Asian American Cultures
*An Introduction*
LAS 325, Spring 2003, 3 credits
Dr. Eugenio Matibag
TR 9:30-10:50
Office - 300G Pearson
MW 11-12 and by appointment
(515) 294-7867 - ematibag@iastate.edu
Required texts
Carlos Bulosan. America Is in the Heart. 2002 (1943).
Warren I. Cohen. The Asian American Century. 2002.
Shirley Geok-lin & Cheng Lok Chua, eds. Tilting the Continent: Southeast Asian
American Writing. 2000.
Maria Hong, ed. Growing Up Asian American. 1993.
Jean Wakatsuki Houston & James D. Houston. Farewell to Manzanar. 1973.
Jeff Yang, et al., eds. Eastern Standard Time: A Guide to Asian Influence on
American Culture: from Astro Boy to Zen Buddhism. 1997.
Course description and goals
An introduction to the major Asian American group experiences, focusing on the
forms and developments of cultures in the United States with emphasis on the
period from 1850 to the present. Topics will include immigration and settlement
issues, social movements, assimilation, community building, media images,
stereotypes and discrimination, art, and popular culture.
Assignments will consist of readings in literature, memoirs, politics, and cultural
studies. Reading journal entries, active participation in discussion, three exams,
and a focused research paper will be required.
With completion of the course, students will have a basic knowledge of
identifying characteristics, backgrounds and experiences of major Asian
American groups; of literary texts written by and about Asian Americans; and of
major accomplishments, contributions and influences by Asian Americans in
modern times.
The prerequisite for the course is English 105, which assumes that you have
practiced basic writing and composition skills in the English language. Below
you’ll find the basic requirements for LAS 325.
II.
GRADING. The course grade for the semester will be based on the following
percentage-values.
Classwork: attendance, preparation, participation
Homework: reading journal and other writing activities
Research essay
Three exams
10%
30%
15%
45%
Exam, composition, homework, and final course grades will be calculated according to the
following scale:
A = 94-100%
A- = 90-93
B+ = 87-89
B = 83-86
III.
D+ = 67-69
D = 63-66
D- = 60-62
F = 0-59
COURSE OBJECTIVES
1.
2.
3.
4.
IV.
B- = 80-82
C+ = 77-79
C = 73-76
C- = 70-72
To improve comprehension and analysis of Asian American issues through
reading and discussion
To study texts of Asian American cultures in relation to their historical contexts
To learn concepts fundamental to understanding Asian American social reality.
To develop proficiency in writing journal entries and a scholarly paper
REQUIREMENTS
1.
PARTICIPATION: Attendance and participation in class activities are required.
Prepare by reading and writing assignments before coming to class. Be ready to
participate verbally in class. Absences, non-participation in discussion, and
excessive tardiness will lower your participation grade. Students who miss more
than six class-meetings will not pass the course.
2.
IN CLASS we will discuss readings, work in groups, see videos, give
presentations, hear presentations, and write. Bring the assigned reading texts to
class and do the written assignments beforehand.
3.
ENTRIES in your READING JOURNAL are required for each and every reading
assignment. Two sets of written responses will be due on the days indicated on
the course calendar. Other kinds of writing may be assigned as the instructor
deems appropriate. Late submission of any written assignments is not
recommended and late assignments will receive lowered grades.
READING JOURNAL WRITING INSTRUCTIONS: Prior to each class meeting,
you are to write an entry of a minimum of 200 words (in handwriting or wordprocessed) in response to the assigned reading(s) for the day. I want these
entries to consist of personal, original observations that refer specifically to
aspects and details of the assigned text. Each entry should demonstrate your
comprehension of the text, help to prepare you for exams and discussion, and
provide creative-critical writing practice. Non-original, non-specific entries will
receive reduced credit or no credit. An expandable binder is good for keeping
these writings together; loose-leaf writing paper or single-sheeted printer paper
works out the best for submissions. Hand in your reading journal with up-to-date
installments on February 18 and April 8--days of Exams 1 and 2--and on April 29,
the Tuesday of Dead Week.
V.
4.
A RESEARCH PAPER is due April 17. This essay will present a coherent and
reasoned interpretation of a selected aspect of Asian American culture; it should
include references to library sources and some fieldwork or interview material. In
its presentation, It must be word-processed and written in good grammatical and
rhetorical form. Begin this assignment early, with pre-writing assignments due on
the indicated dates. You will receive more instructions on this term assignment.
In the meantime, be looking for an interesting aspect of Asian American culture
you would like to study and interpret in greater depth.
5.
