IAC was established in 1969 through a Ford Foundation grant to foster ethnic studies at UCLA through the American Indian Studies Center, Asian American Studies Center, Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies, and Chicano Studies Research Center.

The formation of these ethnic studies programs occurred during the tumultuous and highly charged socio-political dynamics of the 1960s that saw a demand for colleges and universities to confront bias. These four centers were revolutionary in that they brought the diverse voices and concerns of underrepresented communities to UCLA, part of a grassroots movement taking place on college campuses nationwide at the time.

Today, the centers continue to advance research, scholarship, art and activism that push our communities forward and promote equal opportunity, greater equity and a more just society.

In 2019, IAC and the centers will mark our historic 50th anniversary during UCLA's centennial.

Established in 1969, the UCLA Asian American Studies Center (AASC) is a national research center advancing historical, transformative and interdisciplinary scholarship by bridging research with community voices. The Center grew out of the social movements of the 1960s, as students called for greater access to higher education that would help address vital issues in their communities. The founding steering committee wrote in its original proposal to the UCLA administration in 1969 that the Center "will hopefully enrich the experience of the entire university by contributing to an understanding of the long neglected history, rich cultural heritage, and present position of Asian Americans in our society."

The AASC sits within the UCLA Institute of American Cultures alongside the American Indian Studies Center, Chicano Studies Research Center and Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies. AASC launched and continues to work in partnership with the Department of Asian American Studies to integrate teaching, research and service activities.

Today, UCLA is recognized as the premier research and teaching institution in the fields of Asian American Studies and Ethnic Studies.