Asian Americans and the Law in 20th C. U.S. History

Undergraduate

This junior history seminar explores 20th century Asian American history through the themes of law and justice. Specifically, we examine the ways in which U.S. laws and legal institutions have defined race and belonging for Asian Americans by focusing on three topics―education, housing, and criminal justice. These broad themes allow us to understand historic changes in Asian migration, family and community formation, political organizing, and social justice activism as well as situate Asian American history in the broader context of Civil Rights struggles throughout the 20th century. The course also explores a wide array of primary sources and historical methods used to develop a research project based on Asian American encounters with the U.S. legal system. WR , HU TTh 11:35am-12:50pm