oblivious. In addition, the alum did not have a background in the subject matter from their high school curriculum unlike their classmates who seemed to be familiar with concepts during lectures. The professor’s appearance and character reflected the majority of class, leaving Alumnus #10 ‘20 feeling alone and not represented. They wish for professors to be more aware of the way they teach and present themselves.
Alumnus #19 ‘18 prefaced their response to the interview question by mentioning that their experience was not necessarily negative, outrightly racist or discriminatory. Initially, faculty members assumed that the alum wanted to study a specific topic and region due to their ethnicity. In actuality, Alumnus #19 ‘18 had no previous knowledge of their ethnic history and resisted their white professors’ assumptions and suggestions. Another faculty member who had expertise in a field that reflected their background changed the alum’s mind. In this case, the people who interacted with Alumnus #19 ‘18 changed the way they viewed themselves and their concentration. In the midst of sharing their experiences, the alum said,
“I was the only Asian person in class and when professors were talking about the political scene, I felt like I had to speak up as the only Asian voice.” Feeling a responsibility to represent a certain viewpoint or speak for an entire population are rather common for minority students.
Alumnus #16 ‘10 shared a similar sentiment, feeling a responsibility to be the voice of all Asians, or in some cases, all people of color. “I think they [the college] should realize that not all students of color are necessarily the same. I think international students have different needs than students of color.” They went on to explain a situation in which people expected them to contribute due to their race. “‘Well, students of color feel…’ and they just looked at me. I was happy to share my experience but I didn’t think my experience was everyone else’s experience.”
Overall, alumni showed a great appreciation for their Hamilton education. They challenged themselves to take classes unrelated to their major, formed meaningful connections with faculty members, and asked for help when they needed it most.
Social Life
Besides academics, alumni filled their time with friends, extracurricular activities, and clubs. Alumni from every decade stated that Hamilton’s predominantly white environment impacted their social life. Alumnus #18 ‘11 remarked on, “Coming in, I knew students of color would be a minority. But I did not realize how much of a minority we would be.” This surprise and feeling were consistent with other alumni.
We were curious to hear about alumni social circles. Over 50 percent of the interviewees said that their closest friends and friend groups were predominantly composed of fellow students of color. Many alumni tended to gravitate towards Asian students and other people of color due to the sense of familiarity. In response to our question regarding choosing friends, Alumnus #7 ‘91 asked, “Did we have a choice? [We] noticed it was a white campus, joked about it, [and] hung out with everyone [I] came across.” In contrast, Alumnus #24 ‘14 felt that Hamilton evolved since their arrival. “ I feel like Hamilton is much more progressive and more socially active. I know a lot of students felt marginalized, isolated, and exploited by college and administration back then.”
Each interviewee had a different experience based on their social circle, the Hamilton community at the time, and overall societal progress. Many alumni did not face racial discrimination or microaggressions while on campus, yet, that cannot be said for everyone. Even the smallest of incidents can have an impact. Alumnus #26 ‘18 gave an example in which people would always confuse them with their Asian friend by addressing them by their friend’s name despite having a drastic height difference and completely different physical features. Similarly, current Asian students have witnessed their professors calling on
Alumnus #15 ‘14 provided another example: “During my first interaction with another student, they were so surprised and asked, ‘Your English is so good, are you adopted?’” Another alum explained how,
“Other students always asked, ‘Are you Posse or are you an international student?’ just really pushing this foreigner stereotype. I literally just introduced myself and where I was from. People were just so quick to assume that I was only here because of a scholarship, and that I was only here because of Posse or HEOP, or that I was international.”
As a freshman, Alumnus #15 ‘14 marked these simple, yet memorable interactions. Later in the interview, the alum remembered fellow students telling them that, “Asians aren’t people of color.” Alumni pointed out that many of their fellow students did not mean to be malicious. Alumni mentioned that their white peers were simply too oblivious to observe the struggles of people of color, and despite wanting to understand, they ultimately never could. However, not all fellow students wanted to understand the struggles of the POC community and have active discourse. Alumnus #22 ‘15 explained,
“I don’t regret going to Hamilton, but the social experience there was very disappointing in which a lot of white kids at Hamilton that I interacted with didn’t have friends of color and didn’t go to schools where they could engage with Asians. I remember the white kids I befriended in pre-orientation and orientation would openly make remarks like, ‘Oh you’re my first friend of color,’ or if I spoke to them about a microaggression I experienced in class, they would openly say, ‘Could we change the topic? I don’t feel comfortable talking about race,’ or ‘Why does everything have to be about race?’”
Alumnus #18 ‘11 also gave their perspective on the issue in which they believed, “There was a general lack of exposure to people of color, to people from different countries with different cultures, that’s what I felt more than anything other than specifically race.”
