Asian American Politics

Catalog description

Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial minority group in the United States – what are the varied ways Asian Americans have been engaging in politics and how have they shaped the terrain of American politics? This course will survey the different facets of political life in Asian American communities, focusing on three major themes. First, we will examine the origins and evolution of “Asian America” as a political project. Second, we will explore how Asian Americans have been engaging in a variety of political arenas, from electoral politics to community organizing. We will consider topics such as voting, political representation, and grassroots activisms around gentrification, anti-Asian violence, and immigrant detention and deportation. Third, we will consider the politics of interminority relations; in other words, how Asian Americans engage with other communities of color. We will focus on the political and ethical questions around affirmative action, Black Lives Matter, and multi-racial solidarity. Throughout the course, we will grapple with the multiplicities and pluralities of Asian Americans, including both the limitations and possibilities of identity politics in a diversifying America.