AMST212 - The Chinese American Experience

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Academic Year 2002/2003

The Chinese American Experience
AMST 212 SP

Crosslistings:
EAST 252

This seminar is designed to introduce students to the major themes of Chinese American history through the reading of selected primary sources, some of the major works in the field, and recent interpretations of the Chinese experience in the United States. During the course of the semester, we will be reading works on Chinese immigration, labor, the anti-Chinese movement, the Chinese response to exclusion, gender and sexuality, community dynamics, the notion of "overseas Chinese," and literary expressions of the Chinese American experience.

It is also designed to familiarize students with the process of writing a research paper, using some primary sources, and through the investigation of the historiography of their selected research topics. Evaluation will be based on a number of exercises and written projects. Each student will hand in a one-page response to the week's reading each Wednesday, due in my mailbox by noon. Each student or a group of students will be required to lead the first part of class discussion by covering a set of study/discussion questions they will provide the class the week prior to the session they are leading. Students will decide which session to lead on the second meeting of class.

MAJOR READINGS

Ko-Lin Chin, SMUGGLED CHINESE: CLANDESTINE IMMIGRATION TO THE UNITED STATES; Tung Pok Chin, PAPER SON: ONE MAN'S STORY; Philip Choy, Lorraine Dong, & Mat Louis Chu, EAT A BOWL OF TEA; Josephine Khu, ed., CULTURAL CURIOSITY: THIRTEEN STORIES ABOUT THE SEARCH FOR CHINESE ROOTS; Sheng-Mei Ma, THE DEATHLY EMBRACE; ORIENTALISM AND ASIAN AMERICAN IDENTITY; Fae Ng, BONE; George Peffer, IF THEY DON'T BRING THEIR WOMEN HERE: CHINESE FEMAL IMMIGRATION BEFORE EXCLUSION; John Kuo Wei Tchen, NEW YORK BEFORE CHINATOWN: ORIENTALISM AND THE SHAPING OF AMERICAN CULTURE, 1776-1882; K. Scott Wong and Sucheng Chan, eds. CLAIMING AMERICA: CONSTRUCTING CHINESE AMERICAN IDENTITIES DURING THE EXCLUSION ERA

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

The major written assignments will be an annotated bibliography, an historiographical essay, and a final 15-20 page research paper based in part on primary sources. Each student will also present a brief summary of their research project on the final day of class.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

Class participation, wakeful attendance, and mindful reading are all expected. Papers turned in more than two days after the original due date will not be accepted. I am willing to read drafts of papers, but the due dates remain the same.

Unless preregistered students attend the first class meeting or communicate directly with the instructor prior to the first class, they will be dropped from the class list. NOTE: Students must still submit a completed Drop/Add form to the Registrar's Office.

COURSE FORMAT: Seminar

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS AMST Grading Mode: Graded

Prerequisites: NONE

SECTION 01

Instructor(s): Wong,K. Scott

Times: ...W... 04:00PM-07:00PM; Location: CAMS 3

Reserved Seats: (Total Limit: 15)

SR. major: Jr. major:

SR. non-major: Jr. non-major: SO: FR:

Special Attributes:

Curricular Renewal: Writing

Permission: Permission of Instructor Required

Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-18-2003