Asian-American Identities in Comparative Context

Catalog description

This course will take an interdisciplinary approach to examine the many histories, experiences, and cultures that shape and define the Asian-American population; that is, those persons in the United States of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, South Asian, and Southeast Asian ancestry. We will consider the following historical periods: the first wave of immigration (mid-19th to 1934), the years of exclusion and international conflict (the middle decades of the 20th century), and the second wave of immigration (post-1965). We will consider closely the experiences of Asian-Americans in relationship to our understanding of American race, class, gender, and international relations. Through socio-historical essays and creative literary works we will examine the following themes and issues: immigration to the U.S., assimilation, cultural representations, pan-Asian identity, anti-Asian discrimination, and Asian-American feminism. Prerequisite(s): ENG 102 , HIST 102