ASAM G100: Introduction to Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies

Course Outline of Record
Item	Value
Eff Term	Fall 2026
Curriculum Committee Approval Date	11/18/2025
Top Code	220190 - Social Justice: Asian American Studies
Units	3 Total Units (Lecture Units 3)
Hours	54 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 54)
Total Outside of Class Hours	108
Total Student Learning Hours	162
Course Credit Status	Credit: Degree Applicable (D)
Material Fee	No
Basic Skills	Not Basic Skills (N)
Repeatable	No
Open Entry/Open Exit	No
Grading Policy	Standard Letter (S), Pass/No Pass (B)
Local General Education (GE)	Area 4 Social and Behavioral Sciences (GD)
Diversity Requirement (GCD)	Yes
California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)	Cal-GETC 4 Social & Behavioral Sciences (4) Cal-GETC 6 Ethnic Studies (7)
Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)	IGETC 4 Social&Behavioral Sci (4)

Course Description

Formerly: ETHS G137. This course explores contemporary critical themes in the interdisciplinary field of Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies. This includes a relational exploration of race, ethnicity, gender, and class for different Asian American and Pacific Islander groups, while examining the histories, experiences, and impact of imperialism, colonialism, immigration, community building, globalization, and resistance movements. The course utilizes a variety of frameworks from interdisciplinary academic and community-based scholarship to understand the formation of and contributions by Asian and Pacific Islander communities in the United States and within a broader socio-political context and the local community. Transfer Credit: CSU; UC.

Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)

Apply theory and knowledge produced by Asian Pacific Islander American scholars, artists, authors, and community members to describe the critical events, histories, cultures, intellectual traditions, contributions, lived-experiences, and social struggles with a particular emphasis on agency and group-affirmation.
Examine major themes of colonization, imperialism, and racialization, anti-Asian racism, ethnic and racial identity, immigration and citizenship, liberation, decolonization and anti-racism through the application of local contexts and personal experiences.
Evaluate the intersection of race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, immigration, and additional social identities within Asian Pacific Islander American communities, using an intersectional approach to understand how these identities influence experience of oppression and strategies for liberation.
Discuss the impact of decolonial and antiracist efforts within Asian Pacific Islander American communities, considering both historical and contemporary examples to assess their effectiveness in challenging colonial legacies and advancing justice and empowerment.

Course Objectives

Analyze and articulate concepts such as colonization, imperialism, racialization, anti-Asian sentiment, ethnic and racial identity, white supremacy, liberation, decolonization, and anti-racism as analyzed in Asian Pacific Islander American studies.
Critically analyze the intersection of race and racism as they relate to class, gender, sexuality, religion, spirituality, national origin, immigration status, ability, tribal citizenship, sovereignty, language, and or/age in Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
Compare and contrast diverse Asian and Pacific Islander American scholarly, literary, and artistic works recognizing how their theoretical and cultural contributions reflect historical events and universal themes while exploring multiple modes of resistance, and applying critical frameworks to challenge dominant narratives with counter narratives in research, literature, and art.
Analyze the development of Asian Pacific Islander American communities as well as panethnic and cross-racial solidarity within social justice movements, emphasizing the strategies used to resist systemic oppression and foster collective empowerment.
Explain and assess how struggle, resistance, racial and social justice, solidarity, and liberation, as experienced, enacted, and studied by Asian and Pacific Islander American communities are relevant to current and structural issues such as communal, national, international, and transnational politics as, for example, in immigration, reparations, multiculturalism, education, and language policies.
Reflect on one's own positioning within society, applying Ethnic Studies principles to lived experiences and the local community, identifying ways to contribute to ongoing struggles for liberation and justice through personal and collective action.
Apply strategies for community-based action and advocacy that builds on anti-racist and anti-colonial initiatives and movements in Asian and Pacific Islander American communities to build a just and equitable society.

