LIVING ON THE EDGE: THE ASIAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
Tentative Schedule
Spring, 2001
Every Friday will be devoted to discussion unless otherwise noted
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January 29 |
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Video: Immigrant Story |
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January 30 |
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Video: Ancestors in the Americas Part I |
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January 31 |
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Readings: |
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Takaki, Strangers from a Different Shore: Chapter 1: From a Different Shore: Their History Bursts with Telling (p.3-20) Chapter 2: Overblown with Hope: The First Wave of Asian Immigration (p.21-78) |
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February 2 |
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Every Friday will be devoted to discussion unless otherwise noted |
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February 5 |
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Video: Ancestors in the Americas Part II |
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February 6 |
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Readings: Takaki, Strangers from a Different Shore Chapter 3: Gam Saan Haak: The Chinese in Nineteenth-Century America (p.79-131) Chan, The Big Aiieeee p. 139-176 Poems from songs of Gold Mountain p. 506-528 Excerpt from Eat a Bowl of Tea (Louis Chu) |
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February 7 |
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Report on Chinese immigration push factors |
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February 12 |
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Video: Picture Bride (Hum 402 at 7:00) |
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February 13 |
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Readings: Takaki, Strangers from a Different Shore: Chapter 4: Raising Cane: The World of Plantation Hawaii (p.132-178) Chapter 5: Ethnic Solidarity: The Settling of Japanese America (p.179-229) Chan, The Big Aiieeee p. 194-215 And the Soul Shall Dance (1st Act of the play by Wakako Yamauchi) p. 221-231 The Seventh Street Philosopher (Toshio Mori) |
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| February 14 | Guest: Faith Suzuka | ||
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February 16 |
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African American Studies Conference |
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February 19 |
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Video: Remembrance |
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February 20 |
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Readings: Takaki, Strangers from a Different Shore Chapter 6: Ethnic Islands: The Emergence of Urban Chinese America (p.230-270) Chapter 7: Struggling against Colonialism: Koreans in America (p. 270-293) Chapter 8: The Tide of Turbans: Asian Indians in America (p. 294-314) Lee, Quiet Odyssey, p. xxi-lx (Introduction) Lim, The Forbidden Stitch, p. 18-20 Into Such Assembly (Myung Mi Kim) p. 203 A Rose of Sharon (Myung Mi Kim) |
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February 21 |
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Guest: Mark Tang |
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February 26 |
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Video: Filipino Americans |
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February 27 |
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Readings: Takaki, Strangers from a Different Shore Chapter 9: Dollar a Day, Dime a Dance: The Forgotten Filipinos (p. 315-356) Espiritu, Filipino American Lives, p. 1-36 Asian Women United, Making Waves, Cordova (Voices from the Past), p. 42-49 |
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| February 28 | Guest: Sandy and Urbano Augustin | ||
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March 2 |
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Exam I |
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March 5 |
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Videos: History and Memory |
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March 6 |
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Readings: (*Recommended) Takaki, Strangers from a Different Shore Chapter 10: The Watershed of World War (p.357-405) Chan, The Big Aiieeee p. 216-220 Excerpt from Nisei Daughter (Monica Sone) p. 232-233 Excerpt from All I Asking For Is My Body (Milton Murayama)* p. 339-353 The Legend of Miss Sasagawara (Hisaye Yamamoto) p. 354-368 Poetic Reflections of the Tule Lake Internment Camp 1944 (Violet Kazue Matsuda de Cristoforo) p. 369-412 The U of CA Japanese Evacuation and Resettlement Study (Peter T. Suzuki)* p. 413-448 Excerpt from the Years of Imfamy (Michi Weglyn) p. 449-460 Good Law vs. Good Publicity (Minoru Yasui)* p. 461-464 Relocation (Larry Tajiri)* p. 465-469 Nurse (Masaharu Hane)* p. 478-505 Excerpt from No-No Boy (John Okada)* Okubo, Citizen 13660* Lim, The Forbidden Stitch p. 21-24 Excerpts from Proud Upon an Alien Shore (Rose Furuya Hawkins) p. 39-44 Tears of Autumn (Yoshio Uchida) |
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March 9 |
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Guest: Tom Ohno |
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March 12 |
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Video: The Fall of the I-Hotel |
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March 13 |
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Readings: Aguilar-San Juan, State of Asian America p. 205-218, The Predicament of Filipinos in the United States by E.E. San Juan, Jr. p. 295-320, Identity in Action: A Filipino American’s Perspective by Steven Castro Hagedorn, Charlie Chan is Dead p. 15-26 Bacho p. 27-32 Bulosan p. 122-131 Hagedorn p. 250-266 Linmark p. 422-449 Santos Lim, The Forbidden Stitch, p.99 Siko (Marianne Villanueva) Shah, Dragon Ladies: Asian American Feminists Breathe Fire, p. 132-152 |
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March 16 |
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TBA |
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March 26 |
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Bao Phi '97 |
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March 27 |
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Video: Maya Lin (Humanities 402 at 7:00 on March 27) Readings: (*Recommended) Fong, The Contemporary Asian American Experience, p.1-71. Lee, Asian American Experiences in the United States, p.62-65, (Ngan, "Success Story")* Rutledge The Vietnamese Experience in America, p. 1-34 Takaki, Chapter 11 "Strangers" at the Gates Again: Post-1965* Uno, Unbroken Thread, "Walls" by Barroga* Freeman, Hearts of Sorrow |
