Beyond Chinatown: The Past, Present, and Future of Asian American Spaces

Catalog description

Beyond the "exotic" dishes, cultural festivals, and distinct architecture of Chinatowns, Little Tokyos, Little Manilas/Filipinotowns, Koreatowns, Little Saigons, and Little Indias, Asian American spaces are both historical remnants of racial oppression and the current home of diverse ethnic communities. Using field trips, films, first person accounts and scholarly explorations, this class examines such spaces by considering the people involved—tourists and residents—and how their complex relationship creates urban and suburban ethnic spaces. Students will workshop and revise papers as well as gain a grounding in approaches to Asian American studies, urban studies, and to the study of public spaces. Enrollment limited to 17 first year students and sophomores.