Intro. to Asian Amer. Culture

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

Reading works that represent a variety of ethnic groups, genres, and historical backgrounds, this course will introduce students to the primary issues and events that have shaped how we read Asian American literature and culture. While there has been Asian American literature almost as long as there have been Asian Americans in the United States, there has in the last twenty years been an explosion of Asian American literary and cultural production. From children’s books, romances, and dystopian fictions to historical novels and mysteries, from movies and television shows to comedy specials and Youtube channels, Asian American culture is receiving increasing public recognition. In this class we will consider what this all means for Asian Americans and how to read the literature and culture that is being produced. We will pay particular attention to the genre of the work and consider whether reading different forms requires different critical tools and strategies. And finally, out discussion of various forms of Asian American culture should be read alongside the question of what constitutes “Asian America”? Given the disparate ethnic histories of Asian Americans in Asia and the United States, what does or should “Asian American” mean?