From Yellow Peril to Model Minority: Asian American History to 1968
See description under subject 21G.043[J] .
Fall 2013 · Introduction to Asian American Studies: Literature, Culture, and Historical Experience
This course provides an overview of Asian American history and its relevance for contemporary issues. It covers the first wave of Asian immigration in the 19th century, the rise of anti-Asian movements, the experiences of Asian Americans during WWII, the emergence of the Asian American movement in the 1960s, and the new wave of post–1965 Asian immigration. The class examines the role these experiences played in the formation of Asian American ethnicity. The course addresses key societal issues such as racial stereotyping, media racism, affirmative action, the glass ceiling, the "model minority" syndrome, and anti-Asian harassment or violence. The course is taught in English.
Readings
- Liu, Eric. The Accidental Asian: Notes of a Native Speaker . Vintage, 1999. ISBN: 9780375704864.
- Kang, Younghill. East Goes West: The Making of an Oriental Yankee . Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1937. [Excerpt]
- Wing, Yung. My Life in China and America . H. Holt and Company, 1909.
- Shioya, Sakae. When I Was a Boy in Japan. Book on Demand, 1906.
- Rev. Gibson, Otis. “Chinaman or White Man, Which?” Reply to Father Buchard . Adegi Graphics LLC, 2011. ISBN: 9780543730299.
- Greene, George W. The Labor Agitators or, the Battle for Bread: The Party of the Future, the Workingmen’s Party of California: It’s Bird and Organization. It’s Leaders and Its Purposes: Corruption in Our Local and State Governments. Venality of the Press. George W. Greene, 1879.
- Gjerde, Jon. Major Problems in American Immigration and Ethnic History . Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998. ISBN: 9780395815328.
- Uyematsu, Amy. “The Emergence of Yellow Power in America.” Gidra , 1969.
- Tachiki, Amy. Roots: An Asian American Reader . University of California La Asian Amer, 1971, pp. 9–13. ISBN: 9780934052061.
- Week 8: The Second Wave: Post-1965 Immigration, Southeast Asian Refugees and Changing Community
- Freeman, James M. Hearts of Sorrow: Vietnamese-American Lives . Stanford University Press, 1991. ISBN: 9780804718905.
- Welaratna, Usha. Beyond the Killing Fields: Voices of Nine Cambodian Survivors in America . Stanford University Press, 1993. ISBN: 9780804721394.
- Chan, Sucheng, ed. Hmong Means Free: Life in Laos and America . Temple University Press, 1994. ISBN: 9781566391634.
- Association for Asian American Studies Response to the Pew Center Report: “Rise of Asian Americans.” 2012
- Peterson, W. “Success Story: Japanese-American Style.” New York Times , January 9, 1966.
- “Success Story of One Minority Group in U.S.” U.S. News & World Report , December 1966.
- 23 · Discussion and Thesis Presentation · Liu, Eric. Chapters 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 in The Accidental Asian: Notes of a Native Speaker . Vintage, 1999. ISBN: 9780375704864.
- 24 · Thesis Presentations · Toyota, Tritia. Envisioning America: New Chinese Americans and the Politics of Belonging . Stanford University Press, 2009. ISBN: 9780804762427. [Excerpts]
Prerequisites & course information
Same subject as 21G.043[J] Prereq: None Acad Year 2027-2028: U (Spring) Acad Year 2028-2029: Not offered 3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026–2027
- MIT OpenCourseWare ↗Fall 2013
- MIT OCW readings ↗
- MIT OCW syllabus ↗
- Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.