DEPARTMENT OF ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES
300 Murray Krieger Hall; (949) 824-2746
Ketu H. Katrak, Department Chair
Core Faculty
Yong Chen, Ph.D. Cornell University, Associate Dean, Graduate Studies, and Associate Professor of History and Asian American Studies (Asian American history)
Dorothy Fujita Rony, Ph.D. Yale University, Assistant Professor of Asian American Studies and History (Asian American, Filipino American history)
Ketu H. Katrak, Ph.D. Bryn Mawr College, Department Chair of Asian American Studies and Professor of Asian American Studies and of English and Comparative Literature (Asian American literature, post-colonial literature)
Claire Jean Kim, Ph.D. Yale University, Associate Professor of Asian American Studies and Political Science (racial and ethnic politics, protest and social movements, contemporary political theory)
Karen Leonard, Ph.D. University of Wisconsin, Professor of Anthropology (social history of India, caste, ethnicity and gender, Asian Americans in the United States)
John M. Liu, Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles, Associate Professor of Social Sciences and Asian American Studies (race/ethnic/ minority relations; economy and society)
Glen Mimura, Ph.D. University of California, Santa Cruz, Assistant Professor of Asian American Studies (independent film and video, theory and methods, and popular culture)
Linda Trinh Võ, Ph.D. University of California, San Diego, Assistant Professor of Asian American Studies (Southeast Asian American communities, Asian American women, race relations, and ethnography)
Affiliated Faculty
Kei Akagi, B.A. International Christian University, Professor of Music
Chungmoo Choi, Ph.D. Indiana University, Associate Professor of East Asian Languages and Literatures
Hu Ying, Ph.D. Princeton University, Associate Professor of East Asian Languages and Literatures
Laura H. Y. Kang, Ph.D. University of California, Santa Cruz, Associate Professor of Women's Studies and Comparative Literature
Kyung Hyun Kim, Ph.D. University of Southern California, Assistant Professor of East Asian Languages and Literatures
Jennifer Lee, Ph.D. Columbia University, Assistant Professor of Sociology
Simon Leung, B.A. University of California, Los Angeles, Assistant Professor of Studio Art
Akira Mizuta Lippit, Ph.D. The Johns Hopkins University, Associate Professor of Film Studies
Sanjoy Mazumdar, Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Associate Professor of Social Ecology
Yong Soon Min, M.F.A. University of California, Berkeley, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Studio Art
Charles J. Wheeler, Ph.D. Yale University, Assistant Professor of History
Bert Winther-Tamaki, Ph.D. Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, Associate Professor of Art History
The Department of Asian American Studies examines the historical and contemporary experiences of Asians after their arrival in the United States. The curriculum seeks to provide an awareness of the history, culture (e.g., literary and creative art accomplishments), psychology, and social organization of Asian American communities. Students are invited to participate and partake in broadening their understanding of multicultural perspectives within U.S. society. The Department offers a major leading to the B.A. degree in Asian American Studies, a minor, and a graduate emphasis.
In addition to regular UCI faculty, lecturers who teach on a quarterly basis are an integral part of the Department. A current list of participants is available in the office.
Scholarship Opportunities. The Ching-Suei Su Endowed Memorial Scholarship is awarded annually to sophomores or juniors who are majoring in Asian American Studies, East Asian Languages and Literatures, or Linguistics (with an emphasis on an East Asian language) and who demonstrate academic excellence and campus or community service.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Many career opportunities exist for students who graduate with a B.A. degree in Asian American Studies, such as service with national and international organizations which seek knowledge of American multicultural society in general, and of Asian American peoples and cultures in particular; positions as area specialists with state and federal government agencies; careers in the private sector with corporations or private organizations which have a significant portion of their activities in the U.S. and the Pacific Rim; and positions of service and leadership within Asian American communities. Students may also continue their education and pursue professional or graduate degrees.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE BACHELOR'S DEGREE
University Requirements: See pages 54-59.
School Requirements: See pages 218-219.
Humanities Core Course substitution for transfer Asian American Studies majors: Four semester courses or six quarter courses equivalent to the following UCI course work: Writing 39B and 39C; a three-quarter Humanistic Inquiry sequence; and one additional lower-division Humanistic Inquiry course. No Asian American Studies courses may count toward the Core Course substitution.
