EAST251 - Diaspora and Asian American Experiences

[ Wesleyan Home Page ] [ WesMaps Home Page ] [ WesMaps Archive ] [ Course Search ] [ Course Search by CID ]
Academic Year 2003/2004

Diaspora and Asian American Experiences
EAST 251 FA

Crosslistings:
AMST 211

Required Sequence: EAST251/AMST211 and EAST252/AMST212

This year-long innovative course is part of a four-year project supported by the Freeman Initiative grant to further develop the study of Asia and the Asian diaspora at Wesleyan. Introducing recent theoretical approaches to topics in Asian American history and in understanding Asian American experiences, the course aims at learning about Asian diaspora through classroom study and guided research during the summer.

The fall course will introduce the historical background of Asians in the United States, examine the impact of diaspora on Asian American experiences, and discuss topics in Asian American cultural representations. Students are expected to explore the possibilities of community-based research projects, and will complete a pilot research project. Classes will be devoted to discussions of both readings and issues encountered in the research projects. The spring 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.

At the end of the year-long course, students will participate in summer research in carefully chosen sites in America or Asia, depending on the student's major field, research interests and personal goals. Students will receive support for travel, housing, and expenses, as well as a stipend.

MAJOR READINGS

Karin Aguilar-San Juan, THE STATE OF ASIAN AMERICA: ACTIVISM AND RESISTANCE IN THE 1990s
Sucheng Chan, ASIAN AMERICANS: AN INTERPRETIVE HISTORY
Juanita Tamayo Lott, ASIAN AMERICANS: FROM RACIAL CATEGORY TO MULTIPLE IDENTITIES
Lisa Lowe, IMMIGRANT ACTS: ON ASIAN AMERICAN CULTURAL POLITICS
William Wei, THE ASIAN AMERICAN MOVEMENT
Henry Yu, THINKING ORIENTALS: MIGRATION, CONTACT, AND EXOTICISM IN MODERN AMERICA
Min Zhou and James V. Gatewood, eds. CONTEMPORARY ASIAN AMERICA: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY READER
Fred Ho with Carolyn Antonio, Diane Fujino, and Steve Yip, eds. LEGACY TO LIBERATION: POLITICS AND CULTURE OF REVOLUTIONARY ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICA
Jun Xing, ASIAN AMERICA THROUGH THE LENS
Josephine Lee, PERFORMING ASIAN AM ERICA: RACE AND ETHNICITY ON THE CONTEMPORARY STAGE
David Leiwei Li, IMAGINING THE NATION: ASIAN AMERICAN LITERATURE AND CULTURAL CONSENT
Helen Zia, ASIAN AMERICAN DREAMS: THE EMERGENCE OF AN AMERICAN PEOPLE
Frank Wu, YELLOW: RACE IN AMERICA BEY OND BLACK AND WHITE

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Several class projects and a final research paper.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

First-year students are excluded from this course.

COURSE FORMAT: Seminar

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: HA EAST Grading Mode: Graded

Prerequisites: NONE

SECTION 01

Instructor(s): Zheng,Su

Times: ...W... 06:30PM-09:20PM; Location: EAST LIB.

Reserved Seats: (Total Limit: 15)

SR. major: 0 Jr. major: 0

SR. non-major: 5 Jr. non-major: 4 SO: 6 FR: 0

Special Attributes:

Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-19-2004