“Congress should wind down so-called ‘area studies’ programs at universities” (General Welfare, Dept. of Education, Page 356)

Area studies programs focus on a particular place (like Latin America or East Asia) or cultural group (like African or Indigenous studies). Students study the history, languages, arts, politics, and social issues of that area or culture. Project 2025’s suggestions will weaken these programs. This will diminish the importance of ethnic and cultural studies, lessen how well our country interacts with the world, and harm academic freedom. The playbook’s move to change these programs to fit specific beliefs and away from AAPI and BIPOC topics is also quite concerning because it will reduce how diverse and independent education is. If these programs are cut, it will reduce how well people understand different cultures, affect how we work with other countries, and make it more difficult to promote fairness and inclusivity.