Departmental Requirements for the Major
A. Five core courses: Asian American Studies 60A, 60B, 60C, 100, 101.
B. Ten upper-division electives (two from each of the following areas): Asian American Studies 110-129 (Humanities/Arts), 130-149 (Social Science/Social Ecology), 151-160 (Asian American Sub-groups), 161-170 (Ethnic/Race/Gender Relations).
C. One course in history, cultural, or political institutions of Asia selected from the following departments: Anthropology, Art History, East Asian Languages and Literatures, History, Political Science, Sociology, Studio Art.
D. One elective course selected from Asian American Studies or from the interdepartmental list available from the Department office. Electives may include Independent Studies/Special Studies courses: Asian American Studies 190-199. Students may request, by petition, one lower-division course to count as an elective.
Students must meet on a quarterly basis with their designated faculty advisor who will review their plan of study.
Residence Requirement for the Major: A minimum of five upper-division courses required for the major must be completed successfully at UCI.
Requirements for the Minor
Asian American Studies 60A, 60B, 60C, 101, and four upper-division courses selected from Asian American Studies 100-169, 190-199.
Residence Requirement for the Minor: Four upper-division courses required for the minor must be completed successfully at UCI. Two of the four may be taken through the UC Education Abroad Program, provided course content is approved in advance by the appropriate department chair.
GRADUATE EMPHASIS IN ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES
The Department of Asian American Studies offers a graduate emphasis in Asian American Studies, which is available in conjunction with selected departmental graduate programs. Students in the graduate emphasis complete a minimum of four courses, including Asian American Studies 200A and 200B, and two electives, one of which is selected from the student's own department or area of interest, and the other from a discipline outside that department or area.
Subject to the requirements of participating academic units, Ph.D. students in the emphasis will have at least one Asian American Studies core faculty member on their qualifying examination and dissertation committees. With the approval of the Asian American Studies Graduate Committee, affiliated faculty members can sit in place of the core faculty. (There are no requirements concerning qualifying examinations or theses for master's students.)
Applicants to the emphasis must be admitted to a participating UCI graduate program. For complete information about application policies and procedures, as well as the requirements of the emphasis, see one of the Asian American Studies faculty members.
Courses in Asian American Studies
LOWER-DIVISION
50 Introductory Topics in Asian American Studies (4). Introduction to a broad range of topics in Asian-American studies, exploring history, literature, art, culture, politics, and contemporary social issues. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
51 Introduction to Asian American Politics (4). Examines the political experiences of Asian immigrants and Asian Americans from the mid-1800s to the present, with a special focus on how an Asian American identity came to be constructed and deployed in the struggle for political equality. Same as Political Science 27A. (VII-A)
60A Introduction to Asian American Studies I (4). Examines and compares the diverse experiences of major Asian American groups since the mid-nineteenth century. Topics include: origins of emigration; the formation and transformation of community; gender and family life; changing roles of Asian Americans in American society. Same as History 15C and Social Science 78A. (III, VII-A)
60B Introduction to Asian American Studies II (4). Examines the renewal of Asian immigration following World War II. Focuses on domestic and international conditions influencing the liberalization of U.S. immigration laws, and the impact of contemporary Asian immigration on the U.S. political economy and social order. Same as Social Science 78B. (III, VII-A)
60C Introduction to Asian American Studies III (4). Examines selected substantive, methodological, and/or theoretical issues in Asian American Studies. Possible topics include interracial dating and marriage, electoral politics, educational and occupational achievement, participant community research, uses of oral history, underrepresented Asian American ethnic groups and diasporic studies. Same as Social Science 78C. (III, VII-A)
UPPER-DIVISION
100 Research Methodologies for Asian American Studies (4). Explores various research methodologies for Asian American Studies combining theoretical knowledge with field research. Goals: conduct field research about immigrants and refugees from Asia. Topics vary: migration and labor, assimilation and cultural preservation, cultural expressions in the diaspora. Prerequisites: satisfactory completion of the lower-division writing requirement. Formerly Asian American Studies 100A.