THREE EXAMS will be given. The first one takes place on February 18, the
second on April 8, and the third on the day indicated during Finals Week. The
three exams will each have multiple choice questions on the readings covered
during the previous third of the semester and brief writing assignments. A study
guide will be provided for each exam.
6.
FEEL FREE to contact the instructor by phone, mail, email, or in person during
office hours when you have questions or doubts about assignments and
requirements.
THE "WRITE" WAY
See rules and procedures concerning academic dishonesty in the Iowa State Student
Academic Life Handbook, pp. 40-3.
LAS 325: Day/Date/Reading(s) [EST = Eastern Standard Time; GUAA = Growing Up Asian American; TC = Tilting the Continent]
1T/Jan 14/An Invitation to Asian America
16T/Mar 11/Carlos Bulosan (220-73)
2R/Jan 16/Immigration, Acculturation, Discrimination:
EST -- “Stereotypes” (111), “Climbing Gold Mountain:
Immigration from Asia” (321-3), “Model Minority” (331)
17R/Mar 13/Carlos Bulosan (274-327)
3T/Jan 21/EST -- Communities and Cultures: EST -“Values: The East-West Divide” (210-11), “Asian
Adoptees” (310), “Chinatowns, Etc.” (317-18),
“Intermarriage” (324), “Confucianism” (220)
18T/Mar 18/Holiday
4R/Jan 23/Chinese Americans, GUAA -- Sui Sin Far,
Gus Lee, Pardee Lowe
19R/Mar 20/Holiday
5T/Jan 28/Chinese Americans, GUAA -- Jade Snow
Wong, Frank Chin, Amy Tan
20T/Mar 25/Southeast Asian Americans: Lim and Chua, “Introduction” to
Tilting the Continent; TC -- Vietnamese Americans: Isabelle Thuy Pelaud,
Lan Duong (3x), Cuong H. Lam, Minh-Mai Hoang (2x)
6R/Jan 30/Chinese Americans, GUAA -- Maxine Hong
Kingston, Shawn Wong, Sigrid Nuñez
21R/Mar 27/Vietnamese Americans,TC -- Vietnamese Americans:
Sophie Nguyen/Jora Trang, Kim Ly Bui-Burton, Anh Quynh Bui (2x)
7T/Feb 4/Japanese Americans, GUAA -- Maria Hong,
“Tragic Transition”; EST -- “Asian American Literature:
The Japanese Internment” (31).
22T/Apr 1/Vietnamese Americans, TC -- Anh Phuong-Nguyen, Jade
Quang Huynh, Elizabeth Gordon/Thai Americans: Ira Sukrungruang,
Pornsak Pichetshote
8R/Feb 6/Jean Wakatsuki Houston, Farewell to
Manzanar (ix-48)
23R/Apr 3/Hmong Americans, TC -- Kay Vu-Lee (2x), Mayli Vang (2x),
Soul Choj Vang, Pos Moua (5x)
9T/Feb 11/Jean Wakatsuki Houston (49-96)
24T/Apr 8/Exam 2. Turn in Part 2 of the Reading Journal
10R/Feb 13/Jean Wakatsuki Houston (97-145)
25R/Apr 10/Asian Indian Americans, EST -- “Yoga” (202), “Hinduism”
(231-2); GUAA -- Zia Jaffrey, Kartar Dhillon, Indira Ganesan
11T/Feb 18/Exam 1. Turn in Part 1 of the Reading
Journal
26T/Apr 15/Asian Indian Americans. EST -- “Taj Mahal” (23), “Salman
Rushdie” (48) “Buddhism” (216-18), “Gurus: The Good, the Bad, and
Frankly Scary” (228-30)
12R/Feb 20/Filipino Americans. Film by Fred Cordova.
Introduction to Carlos Bulosan, America Is in the Heart
(vii-xxiv)
27R/Apr 17/Korean Americans, Elaine Kim, “Home Is Where the Han Is”
(Photocopy). Term Paper Due
13T/Feb 25/Carlos Bulosan (3-57)
28T/Apr 22/Korean Americans. EST -- “Nam June Paik” (15), GUAA -Mary Paik Lee, Kim Ronyoung.
14R/Feb 27/Carlos Bulosan (58-111)
29R/Apr 24/Asian American Political Issues: Warren I. Cohen, The Asian
American Century, Chapter 2: “The Americanization of Asia”
15T/Mar 4/Carlos Bulosan (112-65)
30T/Apr 29/Warren I. Cohen, Chapter 3, “The Asianization of America.”
Turn in Part 3 of the Reading Journal.
16R/Mar 6/Carlos Bulosan, America Is in the Heart
(166-219)
31R/May 1/Semester Review
Final exams week/Exam 3