FIU Magazine – Deborah O’Neil
“Growing up in Miami far from any cultural connection to Asia, Jennifer Garcia ’09, MA ’11, became enchanted with the hit Japanese anime TV series Sailor Moon. At the time, she didn’t really know anything about this special genre of animation, nor was she familiar with Japan’s vibrant pop culture. Instead she was drawn to the series’ heroine, Usagi Tsukino, and its portrayal of magical girls who use their powers to thwart evil…That extracurricular interest grew and by the time Garcia was ready for college she knew she wanted to study Asia, and specifically Japan. She found all she wanted and much more at FIU [Florida International University], eventually earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Asian Studies…Many are drawn to FIU’s popular Asian Studies degree programs for the same reasons. Students often fall into two camps, says director Steve Heine: they want to study Japan for its culture or they want to study China for its economy. They can do both in FIU’s Asian Studies Program…The program continues to expand based on student demand. “In terms of world regions in the Pacific Century, there’s no question China and Japan both economically and culturally are the fastest growing leaders,” Heine said.”(more)