AMST 1170 - Introduction to Asian American Studies
3credit hour(s)Pre- or corequisite:Reading and Writing Skills 1 This course explores the diverse histories and contemporary social, cultural, and political experiences of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. We will take an interdisciplinary approach as we examine the formation of “Asian American,” who is included and excluded from the category, how it functions as a diverse network of solidarity, as well as an imperfect racialization whose meaning shifts over time. The course introduces students to the key scholarly works, theories, and frameworks that inform the field of Asian American Studies and considers the political stakes of academic research on Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. We will focus on the intersecting categories of race and ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class as well as major themes and threads including U.S. imperialism and colonialism, migration, labor, popular culture, citizenship, and racialization among others. The course provides the opportunity to examine the cultural and political formations of Asian American and Pacific Islander people and communities which encompass over 50 cultures and societies including but not limited to those of East, South, Southeast, Western Asia, North Africa, and the Pacific Islands.