AAST - Asian American Studies
AAST200 Introduction to Asian American Studies (3 Credits)
The aggregate experience of Asian Pacific Americans, from developments in the countries of origin to their contemporary issues. The histories of Asian Pacific American groups as well as culture, politics, the media, and stereotypes, viewed from an interdisciplinary perspective.Cross-listed with: AMST298C.
Credit Only Granted for: AAST200 or AMST298C.
AAST201 Asian American History (3 Credits)
Introduction to the history of Asian Americans and Asians in the United States and the Americas and to the field of Asian American Studies, from an interdisciplinary perspective. Topics include theories of race and ethnicity; Asian migration and diaspora to the Americas; Asian American work and labor issues; gender, family, and communities; nationalism and nativism, and anti-Asian movements; Asian Americans in World War II, the Cold War, and the issues in the civil rights & post-civil rights era.Cross-listed with: HIST221.
AAST222 Immigration and Ethnicity in America (3 Credits)
The history of immigration and the development of diverse populations in the United States are examined. Topics include related political controversies, the social experiences of immigrants, ethnicity, generations, migration, inter-group relations, race and diversity in American culture.Cross-listed with: SOCY222.
AAST233 Introduction to Asian American Literature (3 Credits)
A survey of Asian American literature with an emphasis on recurrent themes and historical context.Cross-listed with: ENGL233.
AAST262 Asian American Psychology (3 Credits)
An overview of how socio-cultural influences impact the development and psychological health of Asian Americans. Other topics include how minority group status, adaptation and identity development influence various aspects of psychological functioning; the role of historic systematic racism; and, how the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted Asian Americans. Students develop a deeper understanding of the role of stereotypes and racism, acculturation, racial identity development, cultural values, gender socialization, behavioral norms, family roles, stressors and social support systems on the mental health, well-being and health of Asian Americans.Cross-listed with: PSYC262.
Credit Only Granted for: PSYC262, AAST262 or PSYC489Z.
Formerly: PSYC489Z.
AAST298 Special Topics in Asian American Studies (3 Credits)
An introductory multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary educational experience to explore issues relevant to Asian American life, cultural experiences; and political, economic, and artistic development.
Repeatable to: 6 credits if content differs.
AAST310 Introduction to Comparative Ethnic and Racial Studies (3 Credits)
Introduces students to the study of race and ethnicity in the United States. The class is organized according to the following five units: (1) Introduction; (2) Key concepts; (3) Mechanisms of racial formation; (4) Prevailing myths about race; and (5) Contemporary issues related to race and ethnicity. Through readings, film clips, and presentations, we will explore how the concept of race has developed and endured over time and become familiar with key concepts, such as "race" and "intersectionality". We will attempt to better understand how race is associated with other forms of difference, such as class, gender and ethnicity. We will identify and confront the prevailing myths about race and ethnicity in the United States. Finally, we examine the ways in which contemporary issues reveal the dynamics of race and ethnicity.Cross-listed with: AMST310.
Credit Only Granted for: AMST310, AAST398F, AAST310, or AMST328L.
Formerly: AMST328L and AAST398F.
AAST351 Asian Americans and Media (3 Credits)
From yellow peril invaders to model minority allies, Asian Americans have crafted their own dynamic cultural expressions in a number of media from film, television, and music to fashion, sports, and food that reveal and contest the contradictions of the U.S. nation-state. Asian American culture also uniquely sits at the nexus of immigration flows and digital technologies, providing a transnational lens to view the US place in the world. This advanced course, then, will introduce students to the study and practice of Asian American cyktyre as multiple , hybrid, and heterogeneous. It will do so through three sections: section one will introduce students to classical, cultural, and media concepts as well as relevant keywords outlined by Asian American Studies scholars; section two will review the work of Asian American cultural theorists; section three will focus on analyses of particular Asian American cultural productions. In doing so, students will gain an understanding of the shifting and interlocking tensions among the local, the national, and the global that form the cultural geographies of Asian America.
Credit Only Granted for: AAST351, AAST398M or AAST398N.
Formerly: AAST398M, AAST398N.
AAST355 Asian Americans in Film (3 Credits)
Explores how Asian Americans have historically been represented in the U.S. by Hollywood, and in turn, how independent and Hollywood Asian American filmmakers have represented themselves. It covers the history of racial, gendered, and sexualized representations of Asian Americans in Hollywood, as well as Asian American filmic responses within and outside Hollywood. It also introduces how four basic tools of film analysis mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing and sound work together to create meaning in moving images. It examines how these elements are put together in three different types of films by Asian American filmmakers: narrative, documentary, and experimental. How films function in society to circulate ideas that reproduce and challenge stereotypes about Asian Americans.Cross-listed with: AMST328W.
Credit Only Granted for: AAST355, AAST398L or AMST328W.
Formerly: 398L.
