Assignemnt: Contemporary Issues
Course Description:
Prerequisites: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Critical analysis of contemporary issues confronting Asian Americans in the U.S. Emphasis placed on social and economic issues such as immigration, education, employment, health, and inter-ethnic and intra-Asian conflict. Regular writing assignments required. Available for Section B, Multicultural Requirement for Credential Candidates. (Available for General Education, Comparative Cultural Studies)
This class provides a detailed and critical examination of contemporary issues confronting Asian American communities against the backdrop of broad political, economic, and social changes in increasingly multi-racial American society and globalized world. We will learn about various topics including gender and sexuality, family, ethnic identity, race, inequality and class, youth culture, interracial relationship in changing Asian America. As with any other classes in Asian American studies, our goal is to help all students develop critical thinking skills and understand how Asian Americans' lives are both shaped by social forces, as well as how Asian Americans actively resist and negotiate these forces.
Course and Student Learning Objectives:
Comparative Cultural Studies/ Gender, Race, Class, Ethnicity Studies Goal: Students will understand the diversity and multiplicity of cultural forces that shape the world through the study of cultures, gender, sexuality, race, religion, class, ethnicities and languages with special focus on the contributions, differences, and global perspectives of diverse cultures and societies.
Students will:
1. Describe and compare different cultures;
2. Explain how various cultures contribute to the development of our multicultural world;
3. Describe and explain how race, ethnicity, class, gender, religion, sexuality and other markers of social identity impact life experiences and social relations;
4. Analyze and explain the deleterious impact and the privileges sustained by racism, sexism, ethnocentrism, classism, homophobia, religious intolerance or stereotyping on all sectors of society;
Writing Intensive (GE Designation WI) Goal:
Students will develop their abilities to express themselves and the knowledge they have obtained through practicing various forms of writing within different disciplinary contexts. Writing intensive courses will build upon the skills gained in the Analytical Reading and Expository Writing section of Basic Skills. In each WI course students will be required to complete writing assignments totaling a minimum of 2500 words.
Students will:
1. Develop and clearly define their ideas through writing;
2. Ethically integrate sources of various kinds into their writing;
3. Compose texts through drafting, revising, and completing a finished product;
4. Express themselves through their writing by posing questions, making original claims, and coherently structuring complex ideas;
5. Revise their writing for greater cogency and clarity;
6. Utilize adopted communication modes and documentation styles of specific disciplines (MLA, APA, Chicago, CBE, etc.) where appropriate.
General Announcements:
An official class mailing list and Moodle site will be used for announcements, assignment clarifications, and schedule changes. You are responsible for checking both Moodle and your CSUN-assigned e-mail address.
Required reading:
Course Reader
Available for purchase at Northridge Copy Center, located at the corner of Reseda and Nordhoff, next to Ross and Gold's Gym.
9130 B Reseda Blvd. Phone 818-775-0255.
Lecture Notes
You are responsible for the contents in "Lecture Notes." These notes will become available the week the readings are assigned. Please visit Moodle for weekly posted notes. These notes offer critical ways of understanding the issues and texts we are covering in this class.
Course Structure
This course will be delivered entirely online through Moodle, where you can access the following:
• Course materials
• Lecture notes
• Discussion forums
• Midterm/Final Exam
Notes on the Online Format
An official class mailing list and Moodle site will be used for announcements, assignment clarifications, and schedule changes. You are responsible for checking both Moodle and your CSUN-assigned e-mail address.
This course is a synchronous online course. What I understand this to mean is that while we don't actually meet every week at this time, we are all committed to have this time available if we need to have some live contact.
This online course requires self-discipline, which means you will need to be conscientious about understanding the assignments and due dates on the syllabus. You are expected to keep up with the readings, watch videos, regularly post to/respond to messages on the discussion board, and check class announcements.
A cautionary note about online classes: Many students take on-line classes because of the convenience and flexibility they offer.
Students who tend to do well in an online class are self-disciplined, and read assigned texts carefully, take good notes, and actively engage in discussion. On the other hand, I find that there are a number of students who do poorly in an online setting because they need the structure that a traditional class offers, although it may be less convenient for their schedules. With this in mind, you need to decide what best suits your learning style.