Similar to the sentiments of current students, alumni described the college’s social atmosphere as overwhelmingly “cliquey”. Alumnus #6 ‘10 said that the cliques naturally formed, but were not meant to exclude people.
Aside from racial segregation, various alumni also noted the wealth disparity between students at Hamilton. Alumnus #25 ‘05, said that for them personally, socioeconomic circles had a significantly greater influence than race in regards to their social circle. Alumnus #3 ‘20 elaborated on economic inequality saying,
“The number one observation for me was that people of color also tended to be folks of lower socioeconomic status. Diversity was assigned to that one part of the student body. I thought it was more difficult to create meaningful relationships with white people on campus probably because they were so oblivious to the struggles that people of color face. For me, it was the first time I ever went to an environment [that] was majority white people. I was not used to that at all. I think that discomfort is what streamlined the relationship amongst people of color at Hamilton, because you have that shared experience. Diversity was pretty disproportionate.”
In reference to social media, Alumnus 22 ‘15 shared,
“On Yik Yak (the equivalent of Jodel), people would be so racist. It was an actively hostile culture. We would see messages saying ‘Oh, all these students of color need to shut up and mind your own business, because you’re only here because of the financial aid that our full-tuition pays for.’ It was both an intersection of class and race and the assumption that if you were a student of color and you were only there because of financial aid, that you didn’t deserve the merit of being there. It was a very stark environment for a lot of students of color at the time… I think a lot of faculty of color were also experiencing racism of their own. I remember there were new faculty of color, who even under their own department, were told they were only hired because of tokenism. If that was what faculty had to endure, imagine what students had to endure.”
It is also interesting that the progression of opportunity programs at Hamilton. For example, Alumnus #24 ‘14 explained how it is interesting how HEOP turned out, “It was originally supposed to be high achieving students from poor resourced background programs but became a student of color program.”
Alumnus #18 ‘11 further explained how “It was frustrating how that was how we accounted for diversity in college.” Many alumni, and even some current students interviewed, felt that their classmates always assumed that they were part of opportunity programs simply because they were Asian. Their white counterparts would not face the same assumptions.
One type of social outlet on campus is Greek life. Even though over half of the alumni we interviewed were not involved in Greek life, they still noticed the prevalence of Greek organizations, and therefore, party culture, on campus. Interviewees who had been a part of Greek organizations seemed to have a generally positive experience. In 1996, the college abolished Greek housing without dissolving fraternities. Today, there are approximately 1,850 students who attend Hamilton, and of those around 21% belong to Greek fraternities and sororities.
Alumnus #20 ‘67 recalled the overwhelming involvement of students in Greek life because “there was no other social life. […] There wasn’t a big off-campus life [either]. They said that, at that time, belonging to a Greek organization was ideal for one’s social life on campus, and at least 75% of the ~900 students were a part of a Greek organization.
As someone who was not part of a Greek organization, but still attended Greek social events, Alumnus #13 ‘86 remarked,
“It was rather interesting to me because I never experienced things like that in [my home town] as a high school student. It was interesting to see some of the cultures and the difference between the fraternities. For example, Alpha Delta was a group with a bit of a wealthier [background] where they had ties and cocktails, and Delta Phi had a different culture and tone — a little more down to earth. […] It was a good time for me to get used to the culture. It was a culture that I didn’t know from the surface of everyday life [in reference to Hamilton’s focus on academics]. It was an interesting experience and sometimes things got wild but overall, I enjoyed it very much.”
Another alumni commented on the need to be involved in Greek life because they “didn’t want to stick out but we knew we stuck out.”
Alumnus #21 ‘16 noted that they were the token Asian person in their pledge class and that was how that was a part of their identity. Most alumni recalled the dominant nature of the party culture during their time however, they also noted that now they do not see parties being as prevalent as they were. “School has gotten more serious. [There is] less drinking than there was back then,” an alum said. While some briefly mentioned the change, Alumnus #7 ‘91 witnessed the turn of the atmosphere:
“I think Hamilton started cracking down on parties towards the end of my Hamilton career. I know that towards the end they started taking down a lot of party spaces like Anderson and Bundy dining hall. […] [My Greek organization] became more exclusive, [however,] I do remember at the beginning where it was a lot more inclusive.”
For many students, having a support system was extremely important. Alumnus #26 ‘18 explained,
“I think a lot of the challenges are inclusion-related or just pushing this college to do better and be more inclusive, and be more aware of the difficulties of going to a school in the middle of nowhere that is also predominantly white. I think that tends to shape a lot of students of color experiences. I grew up in an entirely white high school. I am mixed race and grew up with my family that white so coming to Hamilton, I hadn’t really thought of myself as an Asian American until Hamilton. I thought to myself, ‘Wow! I am way more Asian than these people [referring to white students]’.”
