Spring 2021 Courses

ASAM 077B. Tattoos: Aesthetics, Cultures, and Pasts in the United States.
T. Honma, PZ, MW 11:00a.m.-12:15p.m.
Survey course examines cultural interpretations of tattooing in the United States from the 19th century to the present. Addresses issues such as US racial formation, settler colonialism, nation-building, war, and American empire. Particular focus on the intersections of aesthetics and ideology as they pertain to cultural identity, group membership, abjection, and deviance within racialized, classed, and gendered social environments.

*ASAM 090. Asian American and Multiracial Community Studies.
S. Chan, PZ, MW 6:00-7:15p.m.
Introduces students to studying and working beside Asian American and Pacific Islander communities through the exploration of the politics of place. Issues to be addressed in the course include ethical considerations of community projects and social topography as it changes in the Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander diasporas. Course will be project-based and working with community-based organizations.

ASAM 105B. Zines in the Asian Diaspora.
T. Honma, PZ, M 7:00-9:50p.m.
This course explores self-published zines as a way to understand Asian diasporic experiences in various regions of the “Pacific World.” We will examine factors involved in transpacific movement and migration and how Asian diasporic communities choose to represent themselves through the medium of zines. By engaging in comparative analysis between creative narration and scholarly texts, we will investigate competing definitions of what it means to be “Asian.”

ASAM 115. Theory and Methods.
M. Hayakawa, PZ, TR 11:00a.m.-12:15p.m.
This course will examine a selection of theories and research methods that shape the interdisciplinary field of Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies. Addressing intersections of race, gender, class, sexuality and ability, we will analyze themes including nationalism, imperialism, settler colonialism, subjectivity, politics of representation, modes of resistance and coalitional movement building. We will also explore and practice relevant qualitative and quantitative research methodologies utilized in the field. Students will also reflect on their positionality in their role as researchers to examine their approach to topics of their interest. Students are encouraged to build on their own research ideas, and deepen their analysis through course readings and assignments.

*ASAM 125/HIST 125AA. Introduction to Asian American History, 1850-Present.
A. Flores, HM, TR 9:15-10:30a.m.
This survey course examines the history of Asian immigrant groups and their American-born descendants as they have settled and adjusted to life in the United States since 1850.  We will explore issues such as the experience of immigration, daily life in urban ethnic enclaves, and racist campaigns against Asian immigrants.  In addition, this course utilizes an ethnic studies framework that requires students to critically explore other themes such as class, community, empire, gender, labor, race, sexuality, settler colonialism, and war from the perspective of Asian Americans.

*ASAM 160. Asian American Women’s Experiences.
E. Ma, SC, R 7:00-9:45p.m.
This course is an interdisciplinary examination of Asian and Pacific Islander American women.  It will examine the history and experiences of Asian American women in the United States.  The class will include both lecture and discussion and will cover various issues, such as gender roles, mass media stereotypes, Asian women’s feminism, and the impact of sexism and racism on the lives of Asian American women through education, work, and home life.

ASAM179G AA: Asian American and Pacific Islander Diaspora and Migration.
A. Flores, HM, R 2:30-5:15p.m.
A common narrative in U.S. history is that “America is a nation of immigrants.” While this idea has largely influenced how many Americans understand the history of the United States, it does not take into account the nuanced ways that have led to the demographic formation of the country. For example, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are two of the fastest growing racial minority groups in the United States. However, their experiences are not fully contextualized within U.S. history. This seminar course examines U.S. immigration history through the experiences of Asians and Pacific Islanders through various concepts of movement that include back and forth migration, diaspora, migration, reverse diaspora, and settler colonialism. This class also critically explores other related themes such as empire, gender, indigeneity, labor, race, and war. Class discussions, film screenings, guest speakers, and readings constitute the interpretive lens for this course.

It is highly recommended that students have taken ASAM125 or ASAM126 before taking this course.

ASAM 189C. South Asian American Studies.
B. Nasir, PO, M 12:45-3:30p.m.
This course examines issues relevant to the South Asian diaspora in the United States. With a special emphasis on race and empire, the course will consider historical and contemporary forms of marginalization targeting South Asian American communities. It will also explore the possibilities and limits of emergent Desi social movements forged in contexts of Anti-Immigrant Racism, Anti-Muslim Racism, Anti-Black Racism, Hindutva, and Trumpism.

ASAM 191PO. Asian American Studies Senior Thesis.
Students will work with one or more faculty on original thesis research toward completion of senior thesis.

ENGL 161. The Futures of Asian/America.
W. Liu, SC, TR 12:45-2:00 p.m.
This course explores speculative imaginations of Asian/American futures, covering works of classic science fiction, contemporary popular culture (including films), and newer work in “slipstream” or “mainstream” literary science fiction. Central to our exploration will be the question of how Asian/America is imagined as a multiply-contested site of future (hyper)modernity, even as Asia is imagined as place mired in a timeless past. Covering works by authors such as Chang-Rae Lee, Ted Chiang, Karen Yamashita, Charles Yu, Linda Nagata, Larissa Lai, and others, we’ll explore texts that speculate on transnational futures in relation to imperial pasts, on ecological disasters both global and local, on artificial intelligence and the “post-racial” future, and more. The course will pay particular attention to questions of racial formation, gender, sexuality, and the specific material histories of Asian/Americans.

PSYC 153AA. Asian American Psychology.
S. Goto, PO, TR 12:45-2:00p.m.
Introduces students to the salient psychological issues of Asian Americans. Taking into account the social, cultural, and historical context of the Asian American experience, this course addresses values and cultural conflict development, acculturation, marriage and gender roles, vocational development, psychopathology, and delivery of mental health services.

*SOC 126AA. Immigration and the Second Generation.
H. Thai, PO, W 12:45-3:30p.m.
Analysis of post-1965 children of immigrants, and/or immigrant children in Asia America. Emphasis on variations on coming of age patterns, the course examines diverse childhood experiences, including ‘transnational’ children, ‘refugee’ children, and ‘left-behind’ children. Emphasis on gender, class, ethnicity, intergenerational relations, education, sexuality, popular culture, and globalization, and specifically how young adults negotiate major American institutions such as the labor market and educational systems.

Note: Courses with an asterisk (*) are appropriate for first year students.