Course Description
Works of literature by Asian-American writers, including works written in English and translation of works originally written in Asian languages.
Athena Title
ASIAN-AMERICAN LIT
Prerequisite
Permission of Honors
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Students will gain knowledge of the various cultural traditions of Asian ethnic groups within the United States, including Asian Americans of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnames, Filipino, Indian, and Indonesian descent. They will become familiar with the history of diverse immigration experiences, the problems of assimilation encountered by each group, the linguistic issues specific to each community, and the modifications in source culture values that each group undergoes during the process of assimilation. Students will also learn to analyze individual literary works, identifying thematic, stylistic, and generic elements and interpreting each work within its social, historical and aesthetic context. Students will improve their communication skills through oral presentations, in-class writing assignments and out-of-class essays. Students' comprehension of factual material will be assessed through objective tests and the final examination.
Topical Outline
The typical course consists of a series of readings in Asian American literature, as well as readings dealing with Asian American culture. Generally, the topics discussed will focus on the issues specific to the ethnic group represented by a given work of literature (e.g., the problems specific to Chinese Americans will be central to the study of Kingston's The Woman Warrior). The works treated will vary with the instructor. The following is a sample syllabus of readings for a single semester: John Okada. No-no Boy Maxine Hong Kingston. The Woman Warrior Bharati Mukerjee. Jasmine Amy Tan. The joy Luck Club Joy Kogawa. Obasan David Henry Hwang. M. Butterfly Chang-rae Lee. Native Speaker
General Education Core
CORE IV: Humanities and the ArtsSyllabus