Cry for Justice: Asian American Literature of Social Activism

The fact that Asian American literature has a protest tradition makes it a powerful site to highlight and re-animate Asian Americans’ overlooked histories and struggles for social justice. Through reading a variety of genres including poetry, fiction, autobiography, and memoir by authors from different Asian American communities, this course will examine the hidden history of Asian immigrant radicalism, dismantle stereotypes against Asian Americans, explore solidary and sustainable activism, and assert that literature has been and remains a fundamental site for Asian Americans’ active resistance to racial, class, gender and sexual oppression.