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The Vietnamese Refugee Experience |
Saigon Falls |
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I Never Forget an Insult |
Prisoner without Trial |
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Youngest Daughter |
Buddhism Under Communism |
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Predestined for Religous Life |
Better to Die at Sea than to Remain |
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Jailed by the French |
My Daughter Neglects Me |
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March 28 |
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Guest: Karin Aguilar-San Juan |
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April 2 |
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Video: Don at 16, |
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April 3 |
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Readings: Johnson, Myths, Legends and Folk Tales from the Hmong of Laos, "The Beginning of the World" Bliatout, Handbook for Teaching Hmong-Speaking Students, p. 1-33 Welaratna, Beyond the Killing Fields, p. 11-36 Aguilar-San Juan, The State of Asian America p.125-146, When Know-Nothings Speak English Only: Analyzing Irish and Cambodian Struggles for Community Development p.119-124, Roses, Rites and Racism: Interview with Sophea Mouth |
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April 4 |
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Guest: Mai Neng Moua |
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April 9 |
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Video: Knowing Her Place |
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April 10 |
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Readings: Hagedorn, Charlie Chan is Dead , p. 367-69 Mukherjee Shah, Dragon Ladies: Asian American Feminists Breathe Fire, p. 29-56 Women of the South Asian Diaspora, Our Feet Walk the Sky |
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To My Beloved Teenager by Lalita Gandbhir |
Thrka by Aarti Kohli |
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Parvati by Natasha Pratap |
Becoming Agents of Our Identity by Zainab Ali |
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Alone and Exploited by Lalita Gandbhir |
Predicaments for the Hyphen by Kamal Visweswaran |
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Yuba City School by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni |
To Motiba and Grandma by Sheela Bhatt |
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Different Small Towns by Radhika Sita Chari |
Journal Entry byt Amita Vasudeva |
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April 11 |
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Guest: |
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| April 16 | Exam II | |||
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April 17 |
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Video: Yuri Kochiyama: A Passion for Justice |
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April 18 |
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Readings: Fong, The Contemporary Asian American Experience p. 72-107 The Right to Excel: Asian Americans and Educational Opportunity p. 108-139 Workplace Issues: Beyond Glass Ceiling Aguilar-San Juan, State of Asian America p. 253-274 Overcoming our Legacy as Cheap Labor, Scabs and Model Minorities: Asian Activists Fight for Community Empowerment p. 335-350 Building An Asian Pacific Labor Alliance: A New Chapter in Our History |
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April 20 |
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Guest: Melissa Brown '01 |
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April 23 |
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Guest: Yoonju Park |
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April 24 |
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Readings: (*Recommended) Fong, The Contemporary Asian American Experience p. 203-247, More than "Family Values": Asian American Families and Identities p. 248-288, The Final Frontier: Asian American Political Empowerment Aguilar-San Juan, State of Asian America p. 19-69, The ‘Four Prisons" and the Movements of Liberation p. 147-160, Presenting the Blue Goddess p. 173-180, The Exile Within/The Question of Identity p. 219-234, Is the Ethnic ‘Authentic’ in the Diaspora? p. 351-354, Asian American Studies: Reevaluating for the 1990’s* p. 321-334, Holding Up more than Half the Heavens: A Call for Justice* |
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April 25 |
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Discussion |
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April 30 |
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Video: Who Killed Vincent Chin |
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May 1 |
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Readings: Fong, The Contemporary Asian American Experience p. 140-172 Anti-Asian Violence: Breaking the Silence p. 172-202 Charlie Chan No More: Asian Americans and the Media Aguilar-San Juan, State of Asian America p. 161-172 Seeing Yellow: Asian Identities in Film and Video p. 183-204 A Shift of Power, A Sea of Change in the Arts* p. 275-294 The Heat is On Miss Saigon Coalition* p. 71-100 Between Black and White: An Interview with Bong Hwan Kim* p. 101-118 America’s First Multiethnic ‘Riots’ p.235-252 Smells Like Racism: A Plan for Mobilizing Against Anti-Asian Bias |
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May 2 |
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Video: Another America |
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May 7 |
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Guest: Karen Warren (Philosophy) |
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May 8 |
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Video: Sa-I-Gu |
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May 10 |
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Final Exam Period 1:30-3:30 Quiz Course evaluation Presentations |
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Basis for Grade Assignment:
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Class presentation and participation |
30%* *Please submit a contract by February 2 |
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Exams and quizzes |
25% |
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Weekly papers |
10% |
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Term paper |
15% |
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Community participation |
10% |
| Outline and annotated bibliography | 5% |
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Oral presentation |
5% |
Course Policies
Late work will only be accepted if you experience a serious illness or family emergency and prior approval is given. The Term Paper must be based on the experiences of Asians in the Americas. PLEASE DATE YOUR PAPERS.
