ASAM1520 - Asian American Activism

Providing a broad introduction to the history of activism in the United States, this course will specifically examine the roles that Asian Americans & Pacific Islander Americans have fulfilled within both larger advocacy struggles, and the emergence of a distinctly Asian American activist movement.
Firmly rooted in a critical race studies approach toward history, this course will comprehensively assess factors contributing to the historical oppression of AAPIs in mainstream American society, exploring how different groups throughout history have found ways to advocate on their own behalf. Additionally, the course will provide a deeper context behind many of the major advocacy issues, providing a context for how contemporary activist framework evolved out of various movements over the past two hundred years.
Topics will include immigration and naturalization, America’s role in empire, decolonization and postcolonial thought, inter-minority tensions and solidarity building practices, Pan-Asianism in the American context, socio-political divides within AAPI communities, Asian settler-colonialism in occupied Hawaii, the Hawaiian sovereignty movement, and media activism.
Lectures will combine historical content and discussion of various activists and movements, sometimes featuring guest speakers whose advocacy work relates to the current week’s topic.
Additional out of class assignments will be given that involve participation in the virtual programs and in-person community events being offered by various Asian American advocacy groups. Students will be required to participate in at least two community events during the semester, providing an opportunity to engage with and learn from AAPI activists first-hand. Speakers listed in syllabus are subject to change based on speaker availability.