AAST363 Filipino American History and Biography (3 Credits)
Focus is placed on Filipino American experiences with an emphasis on identity, community building and organizing to influence public policy We will cover pertinent events from the US and Philippine history in order to understand the impact of colonialism, migration, immigration and assimilation on Filipino Americans.Cross-listed with: AMST323.
Credit Only Granted for: AAST363, AMST323, AAST398D, or AMST328J.
Formerly: AAST398D.
AAST378 Experiential Learning (3 Credits)
Field experience/internship in professional organizations and appropriate private and governmental agencies serving the Asian American community.
Restriction: Permission of UGST-Undergraduate Studies.
Repeatable to: 6 credits.
AAST388 Independent Research (1-3 Credits)
Directed, independent study in Asian American Studies resulting in the completion of an original research paper.
Restriction: Permission of UGST-Undergraduate Studies.
Repeatable to: 6 credits if content differs.
AAST394 Growing Up Asian American: The Asian Immigrant Family and the Second Generation (3 Credits)
An interdisciplinary course examines the experiences of children of Asian immigrants in the U.S., focusing on intergenerational dynamics in the Asian immigrant family, their intersections with race, gender, class, sexuality, and religion, and how these shape second-generation Asian American life. Topics include identity and personhood, the model minority myth and education, work and leisure, language and communication, filiality and disownment, mental health and suicide.Cross-listed with: AMST324, IMMR394.
Credit Only Granted for: AAST394, AAST398E, AMST324, AMST328V, IMMR319G or IMMR394.
Formerly: AAST398E.
AAST398 Selected Topics in Asian American Studies (3 Credits)
Study of a specific theme or issue involving the Asian America experience.
Repeatable to: 6 credits if content differs.
AAST420 Asian American Women: The Social Construction of Gender (3 Credits)
Examines the intersection of gender, race and class as it relates to Asian American women in the United States; how institutionalized cultural and social statuses of gender, race, ethnicity and social class produce and reproduce inequality with implications for Asian Americans and the broader society.
Restriction: Must not have completed WMST420. Cross-listed with: WGSS420.
AAST421 Asian American Public Policy (3 Credits)
Using Asian Pacific Americans as a case study, this course will analyze the development of public policy in America. Each week, topics such as community development, voting rights, and the movement to redress the wartime internment of Japanese Americans will serve as backdrops for discussion. We will explore the policy-making roles of legislators, judges, local and national political leaders, journalists, writers, unions, social movements, and community organizations.Cross-listed with: AMST418N.
Credit Only Granted for: AAST421, AAST498M or AMST418N.
Formerly: AAST498M.
AAST424 Sociology of Race Relations (3 Credits)
Analysis of race-related issues, with a primary focus on American society. The historical emergence, development, and institutionalization of racism; the impact of racism on its victims; and racially based conflict.
Prerequisite: 6 credits in SOCY courses; or permission of UGST-Undergraduate Studies. Cross-listed with: SOCY424.
AAST440 South Asian American Literature and Culture (3 Credits)
Examines writing by South Asian American authors and authors writing about South Asian American issues. It explores major South Asian diaspora themes, considering how migration, war, the events of 9/11, global capitalism, and the changing socio-political and racial scene have affected South Asians in the United States. We will use a transnational approach to consider how writers and filmmakers explore gender, class, religious, caste, and other differences amongst South Asian Americans. We will also examine the place of South Asian Americans in relation to other Asian American populations. We will consider how South Asian American texts disrupt traditional literary classifications based on national identities by reflecting the complex global conditions, imperialistic and capitalistic expansion, and interconnectedness of peoples, nations, and cultures that have transformed American literature and conceptions of American identity.
Credit Only Granted for: AAST440 or AAST498W.
Formerly: AAST498W.
AAST443 Asian American Politics (3 Credits)
Students will gain a greater understanding of 1) the role of Asian Americans in US politics, 2) the political attitudes and behaviors of Asian Americans and 3) how to conduct research on Asian American politics. Though the class will concentrate on Asian Americans, issues related to Asian American politics will be examined within the larger context of America's multicultural political landscape.Cross-listed with: AMST498J, GVPT368C.
Credit Only Granted for: AAST498T, AAST443, GVPT368C or AMST 498J.
Formerly: AAST498T.
AAST498 Advanced Topics in Asian American Studies (3 Credits)
Advanced study of the cultural and historical antecedents of contemporary Asian American society. Emphasis on the social, political, economic, and behavioral factors affecting Asian Americans and their communities.
Repeatable to: 6 credits if content differs.
AAST499 Senior Thesis (3 Credits)
Under the supervision of faculty, research regarding a specific topic of the Asian American experience will be completed.
Prerequisite: AAST201 and AAST200.
Restriction: Permission of UGST-Undergraduate Studies; and must be in Asian American Studies program.
Repeatable to: 6 credits if content differs.