*These are related requirements. Each is explained under Student-led Discussion Forum
Attendance & Participation
Log onto Moodle regularly (at least once a week) and participate in online activities (i.e. watching video and reading current and past discussion posts. Show that you are doing the readings by engaging the discussion forums regularly, and complete all your assignments in a timely manner.
Student-led Discussion Forum
General Description:
Each student will help lead four discussions on the weekly discussion forums on Moodle. Each person will also answer four of these student-initiated discussion questions. First, students will select specific readings for which they will lead discussion by signing up on the Google doc below.
Then the student will write a Reading Comprehension & Reflection Journal Entry about the article. Next, the student will start the class discussion with a Discussion Question Post, a 100-word reflection that ends with a critical discussion question. Other students in the class will pick a student-generated question and respond to it in a 300-word Response to a Discussion Question.
Do not sign up for more than one article in one week. Avoid clustering all your work at the end of the semester, when you will need time to work on your extended essay. Clearly mark on your calendar when you are scheduled to lead.
Detailed Descriptions of the following requirements are offered on a separate document called "Student-led Discussion Requirements": Reading Comprehension & Reflection Journal Entry, Discussion Question Post, and Response to a Discussion Question.
Reading Comprehension & Reflection Journal.
You will sign up to lead discussion for four readings over the course of the semester. In the week you are scheduled to lead discussion, read and annotate the designated article carefully.
Then write a 400-word journal entry explaining the arguments and reflecting on their implications. The first half of your response is about faithfully representing the author's arguments. The second half of the assignment is about your reflections on why these concepts and arguments are important.
Discussion Question Post& Discussion Leadership
To kick off class discussion, composea 100-word post that sets up an issue and then asks a critical question. As a discussion leader, your job is to start the conversation and keep it going. Help students stay focused on key issues and help cultivate a lively but respectful discussion.
The professor will be available to help you craft your questions and facilitate class discussion.
Essay: Synthesizing Ideas
1200-word essay that connects the importance of ideas from two units covered in class. You must have deep understanding of all of the readings from the two units. You should be reviewing and drawing from aminimum of four assigned texts to make your arguments.
In a thesis-driven essay, answer the following question:
How are the concepts from the two units related? How does this relationship help us better understand the Asian American community and its politics?
Refer to readings specifically, use short quotes, and cite your sources.
One or both of the units you select may be from the weeks in which you are a discussion leader. Your paper topic must be approved by the professor.
Course Schedule & Readings
The contents of this schedule/ reading list are subject to adjustments based on current events, or the discretion of the instructor. Students will promptly be notified of any changes.
Intro: The Origin of Asian American Studies
"On Strike!" San Francisco State College Strike, 1968-1969. Karen Umemoto.
Post 1965 Immigration
"U.S. Immigration Policies and Asian Migration." Ong Paul and John Liu
"The Political Economy of Capitalist Restructuring and the New Asian Immigration." Paul Ong, Edna Bonacich, and Lucie Cheng.
Southeast Asian Communities
"Vietnamese, Laotian, and Cambodian Americans." Ruben G. Rumbaut
"The Vietnamese American Experience: From Dispersion to the Development of Post-Refugee Communities." Linda Vo.
Student-led discussions begin. Remember to check in to the forum.
Model Minority and Racial Hierarchy
"Multiculturalism and Racial Stratification." Neil Gotanda
"Asian Americans as the Model Minority: An Analysis of the Popular Press Image in the 1960s and 1980s."
Tayag, Michael. "Great Expectations: The Negative Consequences and Policy Implications of the Asian American ‘Model Minority' Stereotype."
Racial Conflicts
"The Korean-Black Conflict and the State." Paul Ong, Kye Young Park, and Yasmin Tong.
"The New Chinese Immigration and the Rise of Asian American Politics in Monterey Park, California." Leland T. Saito and John Horton.
"'Racial Profiling' in the War on Terror: Cultural Citizenship and South Asian Muslim Youth in the Unites States." Sunaina Maira.
First Response to a Discussion Question must address discussion questions raised in Weeks 3, 4 or 5.