Lecture Content

Relational Racial Formation
1. Theories of race, racialization, and racism
2. Intersectionality of race, ethnicity, and nationality
Immigration and Historical Overview before 1965
1. 16th Century Western imperialism in Asia and consequences of contact
2. Chinese indentured servants; the “Coolie” trade
3. Cycles of Labor Migration and Race-based Exclusion
  1. Push and pull factors of immigration
  2. Chinese immigration and settlement
    1. Economic and political conditions in China
    2. Discovery of gold in California and labor contractors for “Gum Saan”/Gold Mountain
    3. Labor conflict, representations of Chinese as “unassimilable,” and anti-Chinese sentiment and policies (Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882; Chinese massacre)
  3. Japanese immigration and settlement
    1. Economic and political situation in Japan
    2. Japanese immigration to Hawaii and the U.S. mainland
    3. Issei agricultural endeavors; picture bride migration
    4. Anti-Japanese sentiment and policies (Alien Land Laws; Asiatic Exclusion League; Gentleman's Agreement; Immigration Act of 1924).
  4. Filipinx immigration and settlement
    1. The Spanish-American War and legacies of colonialism (education and language)
    2. Immigration of Filipinos and labor in the U.S.
    3. Anti-Filipino, segregationist and anti-miscegenation policies (Watsonville riot, Tydings–McDuffie Act)
4. Emergence of racial categories, stereotypes, and communities
  1. Representations of yellow peril and perpetual foreigner
  2. Litigating race, naturalization, and Citizenship (United States v. Wong Kim Ark, Ozawa v. United States, United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind)
  3. Gendered stereotypes and immigration policies (Page Act)
5. WWII Impact on racialization, labor, and migration
  1. Japanese internment and community resilience
  2. Chinese American ethnic community-building
  3. Filipino labor and interracial activism in the U.S.
    1. Braceros Program
    2. United Farm Workers (UFW) and the Delano Grape Strike
Immigration and Historical Overview after 1965
1. The Passing of the Immigration Act of 1965
  1. Global and local conditions; Cold War pressures and Civil Rights movements; communications and transportation revolutions
2. Birth of Asian American studies and its purpose
  1. Origin in student movements and community activism for liberation
  2. Third World Liberation Front strikes of the 1960s
  3. The Asian American Movement and Yellow Power
  4. Formation of a collective identity as a decolonial act
  5. Goals of empowerment, decolonization, and community representation
3. Refugee crises and refuge migration
  1. Proxy wars and U.S. imperialism in Asia (Vietnam War; Korean War)
  2. Asian American transnational activism and anti-war efforts
  3. Mass migration from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia (Khmer Rouge; Refugee Act of 1980; compassion fatigue)
  4. Amerasian children, Asian international adoption, and mail-order brides
  5. Formation of ethnic enclaves; Vietnamese in Orange County; history of Little Saigon
4. Hyperselection and the emergence of the model minority narrative
  1. The Immigration Act of 1990
    1. “Brain Drain” and Asian education reforms
    2. Representations of model minority (tiger mothers; The Bell Curve)
    3. Formation of ethnic enclaves; Asian American community building and mobilization in response to hate crimes
  2. Asian American success framework
    1. Model minority as a wedge; interracial conflict (LA Riots; Latasha Harlins; affirmative action)
    2. Racial triangulation theory
Contemporary Issues in Asian and Pacific Islander American Studies
1. Asian and Pacific Islander LGBTQ Identities and Activism
2. Southwest Asian and Arab immigration and settlement
  1. Economic and political conflict in Southwest Asia (Syrian Civil War)
  2. 9/11, War on Terror, and community identity development
  3. Engagement in civil rights and anti-discrimination activism
3. Pacific Islands
  1. Colonization, labor, tourism, and environmental degradation
  2. Decolonial activists, strategies, and resistance to U.S. influence (Haunani-Kay Trask; Mauna Kea Observatories)
  3. Community efforts for sovereignty and cultural preservation
4. Impact of COVID-19 era political rhetoric
  1. Anti-Asian sentiments and hate crimes
  2. Asian activism and Asian-Black solidarity efforts
5. Neoliberal Multiculturalism and Shifting Racial Logics
  1. Model minority as identity
  2. Multiracial Asian Americans
  3. Asian cultural products, popular media, and digital cultures
6. Incarceration and Deportation

Method(s) of Instruction

Lecture (02)
DE Live Online Lecture (02S)
DE Online Lecture (02X)

Instructional Techniques

Reading Assignments

Reading assignments may be assigned at the instructor’s discretion. These should deepen students’ understanding of course themes, encourage critical engagement with the material, and prepare them for class discussion or written analysis. Instructors may draw from the following examples: Textbooks: Students may explore foundational theories and concepts in Asian Pacific Islander American Studies, providing a framework for analyzing and interpreting additional course material. Qualitative and quantitative studies: By examining statistical data and in-depth interviews or observations, students may evaluate the complexities of Asian Pacific Islander American communities, enabling them to apply Asian Pacific Islander American produced knowledge and theory to a variety of lived experiences. Case studies: Students may analyze personal, community-based, and broader societal concerns and scenarios to understand how Asian Pacific Islander American produced knowledge and theories apply to various aspects of the Asian Pacific Islander American community. Primary texts and literature: Students may explore foundational experiences, concepts, and reflections through the evaluation of texts produced by Asian Pacific Islander American community members. Asian Pacific Islander American and Ethnic Studies Journals: Students may explore foundational concepts and experiences through recent academic contributions. Online content and social media posts: Students may engage with contemporary online content and critically evaluate popular discourses on Asian Pacific Islander American communities.

