History 346: Introduction to Asian American History

Spring 2004 Professor J. Wu

Tuesdays and Thursdays 12:30-2:18 Office: 261 Dulles

Arps Hall 387 Phone: 292-9331

Office Hours: T, Th 2:30-3:00 & by appointment Email: wu.287@osu.edu

Course Description and Objective:

This course introduces the field of Asian American history, which focuses on the experiences of people of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, South Asian, Pilipino, and Southeast Asian ancestry in the United States. Lectures, readings, films, and discussions will examine the continuities as well as changes in Asian American experience through three chronological periods: the first wave of immigration (mid-19th to 1934), the years of exclusion and international conflict (the middle decades of the 20th century), and the second wave of immigration (post-1965). The course will explore two overarching themes: 1) how the experiences of Asian Americans complicate the existing understanding of American race, class, gender, and international relations; and 2) the similarities as well as differences between various Asian American groups, i.e. the historical validity of a pan-Asian American identity.

Course materials represent a variety of disciplines (Anthropology, Sociology, Education, Literature as well as History) and sources (oral history, newspaper articles, film) that contribute to the field of Asian American History. I encourage you to engage each assignment critically. What does the source tell us about the experiences of Asian Americans? What is the purpose of the author or filmmaker in creating this work? What types of evidence are used to support an argument or perspective? You will be asked to share your insights through discussions, presentations, essays, and exams. In other words, this course encourages you to develop critical reading, thinking, and writing skills.

The course syllabus, lecture outlines, and reading questions are available on-line at the following website: 

http://people.cohums.ohio-state.edu/wu287/courses.html

. Be sure to look for the spring 2004 version of History 346.

Enrollment

All students must be officially enrolled in the course by the end of the second full week of the quarter. No requests to add the course will be approved by the department chair after that time. Enrolling officially and on time is solely the responsibility of each student.

Course Materials:

Ronald Takaki, Strangers from a Different Shore: A History of Asian Americans (1989).

Mary Paik Lee, Quiet Odyssey: A Pioneer Korean Woman in America (1990).

Gary Y. Okihiro, Storied Lives: Japanese American Students and World War II (1999).

Andrew Pham, Catfish and Mandala : a two-wheeled voyage through the landscape and memory of Vietnam (1999).

Optional:

Yen Le Espiritu, Asian American Panethnicity: Bridging Institutions and Identities (1992).

Alice Yang Muray, What Did the Internment of Japanese American Mean? (2000)

The books are available for sale at SBX. They also are on reserve at the Main Library.

In addition to the books, a course packet will be available through COP-EZ at the Tuttle Park Garage.

Assignments:

All work presented in class or turned in must be a student’s own. Plagiarism or any other form of academic misconduct will be dealt with in accordance with the guidelines laid down by the University’s Committee on Academic Misconduct and will seriously affect a student’s grade.

If you have a learning disability requiring special arrangements for completing assignments, please let me know as soon as possible.

1) Discussion participation (30%). You are invited to share your opinions regarding the readings, films, and lectures through presentations and discussions. The frequency, quality, and enthusiasm of your participation will determine your grade. If you are unable to attend a class, be sure to inform me beforehand. You may not be able to pass this course if you have too many absences.

2) Midterm that covers materials through May 6 (30%).

3) Exhibit and essay on Asian Americans in Ohio/Midwest (40%). Design an exhibit and write an accompanying 5-8 page essay that examines the history of Asian Americans in Ohio or the Midwest. Select a particular topic, person, ethnic group, or organization that you want to research. Collect written and visual documents about your subject. If possible, interview the subject(s) to gain insight into their experiences and perspectives. Make sure to inform the interviewees about the purpose of the interviews and what you plan to do with the materials. Create an exhibit that presents your findings in an educational, analytical, and entertaining fashion. Your display is due on June 1st, and we will install it in the Exposures Gallery in the Ohio Union, room 237. To do a virtual tour, go to http://www.ohiounion.com/exposures/. You will be asked to give a short presentation about your exhibit on the 1^st and 3rd. You are welcome to invite friends and family to attend the presentations. In addition to creating an exhibit, you will write a 5-8 page essay that discusses the significance of your subject and contextualizes that person, group, or organization’s experiences in the broader history of Asian Americans. The essay will be due on June 3rd. At that time, we also will dismantle the exhibits.

Class Schedule:

30 March Introduction to Course – Lecture

View: My America, or Honk if you love Buddha, Part I

Part I First-Wave Immigration and Second-Generation Asian Americans

1 April Immigration Under Capitalism - Lecture

Takaki, pp. 3-75 Reading Questions

Ancestors in the Americas, Part I

6 April Chinese American Immigration and Exclusion - Lecture

Takaki, pp. 77-131   Reading Questions

Ancestors in the Americas, Part II

8 April no class

13 April Plantation Hawaii - Lecture

View: Picture Bride (begin)

Takaki, pp. 132-176    Reading Questions

15 April Ethnic Enclaves - Lecture

View: Picture Bride (conclude)

Takaki, pp. 179-229

Extra Credit: Attend Lecture, April 19, 3-4:30, Hale Black Cultural Center

Kevin Kumashiro, Diversity Scholar in Residence, Multicultural Center

“Perverse Pleasures: Troubling Stories of Queer Asian Pacific Americans & Implications for Anti-Oppressive Education”

20 April The Second Generation - Lecture

Takaki, pp. 230-269    Reading Questions

View: Forbidden City

22 April South Asian American Family and Community Formation - Lecture

Takaki, pp. 294-314

View: Roots in the Sand

27 April Korean American Life, Labor, and Politics - Lecture

Lee, Quiet Odyssey    Reading Questions

View: Arirang, Part 1

29 April Pilipino American Labor and Love - Lecture

View: Filipino Americans

Takaki, pp. 315-354   Reading Questions

Part II International and Domestic Politics

4 May Nationalism, Race, and World War II - Lecture

View: Slaying the Dragon

Takaki, pp. 355-405

6 May Japanese American Internment

View: Interview with Toyo Kawakami

Forsaken Fields

Gary Y. Okihiro, Storied Lives    Reading Questions

11 May Midterm

Part III Post-War Immigration

13 May Library Orientation, Science and Engineering Library, Rm. 90

Special Time: Meet at 1:30

Extra Credit: Attend Distinguished Lecture in Asian American History

Gary Okihiro, “Toward a Black Pacific”

4:30 p.m., Hale Black Cultural Center

18 May The Second Wave and the “Model Minority” - Lecture

Takaki, pp. 406-492.    Reading Questions

"Success Story of One Minority Group in U.S.," reprinted from U.S. News & World Report, 26 December 1966, in Roots, pp. 6-9.

View: My America, Part II

20 May The Asian American Movement

Espiritu, Asian American Panethnicity, pp. ix-52.   Reading Questions

Asian Americans: The Movement and the Moment, excerpts.

A Part Yet Apart selection.

View: On Strike!

25 May Explorations of Identity

Pham, Catfish and Mandala

Guest Speaker: Prof. Nina Ha

27 May View: AKA Don Bonus

1 June Asian Americans in the Midwest: Installation and Presentation

Everyone’s exhibits are due!

3 June Presentations and Dismantle Exhibits

Final papers are due