Introduction to asian american studies: literature, culture, and historical experience

Sessions: 2 sessions / week, 1.5 hours / session

Course sessions include lecture and discussion sections, generally on alternating days during the week.

This subject provides an overview of Asian American history and examines its relevance for contemporary Asian American issues. We will cover 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 ethnic identity, and considers key issues such as racial stereotyping, media racism, affirmative action, the glass (or "bamboo") ceiling, the model minority stereotype, and anti-Asian harassment or violence.

There are no prerequisites for this course.

By the time you complete this course, you should be able to:

Communication intensive subjects in the humanities, arts and social sciences (CI-H) require at least 6000 words of writing divided among a number of assignments, at least one of which is revised and resubmitted. This class requires three papers, one of which will be revised and resubmitted.

All paper assignments will be made available to students online. Each student will have a mandatory meeting with the writing advisor to discuss the revision process based on feedback from both the professor and the advisor. Additional meetings with the writing advisor will be arranged as needed throughout the semester in consultation with the writing advisor. You are also encouraged to make use of the Writing Center. In addition, CI-H subjects offer students substantial opportunity for oral expression, through presentations and class participation. This class requires all students to participate in a weekly discussion of the assigned reading. Each student will also make brief oral presentations on designated days and may be asked to lead class discussion once during the semester. To guarantee sufficient attention to student writing and substantial opportunity for oral expression, the number of students in this class is limited to 25. The class will meet twice weekly for an hour and a half each meeting. Lectures will generally be delivered during the first session, with the second reserved for discussions of readings and / or films. Students will also meet individually with the writing advisor to discuss the papers.

There is no final exam. Occasional [ungraded] quizzes may be given at the discretion of the professor to assess student progress in class.

All grading will be done by the professor. The grade for this subject will be broken down as follows:

In accord with MIT Rules and Regulations of the Faculty section 2.62, I do not grade on a curve. Students are assessed individually, and there is no pre-determined grade spread in any subject.

Consistent with this, after Drop Date, students who remain in a class are not in jeopardy of seeing their grades change due to the change in class composition.

Attendance and Class Participation Attendance is mandatory. ***No class absence, except in cases of illness or family emergency. Please inform me in advance by e‐mail. No extensions on papers except in cases of serious illness or emergency!!! It is also mandatory that you meet with the writing advisor to discuss your paper revision!!!

Five points will be deducted from your revised paper for failing to meet with the advisor, or for failing to provide her with proper notice if you wish to cancel or reschedule your meeting.

If you are dealing with a personal or medical issue that is impacting your ability to attend class, complete work, or take an exam, please discuss this with Student Support Services (S3). The deans in S3 will verify your situation, and then discuss with you how to address the missed work. Students will not be excused from coursework without verification from Student Support Services.

I expect all students to be familiar with MIT's policies and guidelines on academic integrity as outlined in the handbook on academic integrity.
Please review all the guidelines in the handbook, including the information on responsible paraphrasing. You will also be expected to review the guidelines for copyright and fair use, provided by MIT libraries.

Plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty are serious offenses and will be dealt with according to MIT policy and procedures.

You are expected to collaborate with others in this class. In terms of the papers, the Chinatown field trip report, and oral presentation, you may discuss and work together with others. However, my expectation is that the final written product represents your own original writing, and yours alone.

Lecture

Mini-workshop with Writing Advisor: Tips on Comparative Analysis

Final paper revision due

Party

Subject evaluations

Don't show me this again

This is one of over 2,200 courses on OCW. Find materials for this course in the pages linked along the left.

MIT OpenCourseWare is a free & open publication of material from thousands of MIT courses, covering the entire MIT curriculum.

No enrollment or registration. Freely browse and use OCW materials at your own pace. There's no signup, and no start or end dates.

Knowledge is your reward. Use OCW to guide your own life-long learning, or to teach others. We don't offer credit or certification for using OCW.

Made for sharing. Download files for later. Send to friends and colleagues. Modify, remix, and reuse (just remember to cite OCW as the source.)

Learn more at Get Started with MIT OpenCourseWare