Intercollegiate Department of Asian American Studies

ANTH127AA. Asian Americans in Ethnography and Film. [N. Chen, SCR, TR 2:45-4:00 p.m.] Beginning with a critical examination of the category of Asian Pacific Americans, the course will address historic formations of subjects, compare social science and filmic representations of Asians and Asian Pacific Americans, and explore contemporary issues of race, culture, and politics through ethnography. Examining practices of ethnographic research and of cultural production will form the main focus of the course.

ASAM 90. Asian American and Multiracial Community Studies. [J. Lu, PZ, F 1:00-4:00 p.m.] Introduces students to studying and working in Asian American and interracial communities. Issues to be addressed in the course include field research and community organizing; major issues in Asian American communities; nation-centered organizing; and interracial coalition-building. A major project for this course will be a community-based internship or other community research project. Occasional all-day site visites will take place on Fridays. Prerequisites: Any one of the following courses – HIST 125 or ASAM 150 – or permission of the instructor.

ASAM 150. Contemporary Asian American Issues. [H. Thai, PO, W 7:00-9:50 p.m.] Survey of contemporary empirical studies focusing on Asian American experiences in the U.S. and globally; major themes include race, class, gender, sexuality, marriage/family, education, consumption, childhoods, aging, demography, and the rise of transmigration. Readings and other course materials will primarily focus on the period since 1965.

ASAM 160. Asian American Women’s Experiences. [N. Park, SCR, TR 12:00-1:10 p.m.] Course explores the histories, experiences, politics, identities, representations and agency of Asian American women from the mid 19th century through the present. We will study various forms of oppression and resistance in light of larger systems of governance. The class discussions will explore how the intersecting discourses on race, gender, sex, class and nation position Asian American women within Asian American communities and a transnational context. Asian American women's experiences will be examined through oral histories, media representations and cultural productions of, by and about Asian American women.

ASAM 187. Asian Pacific American Mixed Race Issues. [D. Lee, SCR, MW 12:00-1:10 p.m.] Course will explore the lives of racially and ethnically mixed people, focusing on Asian Pacific Americans. As intermarriage rates increase for all groups, the experiences of multiracial people reflect in distinctive ways the cultural and identity choices that individuals and communities are facing. The course will concentrate on the significance of both ascribed and chosen racial identities, examining how they influence the experiences and choices of individuals, families, and communities. A second area of attention will be to how multicultural backgrounds shape relationships and practices within families. Other issues to be discussed include living in multi-racial communities, public policy implications, transracial adoptees, self-representation in literature and memoirs, and media representations. Students will have the opportunity to investigate a topic of their choice in a research paper. ***Please note that this is the correct schedule for this course. The schedule listed in your registration packet is incorrect. ***).

ASAM 190b. Asian American Studies Senior Thesis. [Staff, TBA] Students will work with one or more faculty on original thesis research toward completion of senior thesis.

ASAM 197. The Politics of Food. [Staff, HMC, TR 4:15-5:30 p.m.] Using food as a focus, the course examines the intersection of race, class, and gender, and their role in the APIA community and identity formation. This course is designed to provide students with the greatest opportunity to enrich themselves through leadership inside the classroom.

ENGL106. Asian American Literature and Cultural Criticism. [S. Suh, SCR, TR 1:15-2:30 p.m.] Introduction to Asian American literary and cultural studies. Topics of discussion include canon formation, the dialectic between history and literary form, Asian Americans and U.S. racial order, national and panethnic identities, Asian American literature and American literary studies. Gender and class analyses will be sustained throughout our discussions.

IIS 110. (Mis)Representations of Near East and Far East. [J. Parker, PZ, TR 2:45-4:00pm] This course will consider representations of the Near East and the Far East and their role in global power relations, popular culture, overt and subtle forms of violence, and subjectivity and agency. Course materials will be taken from the mass media; novels and films; foreign policy, business, and the academy; and other sources. Issues to be considered include: the representation of violence; the construction of difference and “the other”; the production of knowledge; power in society; authenticity, hybridity, and appropriation; cultural nationalism and the nation state.

MS 80. Video and Diversity. [G. Lamb, PZ, TR 12:00-1:10 p.m. and T 7:00-9:00 p.m.] This is an introductory level course exploring video as a medium, particularly as it is utilized by women, people of color, lesbians and gays, grassroots activists, as well as other peoples who are under and/or misrepresented by mainstream media. Students will learn about the history of video technology, and how certain developments within it made video an accessible and powerful tool for self-expression and political intervention. Class activities include screening of independent videos, writing assignments, and group discussion. No prerequisite.

SOC142. Transatlantic Black and Asian Experience. [D. Basu, PZ, M 2:45-5:30 p.m.] This course is designed to aid the understanding of the Black and Asian experience in the U.S. and in Britain. The course provides a contextualized comparative analysis of several key aspects of the Black and Asian experience in each nation. We will concentrate on the impact of “racialization” in the institutions, media, and popular culture of each nation as well as forms of resistance and resilience historically demonstrated by Asian and Black people in both countries. Prerequisites: SOC1 or SOC 35.