101 Perspectives on Race and Ethnicity in the United States (4). Examines the debates surrounding the use of race and ethnicity in U.S. scholarship. Discussions focus on differing conceptions of both terms, the changes in relationship between the two concepts since the end of the nineteenth century, and specific theoretical formulations particularly in relation to the experience of Asian Americans. Same as Social Science 177A. Formerly Asian American Studies 100B. (VII-A)
110 Asian American Writers (4). Literary analysis of Asian American writers' representations of issues of identity, class, history among others. Variety of literary forms--novel, poem, drama, essay--included in a study of a variety of Asian American ethnic groups. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. (VII-A)
111 Asian American History (4). Introduction to important themes in the history of people of Asian ancestry in the United States from the nineteenth century to the present. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. (VII-A)
111A Chinatowns in the U.S. (4). Discusses the various communities that Chinese Americans have established in different places and at different times; their significance for Chinese Americans and their prominent place in American racial consciousness. (VII-A)
112 Asian American Art History (4). Investigation of Asian American experience expressed by art and visual culture throughout the twentieth century. Art by Asian Americans of diverse backgrounds as well as the history of cultural visualization of Asian identities in American art/visual culture. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
114 Asian American Film and Video (4). Topics include histories of Asian American film and video, including documentaries, experimental, short subjects, feature-length independent film, and other forms of cinematic expression. Explores issues of identity (national, racial, gendered, among others). May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
115 Asian American Media and Arts (4). Includes the study of Asian American history and society through the analysis of a variety of media forms such as painting, music, cinema, video, and other artistic representations. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
131 Asian American Politics (4). Provides various overviews of politics within Asian American communities. May compare with African American and/or Latino politics. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
132 Comparative Minority Politics (4). Examines the political experiences of Blacks, Latinos, and Asian Americans in the United States from roughly 1950 to the present. Focuses on how each group has pursued political empowerment via both conventional political channels and social movements. Same as African-American Studies 151, Chicano/Latino Studies 147, and Political Science 124C. (VII-A)
133 Asian American Family (4). Examines the representations and experiences of Asian American families from diverse standpoints. Analyzes the similarities and differences among family structures with particular attention to cultural values, gender roles, and domestic violence. Same as Social Science 177D. (VII-A)
135 Special Topics in Asian American Social Sciences and Social Ecology (4). Explores a broad range of issues in Asian American social sciences and social ecology. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. (VII-A)
141 Asian American Psychology (4). Examines the social and psychological concerns of Asian Americans; e.g., coping with racial prejudice, maintaining bicultural identities, dealing with cross-cultural conflicts in interracial relationships, and trying to reconcile generational differences between immigrant parents and their American-born children. Same as Psychology 174A. (VII-A)
142 Muslim Identities in North America (4). Explores multiple identities of Muslims in North America, including indigenous Muslims (e.g., African-American Muslims and Sufis) and immigrants of many national origins. Explores religious, political, cultural, ethnic, class differences among American Muslims, turning to Islamic institutions near UCI to conduct small research projects. Same as Anthropology 125Z. (VII-A)
150 Special Topics in Asian American Studies (4). Analyzes a variety of themes in Asian American Studies--identity, history, culture--from various interdisciplinary perspectives in humanities, arts, social sciences. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. (VII-A)
151 Asian American Ethnic Groups (4). Topics include study of the history, culture, and social formations of diverse Asian American subgroups such as Pacific Islanders, Hmong, Thai, Indonesian, Indian subcontinental, among others. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. (VII-A)
151A Filipina/Filipino American History Pre-1965 (4). Introduces students to major themes and issues of pre-1965 Filipina/Filipino American history: nationalism, migration, labor, region, colonization, social organizations, and education. (VII-A)
151B Filipina/Filipino American History Post-1965 (4). Explores the history of Filipina/Filipino Americans in the post-1965 era. Examines migration, colonization, labor; investigates community formation focusing on Los Angeles, Hawai'i, and San Diego. Undertakes issues surrounding politics, education, the arts, and identity. (VII-A)
151C The Korean American Experience (4). Explores the factors that have distinctly shaped the Korean American experience, including patterns of racial domination, the profile of immigrant flow, immigrant roles in the urban political economy, politics in Korea, and the role of the church. Same as Social Science 178C. (VII-A)
151D The Vietnamese American Experience (4). Studies the resettlement of Vietnamese in the United States following their exodus from Southeast Asia. Topics discussed include the Vietnam War, the 1975 evacuation, boat and land refugees, the shaping of Vietnamese communities, and Vietnamese American literature. Same as Social Science 178D. (VII-A)
151E The Japanese American Experience (4). Studies the settlement of Japanese in Hawaii and the continental United States since the late nineteenth century. Topics covered include sugar plantations, development of rural Japanese America, World War II internment, post-War community development, and persistence of Japanese American identity. Same as Social Science 178E. (VII-A)
151F South Asian American Experience (4). Examines and compares the experiences of South Asian immigrants in the U.S. over time. Looks at the economic, political, and social positions of the immigrants, with special emphasis on religious changes and the changes in the second and later generations. Same as Anthropology 125Y.
