Studies in Asian American Literature (375-0-20)

Topic

Memory + Identity in Asian American Literature

Instructors

Michelle Huang
847/491-6837
University 226
Office Hours: T 2pm - 3pm; W 2pm - 3pm

Meeting Info

Kresge Centennial Hall 2-335: Tues, Thurs 11:00AM - 12:20PM

Overview of class

How can writers represent inaccessible stories, ones lost to the passage of history? This class explores how literature functions as repositories of minority histories and memories, as meditations on the process of assembling and collecting stories, and as imaginings of alternative histories and futures. Given the difficulty of assembling a coherent Asian American identity, our examinations will be defined as much by the absences, gaps, and contradictions of Asian America's collective memory as by what is found within it.

Teaching Method

Seminar-based discussion.

Evaluation Method

Regular reading responses; two short essays; one long essay; active class participation.

Class Materials (Required)

Texts (subject to change; please confirm final text list on Canvas before purchasing):

Miné Okubo, Citizen 13660 (978-0295993546)
Monique Truong, Bitter in the Mouth (978-0812981322)
Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, Dictee (978-0520390485)
Michael Ondaatje, Anil's Ghost (978-0375724374)

Class Attributes

Advanced Expression
Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area
U.S. Perspectives on Power, Justice, and Equity