Descriptor Details

  • Descriptor Title
    Asian American Culture: Including Asian American Literature
  • C-ID Number
    110
  • Units
    3
  • Date of Last Revision
    09/03/2025

General Description

Analysis of Asian American and Desi American literature and cultural expressions including oral traditions, poetry, essays, drama, novels and other genres. Emphasis on the intersectionalities of race, gender, class, sexual identity, immigration status, language background, interethnic relations, and transnationalism.

Any rationale or comment:
On many campuses, Asian American culture is explored in different ways. There are courses like this one which use literature to explore cultural issues. Other courses acceptable for the ADT explore cultural issues through Asian American Popular Culture, or Asian American Film.  Courses like this can also be used to meet requirements for any Asian American Studies course Cal-GETC area 3B or 6.

Prerequisites

None

Corequisites

None

Advisories

None

Content

  1. Introduction to Asian American Literature
    1. Overview of American Racism and Colonialism
    2. Key Definitions (race, racism, ethnicity, imperialism, feminism, sexual identity, intersectionality, anti-racism, immigration status, multilingualism and multiculturalism)
    3. Connections with Latinx, African American, and American Indian writings and experience
    4. Asian American writings in context of the mainstream American canon
  2. Voices of Early Immigrants and Settlers
    1. Letter, newspaper accounts, songs, stories, Angel Island poetry, and other expressions of a wide variety of early immigrants
    2. Carlos Bulosan
  3. Writings by Second Generation Asians in Hawaii and the Mainland
    1. Hollywood’s infatuation with Asians
    2. Biculturalism and generational conflict
  4. Concentration Camp Experiences
    1. Impact of Okada’s No-No Boy and Houston’s Farewell to Manzanar
    2. Continued scar on writings, art, films
  5. Literary Emergence of the Politicized Asian American
    1. Asian American literary visibility – Kingston, Tan
    2. Post-1965 Asian immigrants, refugees, and American born experiences
    3. Feminism, LGBTQ+, environmental issues, journalism
  6. Intersectionalities and Transnationalism
    1. Multiracial Identities and multiculturalism
    2. Diversifying genres: comedy, film, social media, music, podcasts, zines
    3. Continuing stereotypes: Tiger Mom, Kung Flu, Crazy Rich Asians

Lab Activities

The course may include a lab component.

Objectives

At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

  1. Evaluate individual writings and literature within the rich and diverse history and experience of Asian Americans and Desi Americans.
  2. Analyze how struggle, resistance, social justice, solidarity and liberation as experienced by Asian Americans intersect with other marginalized peoples.
  3. Critically discuss the intersection of race as it pertains to Asian Americans with other forms of difference affected by hierarchy and oppression, such as class, gender, sexuality, religion, national origin, language background, immigration status, ability and/or age.
  4. Analyze the impact of Asian American Studies and writing on American literature and transnational awareness.
  5. Analyze and articulate concepts such as race and racism, racialization, ethnicity, equity, ethno-centrism, eurocentrism, white supremacy, self-determination, liberation, decolonization, sovereignty, imperialism, settler colonialism, and anti-racism as analyzed in Asian American Studies.
  6. Apply theory and knowledge produced by Asian American communities to describe the critical events, histories, cultures, intellectual traditions, contributions, lived-experiences and social struggles of those groups with a particular emphasis on agency and group-affirmation.
  7. Critically analyze the intersection of race and racism as they relate to class, gender, sexuality, religion, spirituality, national origin, immigration status, ability, tribal citizenship, sovereignty, language, and/or age in, Asian American communities.
  8. Critically review how struggle, resistance, racial and social justice, solidarity and liberation, as experienced and enacted by Asian Americans are relevant to current and structural issues such as communal, national and international, and transnational politics as, for example, in immigration, reparations, settler colonialism, multiculturalism, language policies.
  9. Describe and actively engage with anti-racist and anti-colonial issues and the practices and movements in Asian American communities and a just and equitable society. 

Evaluation Methods

May include, but not limited to:

In-class and out of class writing assignments, test, quizzes, group work. Written work and student presentations evaluated for critical thinking ability.

Textbooks

Chin, Frank. Aiiieeeee! An Anthology of Asian-American Writers. University of Washington Press, 2019.
Lee Murray, et. Al., Black Cranes: Tales of Unquiet Women. University of Hawaii Press, 2020.
Balance, Christine Bacareza. California Dreaming: Movement and Place in the Asian American Imaginary. University of Hawaii Press, 2020.
McAllister, Charles. The Lives and Stories of Early Asian Americans: An Anthology of Asian American Literature from 1887 to 1923. Whitlock Publishing, 2019.
Hong, Cathy Park. Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning. Random House, 2021.

Or equivalent Open Educational Resource

Descriptor Administration

  • Public Review Needed
    No
  • Next Descriptor Review
    No information provided
  • Resubmission Requirements for Courses
    Descriptor changes were administrative only
  • Resubmission Deadline
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  • Comments

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  • Notes

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  • Keywords

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