151G Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (4). Discusses the different histories, cultures, religious practices of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Examines the experiences of indigenous peoples and Asian immigrants in the Pacific and their links to the continental United States. (VII-A)
151H Southeast Asian American Experience (4). Analyzes experiences of refugees and immigrants from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Examines political and economic factors for their exodus and how they reconstruct their identities, families, and communities. Issues include educational experiences, public policies, social services, occupational options, homeland relations. Same as Social Science 178H. (VII-A)
151J Chinese American Experience (4). Analyzes the experiences of Chinese in the United States. Immigration, Chinese exclusion, racial and gender identity. Historical overview and contemporary issues covered. Same as Social Science 178J. (VII-A)
151K Filipina/Filipino American Experience (4). Explores the experience of Filipina/Filipino Americans from the era of Spanish colonization of the Philippines to present-day community formations in the United States, with special emphasis on the twentieth century. Topics include colonialism, nation, migration, gender, and culture. Same as Social Science 178K. (VII-A)
161 Ethnic and Racial Communities (4). Examines various theoretical analyses of race and ethnicity, particularly as they apply to Asian Americans. Also explores the relationship of Asian Americans to other racialized minorities in the U.S. Same as Social Science 175B. (VII-A)
162 Asian American Women (4). Examines the representations and experiences of Asian American women from diverse perspectives. Explores the commonalities and differences among various groups of Asian American women, with particular focus on history, culture, values, and family roles. Same as Social Science 177B. (VII-A)
163 Asian American Women's Film (4). Explores the social significance of film and video made by Asian American women in relation to issues of race, representation, and social change. These film and video makers use these media to raise complex issues of class, politics, and race interacting with gender. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
164 Special Topics in Ethnicity, Gender, and Race (4). Topics include analysis and comparison of various themes related to ethnicity, gender, and race within the Asian American communities. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. (VII-A)
165 Vietnamese American Women (4). Focuses on sociopolitical forces that have shaped the lives of Vietnamese American women, including colonization, militarization, dislocation, and diaspora. Examines how women negotiate their participation in the labor force, and issues of identity formation and cultural representation. Same as Social Science 177C. (VII-A)
171 Topics in Asian Studies (4). Various surveys of topics focusing on Asia/Asian cultures, arts, histories, social and political institutions. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. (VII-B)
171A Comparative International Migration (4). Examines the migration patterns to the four largest nations that receive immigrants (i.e., permanent settlers): Australia, Canada, Israel, and the United States. Special attention to increasing importance of Asian migrants in the economic and cultural fabric of each nation. (VII-B)
173 Topics in East Asian Studies (4). Analysis of East Asian literary works in translation. Taught in English. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. (VII-B)
197 Field Research: Asian Immigrants and Refugees in Orange County (4). Instruction in field work methodology via research projects involving the local communities of immigrants and refugees from Asia. Open only to School of Social Sciences and Asian American Studies majors. Same as Anthropology 161T. (VII-A)
199 Independent Study (1 to 4). Directed reading and research in consultation with a faculty member. Substantial written work required. Prerequisite: consent of sponsoring faculty member. May be repeated for credit.
GRADUATE
200A Theory and Methods in Asian American Studies (4). Examines major theoretical and methodological issues in Asian American Studies. Topics include the social construction of race and identity, the intersection with class and gender, and the relationship between quantitative and qualitative approaches in research methodologies. Prerequisite: graduate standing.
200B Contemporary Issues in Asian American Studies (4). Examines major contemporary issues debated within the field of Asian American Studies. Topics include configurations of communities, relations with other communities of color, cultural expressive forms, transnationalism/diaspora, strategies for empowerment, among others. Prerequisite: graduate standing.
201 Graduate Topics in Asian American Studies (4). Seminars on various topics in Asian American Studies. Prerequisite: graduate standing. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
250 Advanced Topics in Asian American Studies (4). Seminar covering various areas of research within Asian American Studies as an interdisciplinary field. Recommended for advanced graduate students.
290 Directed Research (4 to 12). Directed graduate study/research in Asian American Studies. Prerequisite: graduate standing. May be taken for credit for a total of 24 units. Formerly Asian American Studies 299.
399 University Teaching (4). Limited to teaching assistants. Must be admitted to the graduate emphasis in Asian American Studies. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only. May be taken for credit six times.
