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Celebrating Undergraduate Research: Introducing the 12th Issue of CJAS

Welcome to the twelfth edition of the Colorado Journal of Asian Studies (CJAS), published by the Center for Asian Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder. Since its founding, CJAS has celebrated the creativity and insight of undergraduate scholars by providing a platform for original research on Asia. This year’s issue continues that tradition, bringing together a diverse collection of essays, photo projects, and long-form studies that span regions from Iran to Japan and topics from religion and politics to translation, visual culture, and food.
 
Short Form Academic Essays
  • Gender and Power: Manifestations of Women’s Status in the Discourse of Reform — Abigail Ellis, University of Colorado Boulder
  • Post-1987 Education Reform & the Search for National Identity in Taiwan — Shelby Glenn, University of Colorado Boulder
  • The Sinicization of Manchu Women in the Qing Dynasty: Evaluating from Marriage Custom, Chaste Widow, and Manchu Clothing — Jiaheng Lyu, University of Texas
  • Local Deities, Lamas, and Festivals: Experiencing the Sentient Beings of Manang Valley, Nepal — Luke Stumpfl, University of Colorado Boulder
  • Orphan of Taiwan: The Importance of Identity and Upbringing in the Mid-20th Century — Hayden Fox, University of Colorado Boulder
Photo Essays
  • Focusing People Not Objects: Photography and Selective Narratives in Colonial India — Spandan Koirala, University of Colorado Boulder
  • The Female Gaze: The Aurangabad Photo Budget No. 7 as a Lens for Exploring Missionary Women and Their Work in Local Communities — Joy Mellott, University of Colorado Boulder
  • Understanding the East Malaysian Perspective of Local History — Samantha Choe, University of Colorado Boulder
Long-Form Academic Essays
  • ADHD in Translation: The English to Chinese Translation Distinctions — Chloe Nowak, University of Colorado Boulder
  • Farmers in Modernity: Local Responses to Agricultural Policy in Bhutan — Lorelei Smillie, Colorado College
  • Inventing an Empire: The Role of Migration in the Fabrication of Curry in Colonial India and Legacies of Food Colonization — Marguerite Laplant, University of Denver
  • The Legacies of State Shinto and Aum Shinrikyo on Japanese Religious Politics as seen Through the Unification Church — L.H. Scheppy, University of Colorado Boulder
 
We are grateful to the undergraduate scholars whose contributions make this issue possible. Their work reflects the creativity, rigor, and intellectual curiosity that define Asian Studies as a field and highlight the value of undergraduate research as a vital part of academic inquiry.
 
Now in its twelfth edition, CJAS builds on more than a decade of publishing student scholarship. This tradition underscores the journal’s role as a space where undergraduates can share their voices, challenge assumptions, and broaden our collective understanding of Asia.
 
We invite you to read the full 12th edition of CJAS and engage with the wide-ranging perspectives it offers.
 
Looking ahead, we welcome submissions for the 13th edition. Students interested in contributing can find submission guidelines here: https://journals.colorado.edu/index.php/coasianstudies/about/submissions
 
Sincerely,
The Editorial Team
Colorado Journal of Asian Studies
Center for Asian Studies