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