For the first time, the Minority Student Affairs Office has hired an employee to work with Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Bao Thao, a former employee of St. Paul Youth Service Bureau in Minnesota, has been hired as Iowa State’s program assistant for Minority Student Affairs.

“This is great,” said Sheryl Cronin, secretary of Minority Student Affairs. “Until now, the Asian ethnic group has had no real representation.”

Cronin said Thao will be working with all American ethnic minorities but that her main emphasis will be Asian Americans.

“I am here for the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders,” Thao said. “It is my goal to take care of these students’ needs and to help them deal with their concerns, should they have any.”

Thao is ethnically Hmong American. She was born in Laos but is an American citizen.

One objective Thao said she has is to help students with their education. If students are having academic difficulties, Thao said she will be able to send them “in the right direction.”

“The MSA offers tutoring for minority students,” Thao said. “I can help arrange for a student to use this service.”

In addition, Thao said she will promote Asian American awareness on campus. One way this will be done is by providing assistance and information to ethnic minority associations.

“I do not know if people know the difference between international students and Asian Americans,” Thao said. “I think the difference between the two is important to distinguish, and I will work to help distinguish the two.”

To classify as an Asian American student, Cronin said one must be an American citizen or be a permanent resident of this country.

In the 1995-1996 school year, Thao said Asian Americans are the second largest group of students of color on the ISU campus, comprising 2.1 percent of the student population.

African Americans are the largest group of students of color on campus, accounting for 2.7 percent of the student population.

Thao said although this seems like a small population, there are more than 500 Asian American and Pacific Islander students who can use MSA as a resource.

But, unfortunately, many students do not know all MSA has to offer.

“I would like to get more Asian American students to use MSA as a resource,” Thao said. “The MSA can not only be a great resource, it can help find students other resources for university affairs.”

Thao said she also plans to serve as a resource for the university personnel and committees.

“I just want to make sure ethnic minority students, Asian Americans in particular, are represented in multicultural programs in the various departments and in the university’s general programs,” Thao said. “Equally important, I want Asian American students to know there is someone they can go to and that someone cares about their needs.”

Thao started her position on March 18. She works at the Minority Student Affairs Office in 301 Beardshear Hall.