By Nikolai Ordoña

For the first time in history, Harvard University announced that it will be offering a Tagalog language course starting the academic year 2023-2024.

According to the university paper Harvard Crimson, the Department of South Asian Studies is hiring three preceptors to teach Tagalog, Bahasa Indonesian, and Thai.

They will serve for a three-year term which may be renewed for up to five additional years.

The Harvard University Asia Center was able to secure financial support through fundraising efforts, gathering one USD 1-million for the Tagalog preceptor.

However, Asia Center Director James Robson admitted that funding after three years would be “probably not entirely sustainable”.

Currently, Harvard does not have a Southeast Asian Studies department, but Robson hopes that the students’ demand and excitement for the languages will convince the administration to support the studies.

Filipinos, as well as other interested students, expressed their gratitude and support with the development.

Harvard Philippine Forum (HPF) Co-President Marcky C. Antonio said that the Tagalog course offering was a “big win for the Filipino community back home”.

“While this is the first Tagalog language course that’s ever been offered in Harvard’s history, I think there’s also this sense that we need to make sure we teach this right — not only Tagalog language, but Filipino culture as a whole,” he said.

Eleanor V. Wikstrom, also an HPF co-president, said that getting Tagalog has been one of the primary goals of the forum, petitioning Harvard administrators about it ever since.

She also had written an editorial in the Harvard Crimson criticizing the lack of Tagalog studies despite the significant connection of Filipinos and Americans throughout history.

Harvard Philippine Forum is a community of Filipinos, Filipino Americans, and friends who uphold Philippine culture and tradition in the university.

Tagalog in America

Currently, Tagalog is the fourth most spoken language in the United States with more than 1.7 million speakers, only behind English, Spanish, and Chinese.

Aside from Harvard, several universities in the US have been offering courses about the Tagalog language and Filipino cultre, such as the University of Washington, University of Pennsylvania, University of California, as well as universities in New York and Michigan.

In the University of Hawaii, students may earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philippine Language and Culture.

Thumbnail from Maddie Meyer