Instructor: Preceptors:
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Janet Carlson |
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Narith Ol |
nol@macalester.edu |
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RH 311 |
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Faith Suzuka |
fsuzuka@macalester.edu |
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x 6354 |
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carlson@macalester.edu |
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IMPORTANT DATES:
February 16 Chose term paper subjects
March 16 Exam
April 2 Outline and annotated bibliography of term paper due
April 18 Exam
April 26-May 9 Presentations
April 27 Potluck dinner
May 5 Rough draft of term paper due
May 8 Term paper and revised annotated bibliography due
May 10 Final Exam period 1:30-3:30
Course Description
The Asian-American experience will be used to examine the role of cultural heritage in how one views oneself, one's own ethnic group and the dominant culture. We will learn about Asian immigrants and refugees, read Asian American literature, experience Asian American art and meet members of the local Asian American community. Among the topics we will discuss are stereotype (such as the model minority), the role of women in the Asian American community, racism (including the American concentration camps) and assimilation. Class meetings will be largely devoted to discussion. Films by and about Asian Americans will be shown.
Readings will be taken from:
1. Aguilar-San Juan, Karin, The State of Asian America, South End Press, 1993.
2. Asian Women United of California, Making Waves, Beacon Press, Boston, 1989.
3. Bliatout, Bruce, et al., Handbook for Teaching Hmong-Speaking Students, Spilman Printing Co., Sacramento, 1988.
4. Chan, Jeffery Paul; Chin, Frank; Inada, Lawson Fusao; Wong, Shawn; The big Aiiieeeee!: An Anthology of Chinese American and Japanese American Literature; Penguin, New York, 1991.
5. Espiritu, Yen Le, Filipino American Lives, Temple University Press, Philidelphia, 1995.
6. Fong, Timothy, The Contemporary Asian American Experience: Beyond the Model Minority, Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 1998.
7. Freeman, James, Hearts of Sorrow, Stanford University Press, Stanford, 1989.
8. Hagedorn, Jessica, Charlie Chan is Dead, Penguin, New York, 1993.
9. Johnson, Charles, ed., Myths, Legends and Folk Tales from the Hmong of Laos, Linguistics Department, Macalester College, 1985.
10. Lee, Joann Faung Jean, Asian Averican Experiences in the United States, McFarland & Co., Jefferson, NC, 1991.
11. Lee, Mary Paik, Quiet Odyssey, University of Washington Press, Seattle, 1990.
12. Rutledge, Paul John, The Vietnamese Experience in America, Indiana University Press, Bloomington, 1992.
13. Shah, Sonia, ed., Dragon Ladies: Asian American Feminists Breath Fire, South End Press, Boston, 1997.
14. Takaki, Ronald, Strangers from a Distant Shore, Penguin, New York, 1989.
15. Uno, Roberto, Unbroken Thread, University of Massachusetts Press, Amherst, 1993.
16. Welaratna, Usha, Beyong the Killing Fields, Stanford University Press, Stanford, 1993.
17. Women of the South Asian Diaspora, Our Feet Walk the Sky, Aunt Lute Press, San Francisco, 1993.
Supplementary readings available on reserve:
Chan, Sucheng, Asian Americans: An Interpretive History, Twayne Publishers, Boston, 1991.
Okubo, Mine, Citizen 13660, University of Washington Press, Seattle, 1973.
GUIDELINES FOR COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
As a part of your grade (10%) you will be participating in some out-of-class activities in the Asian American community. You must earn six points in order to earn full credit.
I will announce events that qualify for community participation points. If you hear of other events, please let me know so I can announce them, too. Only approved activities will earn credit.
You should submit a report on each activity in a one page report outlining what you did and your personal impressions of the activity. The report must be submitted within one week of the activity.
Suggested Activities
See an Asian American play, recital or other public presentation.(1.5 points)
Visit an Asian American religious center (other than your own). (1 point)
Read an Asian American novel, short story collection or poetry collection. (1 point)
See a movie directed or produced by an Asian American. (1 point, limited to 2 points total)
Eat in an Asian American restaurant. (0.5 credit, limited to 1 point total)