Besides communities that resulted from opportunity programs and Greek organizations, many alumni turned to campus clubs such as the Asian Cultural Society, Asian Student Union (ASU), or the Hamilton American and Chinese Exchange. Everyone’s experiences with campus clubs varied. Overtime, the Asian Student Union fostered different experiences throughout its active years. While most of the alumni we interviewed were a part of the Asian Student Union, Asian Society, or “the Asian club” during their time at Hamilton, some of them found the experience lackluster. Alumnus #7 ‘91 said, “Nothing felt memorable while I was in Asian Society. It felt more of just getting together and identifying as Asians and conglomerating with Asians in a white college. It was not earth-shattering, but finding comfort with other Asians” was important.
According to Alumnus #8 ‘96, ASU served as a social organization rather than one that actively addressed social issues. Another alum also brought up their hesitation in associating themselves with ASU due to their past experiences but now realizes the importance that ASU played in an Asian or Asian American student’s life.
In contrast to fellow interviewees, Alumnus #24 ‘14 shared, “I wasn’t part of the Asian American club, and I think it was because of internalized racism, because I didn’t want that to be part of my identity at Hamilton. If I could do it over again I would definitely join more clubs and participate in the Asian club.”
Pyke (2010) notes that internalized racism, a form of internalized domination, is not the fault or the result of weakness of the oppressed. Internalized racism is to discuss;however, the topic is often ignored in research due to the discomfort it often causes and its taboo status as explained by Pyke 2010. One’s self esteem, identity, image, and attitudes towards their own racial group are simply examples of the manifestation of internal racism according to Pyke. 1
Another alum pointed out,
“On campus, you have international students and they were excluded on their own as well because of their background. You had Asian American students from the city who tended to be lower to mid-income who maybe were first and second generation, and you had Asian kids who grew up in the suburbs who were really acclimated to white culture or they were multiracial or adopted.”
These students have different perspectives and levels of comfort while adjusting on the hill. However, there can be more steps taken by fellow students, faculty, and the administration to improve the wellbeing of Asian and Asian American students on campus. Alumnus #23 ‘14 expressed,
“It would be nice to have the administration come to cultural events” to demonstrate support and show solidarity. They also suggested that in “the library, there could be a reading list for Black History Month, a Latin American reading, an Asian America list, just for an official resource to come from the administration would be nice.”
Another alum also shared their perspective:
“I think there is now more staff involvement in developing culture now than before, which I am a huge fan of. As someone who played a leadership role in a cultural community, I was responsible for developing a community for that said culture and people of that culture, and it was very uncomfortable…I am really glad there is now more of an ‘adult’ person involved as it should be the school’s responsibility since it is such an isolated institution.”
Another alum voiced an alternative way the administration could improve, suggesting,
“Having separate cultural funding, where you don’t have to jump through hoops to get through it would be helpful. I had to apply to DMC, the dean of students, student assembly, and another department, just to get one event funded. Of course no one wants that. It’s exhausting, and ultimately, the money is coming from the school. It is frustrating when you put that much administrative work onto the students, and I think that’s true for all the cultural organizations but especially for one that doesn’t have an endowment. Being able to say, ‘Hey this is money set aside for you to build a community’ is really important.”
Additionally, Alumnus 26 ‘18 pointed out that the school could do better to celebrate big holidays, especially the food on those days. They explained,
“Even for Asian Americans, food is such a huge part of identity and feeling at home and comfortable. I lived in a suite, and we used to host hot pot parties. We had a giant rice cooker and we ate a ton of rice. It would be two in the morning, and we would make rice, talk and chill. Although you can kind of organize those two things on your own, having the school support to get to an Asian market in Syracuse or school support, in general, is important. I think the student assembly bought our hot pot, and we just kept using it over the years. Things like that really bring people together, supporting little things even if it is not academic is really important.”
The sense of bonding and community could also be fostered with alumni. Alumnus #24 ‘14 suggested, “I think there is an opportunity for mentoring of sorts between Asian alumni and Asian students…that way Asian American and Asian alumni can help current students navigate the campus, racially and any point really and share some career advice and that program could be operated out of the Asian Student Union.”
Overall, “I think it is the school’s responsibility to create safe spaces. If I was a freshman, just entering university, I would just like to be able to see more people like myself a little more so I had a community to start off with. Especially at that age, it makes a big difference” as explained by Alumnus #18 ‘11.