Coalitions and Class Considerations
"Interracial Politics: Asian Americans and Other Communities of Color." Claire Jean Kim and Taeku Lee.
"Class Constraints on Racial Solidarity among Asian Americans." Yen Espiritu and Paul Ong.
Enclaves, Ethnoburbs and Global Spaces
"The Formation of Post-Suburban Communities: Koreatown and Little Saigon, Orange County." Mary Yu Danico.
"Asian Americans in Global Cities: Los Angeles-New York Connections and Comparisons."Paul M. Ong and Tarry Hum.
Midterm Exam: 45-minute online exam, covering readings, lecture notes, and ideas from the discussion forum. The exam will consist of multiple choice and short essay questions.
You will have a 72- hour window to take the exam on Moodle. The exam will open at 12:05 am (midnight) Friday and close at 11:55pm (midnight) Sunday. This gives you a 72-hour window to complete a 45-minute exam. Once the exam closes, you will not be allowed to make up the quiz, so please plan accordingly.
Labor
"Life and Work in the Inner City." Paul Ong and Karen Umemoto.
"The Migration and Incorporation of Filipino Nurses." Paul Ong and Tania Azores.
"Chinese-Vietnamese Entrepreneurs in California." Steve Gold.
The second Response to a Discussion Question must address discussion questions raised in Weeks 6, 7 or 8.
Women and Families
"Long distance intimacy: class, gender and intergenerational relations between mothers and children in Filipino transnational families." Rhacel Parreñas.
"Power, Patriarchy and Gender Conflict in the Vietnamese Immigrant Community." Nazli Kibria.
"Women in Exile: Gender Relations in the Asian Indian Community in the United States." Sayantani DasGupta and Shamita Das Dasgupta.
Submit revised one paragraph proposal for "Essay: Synthesizing Ideas" requirement. Explain the following: Which sets of readings will you be comparing? What kinds of connections are you interested in making? Why do these connections feel important?
Interracial marriage and multiethnic identity
"Intermarriage and Multiracial Identification: The Asian American Experience and Implications for Changing Color Lines." Jennifer Lee and Frank Bean.
"What Must I Be? Asian Americans and the Questions of Multiethnic Identity." Paul R. Spickard,
"The Struggle of Being Mixed Race." Buzzfeed Yellow.
Sexuality/LGBTQ
"Searching for Home: Voices of Gay Asian American Youth in West Hollywood." Mark Tristan Ng.
"The Journey to Acceptance: Crossroads of Asian Culture and Queer Identity." Aldric Ulep.
The third Response to a Discussion Question must address discussion questions raised in Weeks 9, 10 or 11.
Asian American Religions
"Made in the U.S.A.: Second-Generation Korean American Campus Evangelicals." Rebecca Y. Kim.
"Asian Indian and Pakistani Religions in the Unites States." Raymond Brady Williams.
"Sangha of the South: Laotian Buddhism and Social Adaptation in Rural Louisiana." Carl L. Bankston III.
"Essay: Synthesizing Ideas"
Youth Culture
"Coming of Age at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century: A Demographic Profile of Asian American Youth." Min Zhou.
"Filipinotown and the DJ Scene: Cultural Expression and Identity Affirmation of Filipino American Youth in Los Angeles." Lakandiwa M. De Leon.
"Transnational Cultural Practice of Chinese Immigrant Youth and Parachute Kids." Christy Chiang-Hom.
Asian American Studies: Looking Forward
"Whither Asian American Studies?" Chan, Sucheng.
The final Response to a Discussion Question must address discussion questions raised.
Final Exam: 60-minute online exam, covering readings, lecture notes, and ideas from the discussion forum. The final exam is not cumulative. The final only covers content assigned after the midterm exam.The exam will consist of multiple choice and short essay questions.
You will have a four day, or 96- hour window to take the exam on Moodle. The exam will open at 12:05 am (midnight) Wednesday and close at 11:55pm (midnight) Saturday. This gives you a 72-hour window to complete a 60-minute exam. Once the exam closes, you will not be allowed to make up the quiz, so please plan accordingly.