Mixed-Heritage Asian Americans
AMST 242
Spring 2009 not offered
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| Crosslisting:
ANTH 241 |
The emerging literature on mixed-heritage Asian Americans in social sciences and other fields, as well as increasing visibility of mixed-heritage Asian American figures in popular media, reminds us not only that the racial demographics in the United States are rapidly changing, but also of the urgent need to expand our concept of Asian America beyond histories and experiences of mono-ethnic Asian Americans. This course will examine mixed-heritage Asian American populations, their histories, social experiences, and identity formations. By exploring the histories and identities of mixed-heritage Asian Americans (e.g., Hapas, Eurasians, Afroasians, Amerasians, mestizo/as), the course intends to understand social construction processes of race and ethnicity, of Asian Americans, both multi-ethnic or mono-ethnic. Drawing upon interdisciplinary sources such as personal memoirs, sociological analysis, fictions, and films, we will address the following questions, among others: What/who are mixed Asian Americans and how have they been historically produced? What are the power dynamics involved in interracial hetero- and homo-sexual romances and marriages for Asian and non-Asian Americans? What political and social relationships have mixed-heritage Asian Americans had with the mono-ethnic Asian Americans as well as with the white majority? How are mixed-heritage Asian Americans portrayed in the media, and what are the implications of these images? How do we theorize the issues of mixed-heritage Asian American identity in such a manner that we are able to view the mixed-heritage Asian American experiences as one dimension of the larger politics of race, sexuality, gender, and nation? The foundation for this course revolves around the sociological theories on racial formation and coproduction of race, class, gender, and historiography of Asian Americans. Alongside these theoretical and historical texts, students are encouraged to bring in materials in forms of personal anecdotes, nonscholarly texts, arts, Web sites, etc., to share their insights with the class. |
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Essential Capabilities:
None |
| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS AMST |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: None |
Major Readings:
Williams-León, Teresa, and Cynthia L. Nakashima eds. 2001. THE SUM OF OUR PARTS: MIXED-HERITAGE ASIAN AMERICANS. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
Root, Maria, ed. 1996. THE MULTIRACIAL EXPERIENCE: RACIAL BORDERS AS THE NEW FRONTIER. Thousand Oaks, CA.: Sage Publications.
Gaskins, Pearl Fuyo, ed. 1996. WHAT ARE YOU?: VOICES OF MIXED-RACE YOUNG PEOPLE. Henry Holt & Co.
Parker, David, and Miri Song, eds. 2002. RETHINKING "MIXED RACE." London: Pluto Press.
Omi, Michael, and Howard Winant. 1994. RACIAL FORMATION IN THE UNITED STATES: FROM THE 1960S TO THE 1990S. New York: Rouledge.
Fictions Readings:
Fulbeck, Kip. 2001. PAPER BULLETS: A FICTIONAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY. Seattle: University of Washington Press.
Ozeki, Ruth L. 1999. MY YEARS OF MEATS. Viking Press.
Claudine C. O'Hearn. 1998. HALF AND HALF: WRITERS ON GROWING UP BIRACIAL AND BICULTURAL. New York: Pantheon.
Rekdal, Paisely. 2002. THE NIGHT MY MOTHER MET BRUCE LEE: OBSERVATIONS ON NOT FITTING IN. New York: Vintage.
Hara, Marie and Nora Okja Keller, eds. 1999. INTERSECTING CIRCLES: THE VOICES OF HAPA WOMEN IN POETRY AND PROSE. Bamboo Ridge Press.
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