- Out of Home/Place: Chinese-American Experiences and Writing in Diaspora

Catalog description

An introduction to literary and cinematic texts by Chinese-American diaspora writers in North America from the nineteenth century to the present. The course will help students understand transnational and transcultural themes and issues in the Chinese-American milieu through literature and films. By focusing on the role of English as a chosen literary language, the course will allow students to discover the history of immigration, linguistic choices and possibilities, and the form of narrative. Students will leave the class with a better understanding of power and justice in the Chinese-American context. We will examine cultural formation and the construction of global identities through cultural narratives as lived experiences. Students will be interviewing Chinese-Americans and creating short podcasts and documentaries using the materials in their interviews. Those student projects will be shared in the Saratoga Springs community and as exhibitions at the Tang Museum.