ASAM 003-401 Intro to Asian American History
(E. Azuma)
Cross listed with HIST 155
LEC TR 3-4:30PM
This course provides an introduction to the history of Asian/Pacific Americans, focusing on the wide diversity of migrant experiences, as well as the continuing legacies of racism on American-born APA's. Issues of class and gender as well as the impact of international politics on APA lives will also be examined.
ASAM 110-401 Asian American Activism
(A. Nair)
SEM M 2-5PM
Often, discussion of the Asian American experience excludes activism for social justice. Throughout this seminar, students will examine a number of social movements affecting the status of Asian Americans. For instance, what happens when Asian Americans disrupt or complicate race, class, and gender hierarchies through social movement activism? Building on readings and film screenings, a combination of writing assignments, and groupwork will help us to develop a deeper understanding of the Asian American Movement.
ASAM 201-601 Immigrant Urban Labor in US
(T. Nopper)
LEC T 5:30-8:30PM
This course examines post-1965 immigrant labor in urban U.S. cities. We consider how 1) globalization and U.S. immigration and labor policies inform labor flows and placement; 2) the conditions under which immigrants work; 3) the impact of immigrant labor on employment patterns, wages, labor unions, and the national economy; 4) labor activism among immigrants (workers centers, independent labor organizations); 5) the impact of xenophobia, immigration enforcement, and the economic recession on immigrant laborers; and 6) how family and kin networks are affected by labor patterns. We look at examples from industries in which immigrants are concentrated or over-represented: garment work, taxi driving, nursing, domestic work, and restaurant work. This course will be of particular interest to students of urban development, work and labor, race relations, policy, and globalization and will familiarize all students with government and non-profit data, grassroots and transnational labor activism, and the contemporary debate on immigration reform.
ASAM 203-401 Topics in Asian American History: Japanese American Internment
(E. Azuma)
Cross listed with HIST 231
SEM W 2-5PM
This seminar examines various issues surrounding the wartime internment of Japanese Americans. Students will be familiarized with representative works on the topic, as well as its connections to and implications for larger Asian American concerns.
ASAM 205-401 Asian American Community Fieldwork
(F. Khan)
SEM TR 1:30-3PM
Who is Asian American and where and how do we recognize Asian America? This interdisciplinary course explores the multiple factors that define Asian American identity and community. In order to provide a sketch of the multifaceted experience of this growing minority group, we will discuss a wide array of texts from scholarly, artistic, and popular (film, cinematic) sources that mark key moments in the cultural history of Asian America. The course will address major themes of community life including migration history, Asian American as model minority; race, class and transnational scope of Asian America. In combination with the readings, this class will foster and promote independent research based on site visits to various Asian American communities in Philadelphia and will host community leaders as guest lecturers.
ASAM 239-401 Migration & Middle East
(H. Sharkey)
Cross listed with NELC 239 & SAST 269
SEM T 1:30-4:30PM
This reaing- and discussion-intensive seminar examines the phenomenon of migration into, out of, within, and across the Middle East and North Africa. We will focus on the period from the late nineteenth century to the present, and will emphasize the cultural (rather than economic) consequences of migration. Along the way we will trace connections between the Middle East and other regions-- notably the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, the Caucasus, and Western Europe. Readings are interdisciplinary and include works of history, anthropology, sociology, medical research, literature, political science, geography, and human rights advocacy. As students develop final projects on topics of their choice, we will spend time throughout the semester discussing tactics for research and writing.
ASAM 299 Independent Study
PERMISSION NEEDED FROM DEPARTMENT