Political
The majority of alumni described Hamilton’s political climate as liberal, acknowledging the small moderate and conservative communities. In the past, particularly before Kirkland and Hamilton merged, a majority of the all-male student body was conservative. Alumnus #4 ‘13 remembered interacting with people with opposing political beliefs, finding the experience productive and teaching them how to engage and understand both sides of the argument. Another alum had memories in which “things got a little heated” in regard to political tension. Alumnus #7 ‘91 recalled political sit-ins occurring in front of the Kirner-Johnson building, the administrative building, and the president’s office during their time at Hamilton. Yet, these moments did not last.
Hamilton had been coed for only four years when Alumnus #13 ‘86 arrived on campus as a first-year student. They observed Hamilton’s “unique culture” due to “Hamilton [once] being very conservative.” The alum continued to say,
“[…] but on the other hand Kirkland was really far left, a very liberal college. During my time, the colleges fused and mixed. Both sides of the campus had different cultures; the old campus [Hamilton] and new campus [Kirkland]. It was an interesting balance [due to the] size of that small college where one has rather wide political points of view. Compared to my friends who went to other small liberal arts colleges, I think Hamilton has a bit more diverse political views. I lived on the conservative side my first year and that affected me a little bit, but from the second year on, I lived on the new campus, so I experienced both sides, and the tone was kind of different, and faculty members were also split in some sense. Some [faculty members] mixed, but there was also some tension, which had diffused, but there was still some there. I found that I was lucky that I went to a college like Hamilton because of its small size but also it’s diversity in social and political tones.”
Alumnus’ #3 ‘20 described Hamilton as “conservatively liberal.” They went on to say that, “a lot of folks, at least in their classes, try to present this facade of being extremely progressive but deep down, you can tell that they are fiscally conservative. I found that a lot of Hamilton students’ conservative tendencies would shine through in classroom discussions.”
In relation to Alumnus’ #3 ‘20 point, Alumnus #19 ‘18 pointed out that Hamilton is “pretty liberal,” but also highlighted the difference between white liberalism and “more inclusive” liberalism. The alum also found that there were more conservative students than they thought there were on campus. Alumni who witnessed the 2016 election also brought up living through a conservative administration.
Over the years, the student body has become more open to having discourse and facilitating change. Much of the change is on the account of progress in society and the efforts of past and present student leaders. Another observation made by alumni is that the student body tended to go through cycles. For instance, there would be years where certain classes were more engaged with social justice or politics, pushing for development and protesting for change. In turn, there would be one or two years when campus voices and debates would quiet down, thus, the cycle repeated.
Reflection
It is important to remember that every person’s experience is unique. There is no single Asian experience.
We want to thank the alumni who set aside time in their busy schedules to help us with our project. Although it was within expectations that not everyone we reached out to responded or had scheduling conflicts, Alumnus #22 ‘15 also explained that some alumni may have hesitated to participate as agreeing to the interview could have potentially brought up traumatic memories. Although not every Asian and Asian American student had such experiences, there are those who had to endure scarring moments. Remembering moments of isolation, frustration, and anxiety can be difficult for many, even after so many years. We hope to reach out to more alumni, record their experiences, and amplify their voices.
An alum put it best, “I love Hamilton, I wouldn’t have put so much work into Hamilton if I didn’t love it. I still check in on the school and other projects I worked on, but I know a lot of people don’t love it as much as I do. I really think having students willing to fight for those who don’t love it as much and try to make it homey is really important. There are a lot of administrators on campus who support that and try to make it home. Finding those people who will help you fight for it is important.”
For a bit of context:
1955- Vietnam War begins.
1965- Kirkland College was chartered.
1975- Vietnam War ends.
1978- Hamilton College becomes coed and merges with Kirkland College.
2001- Hamilton’s Open Curriculum is first adopted for the class of 2005.
2001- September 11 Attacks.
2008- Barack Obama is elected as the first Black President of the United States.
2013- Black Lives Matter Movement founded after the murder of the 17-year-old Black teenager, Trayvon Martin.
2016- Donal Trump is elected as president.
2018- Crazy Rich Asians film release date.
2020- Parasite is the first foreign-language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
2020- COVID-19 declared as a pandemic. Trump repeatedly refers to COVID-19 as the “Chinese Virus”.
2020- Murder of George Floyd.
2021- Joe Biden is elected as president alongside Kamala Harris, the first Black and South Asian female vice president.
2021- Atlanta Shooting (8 people murdered, 6 of whom were Asian women).
Pyke, Karen D. “What Is Internalized Racial Oppression and Why Don’t We Study It? Acknowledging Racism’s Hidden Injuries.” <i>Sociological Perspectives</i> 53, no. 4 (2010): 551-72. Accessed August 13, 2021. doi:10.1525/sop.2010.53.4.551.
