English Spring Term Courses

This discussion and travel course--on campus and in San Francisco- will examine the voices and the politics of identity location of Asian Americans through a representative selection of novels, poems, and drama. Who and what constitute the “Asian” in “Asian American”? Understanding Asian American identity in the twentieth century requires understanding how Asian American writers have negotiated an identity along issues of race, gender, language, nationalities, and,crucially, geography. Asian American writers embrace a multiplicity of identities as immigrants/citizens/expatriates, identities requiring complex negotiations in terms of ethnic and political affiliations between one’s “native” and one’s “adoptive” home. The hyphenated identities--“Chinese-American, “Japanese-American,” and “Indian- American,” among others--are forged around the overarching search for home and a need to belong. They embody places of origin as well as spaces for transformation and translation. Within these contexts, we will explore the following interconnected themes:

• History and Politics of Relocation and Assimilation

• Generational Conflicts

• Negotiating hyphenated identities

• Racial Fantasy and the Eternal Orient

Course limit: 15

Prerequisites:  None for 181, 2 prior literature courses for 381.

Dates of travel: Last week of Spring term

On-campus dates:  First three weeks of classes

Estimated course fee(s):  $1300-1500 covering air tickets, hotel, basic

transportation, guided tour fees and admission fees. Students should plan to

bring additional funds for personal entertainment and most meals.

Payment requirements and deposit deadlines:  TBA