A s A m 2 0 A – C o u r s e I n f o r m a t i o n

“The native intellectual had learnt from his masters that the individual ought to express himself fully. The colonialist bourgeoisie had hammered into the native’s mind the idea of a society of individuals where each person shuts himself up in his own subjectivity, and whose only wealth is individual thought. Now the native who has the opportunity to return to the people during the struggle for freedom will discover the falseness of this theory. Brother, sister, friend—these are words outlawed by the colonialist bourgeoisie, because for them my brother is my purse, my friend is part of my scheme for getting on. The native intellectual takes part…in the destruction of all his idols: egoism, recrimination that springs from pride, and the childish stupidity of those who always want to have the last word. Such a colonized intellectual, dusted over by colonial culture, will in the same way discover the substance of village assemblies, the cohesion of people’s communities, and the extraordinary fruitfulness of local meetings and groupments. Henceforth, the interests of one will be the interests of all.” Frantz Fanon

ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES 20A: Asian American History Fall 2002, UC Extension, Mondays & Wednesdays: 2:10-3:30pm Instructor: Michael Donato Parayno, Department of Ethnic Studies/Asian American Studies Program, UCB Phone: (510) 913-2643 Email: [email protected] Office Hours: To be announced and by student appointment

Course Objective: Not all Americans came through Ellis Island. As early as in the 1700’s, Asians have landed on the shores of the United States. The course explores the diverse histories of Asian Americans—Koreans, Filipinos, Asian Indians, Pacific Islanders, South Each Asians, Japanese, and Chinese. How is the Asian American experience similar or different from each other and with other Americans? It will not only provide the history of Asian Americans but will give the Asian American voice often absent in mainstream history. Major topics to be discussed are immigration, labor history, social conditions, racial and ethnic identity, Asian American communities, and political and cultural history.

Requirements: 1. Midterm Exam: 20% America Is in the Heart and Quiet Odyssey 2. Final Exam: 20% -- not cumulative 3. Attendance and Critiques of 5 Asian American events: 20% 4. Group Discussion Assignments based on Class Reader: 20% 5. Group or Individual Projects—Options: 20% Pick one from the following. Group maximum is 3.

Option A—Film Critiques (5-7 pages) 3 Film/Documentary critiques from the Moffitt Library Media Resource Center (1st Floor) on Asian American documentaries—film listing in the back of your reader. The films/documentaries can’t be the ones shown in class. http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/AsianAmvid.html http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/imagesasians.html

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Option B—Literature (5-7 pages; Individual Project) Book/Novel critique on an Asian American literature (novel or social science book)— purchased at the East Wind Bookstore: 2066 University Avenue, Berkeley; (510) 548-2350; http://www.ewbb.com

Option C—Visiting and Exploring Asian Ethnic Neighborhoods (5-7 pages) A research paper (social science research) exploring 3 Asian neighborhoods in California. Compare and contrast the 3 neighborhoods you visit.  Chinatown—Los Angeles, Monterey Park, San Francisco (also includes Sunset & Richmond districts), New York, Seattle, or Oakland  Japantown—San Francisco, Los Angeles, or San Jose  Little Saigon—San Jose (Tully Road), Westminster (Bolsa Avenue), or Oakland (International Boulevard, east 14th)  Manilatown or Little Manila—Daly City or National City (San Diego)  Little Bombay (Asian Indians)—Fremont or Jersey City, New Jersey  Little Phnom Penh (Cambodia)—Long Beach  Koreatown—Los Angeles (Wilshire, Western, Vermont Street)  Little Vientiane (Laotians)—Fresno, California; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Rockford, Illinois; or Lowell, Massachusetts

Option D—Music (5-7 pages) Make CDs (burn) of a compilation of Asian American music from various genres and write a short critique on your research. Include some of these genres:  Hip-hop and turntablism  Spoken word  Soul/R&B  Pop music  Classical music  Jazz  Imported music from Asia (J-pop, Seoul pop, Hong Kong and Mainland music, Bhangra from the UK)

Option E—Video Stereotypes of Asians in TV/Film (class presentation) Create and edit a short video on images of Asians/Asian Americans taken from American TV and film. Focus on the stereotypes of Asians (get the films from any video store). Watch the videos “Slaying the Dragon” and “Picturing Oriental Girls” to help you before you begin your project. Both documentaries are in the Moffitt Media Center. http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/AsianAmvid.html

Option F—Classroom Management: Join one of the following groups:  Create and manage the class website to contain pages: Home, Homework, Lectures, Community Events, Spoken Word/Poetry, Directory (email addresses of students) –3 people

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 Recorders: create Excel sheet and record homework and exam grades –3 individuals, one per discussion section  Music and poetry: class poets to perform one spoken word (your own or my own list) before each class period and one Asian American song to be played. –4 people

6. 3rd Annual Asian American Poetry Slam Spam Competition Original pieces performed in discussion sections with 5-6 students advancing to the final round to be performed during class lecture (8th week)

Required Readings: 1. Ronald Takaki: Strangers from a Different Shore: A History of Asian Americans (Boston: Little, Brown, and Company; 1989) 2. Carlos Bulosan: America is in the Heart (New York: Harcourt, Brace, and Company; 1941) 3. Mary Paik Lee: Quiet Odyssey (Seattle: University of WA Press; 1990) 4. Class Reader: Available at Krishna Copy Center, Dwight Way and Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley

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