Interpreting Public History: Asian/American New York

Catalog description

Interpreting history is as much about the present and the future as it is about the past. In this course, we will assess the practice and labor of historical interpretation, using the public history of Asian/American New York as our case study. Together, we will examine the content and politics of walking tours, art and photography exhibitions, monuments, and community-based historical projects, to engage and think critically about museums, collections, the built environment, and other dimensions of the public humanities. Each week, we will pay close attention to the politics of racialization and representation, curatorial display, museum funding and ethics, and the workers who are responsible for the daily operations of public history. As the ethics of funding are center stage in public historical sites throughout the country, we will consider the politics, processes, and debates of exhibiting Asian/America in New York. We will ask: What are the public historical legacies of the Asian American movement, and how can we preserve and curate “stuff?” What are the contradictions of displaying the resilience of poor communities of color as museums gentrify neighborhoods? Are grassroots modes of interpreting history the answer? What about labor practices at public historical sites? By visiting historical institutions and engaging with course readings, our classroom will be New York City.