Writing Assignments

Writing assignments may be assigned at the instructor’s discretion. These should be rigorous, foster critical thinking, and serve as opportunities to assess student learning. Instructors may draw from the following examples: Research paper: Students may conduct independent research on a current event, historical event, location of importance, social movement, or person of importance within Asian Pacific Islander American studies and communities, synthesizing theoretical concepts with empirical evidence. Exam essays and short responses: Students may demonstrate their understanding and application of Asian Pacific Islander American produced knowledge and theory to analyze and interpret various scenarios and case studies. Discussion boards: Students may engage in online dialogue with peers, discussing course topics, sharing insights, and applying Asian Pacific Islander American produced knowledge and theory to analyze historical and contemporary issues. Reflection papers: Students may conduct personal reflections on a current event, historical event, location of importance, social movement, or person of importance within Asian Pacific Islander American studies as it relates to themselves, their family, or their community. Oral History Reflection: Students may conduct an interview with an Asian Pacific Islander American community member, analyze their narrative in the context of Asian Pacific Islander American studies themes and movements, reflecting on a deeper, communal understanding of social issues and community experiences. Action Project Proposals: Students may identify a social/racial justice issue within their campus, community, or other social circles and craft a proposal to investigate the problem and build collective action toward transformative solutions grounded in critical theories and social justice strategies discussed in the course.

Out-of-class Assignments

Out-of-class assignments may be assigned at the instructor’s discretion. These should promote meaningful community engagement, encourage students to connect course concepts to real-world contexts, and foster reflection on issues of identity, equity, and social responsibility. Instructors may draw from the following examples: Preparatory readings: students may engage with assigned readings to prepare for in-class discussions and assessments. Community Engagement: students may engage and interact with local activists and leaders in the community through guest lectures, community-based content examples, and community-based projects (such as the oral history reflection or action project proposal) to localize and apply their knowledge of experiences within the Asian Pacific Islander American community; they may also present their own work from the course in campus events that are open to the community. Historical/Cultural Site Visits: students may visit historical and cultural sites relevant to Asian Pacific Islander American communities to deepen their understanding of the community's vast experiences and heritage. Museum Visits: students may visit museums featuring exhibitions on Asian Pacific Islander American communities to enrich their understanding of the community's history and cultural contributions. Community Events and Performances: students may attend community events and performances that highlight Asian Pacific Islander American experiences, allowing them to engage with the community’s cultural expressions and traditions. Reflection assignments: through reflective written, oral, or visual communication, students may connect their lived experiences or community observations to course content and theories. Research paper: students may produce a research paper on a selected topic, applying theoretical frameworks to analyze empirical data and prepare for in-class presentations.

Study Non-Contact Hours Recommended

108

Methods of Student Evaluation

Midterm Exam
Final Exam
Short Quizzes
Written Assignments
Essay Examinations
Objective Examinations
Report
Projects (Individual/Group)
Problem Solving Exercises
Oral Presentations
Skills Demonstration

Demonstration of Critical Thinking

Critical thinking may be assessed through a variety of assignments and engagement with course materials that allow students to analyze and interpret complex societal dynamics from an Asian Pacific Islander American perspective. In-class discussion, informed by preparatory readings, allow students to apply theoretical frameworks to real-world scenarios, personal reflections, and community engagement, fostering critical analysis and debate. Out-of-class assignments, such as reflection papers and research projects, and community engagement prompt students to connect Asian Pacific Islander American produced knowledge and theories to their lived experiences and conduct independent inquiries into contemporary and historical issues. Exam essays, online discussion boards, and reflection assignments serve as platforms for students to articulate and defend their perspectives and analysis, engage in dialogue with peers, and critically evaluate different viewpoints.

Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration

Students may engage in essays, oral history reflections, personal reflections, and community-based action project proposals that serve as a platform for them to critically analyze and synthesize course materials, applying Asian Pacific Islander American produced knowledge and theories to real-world scenarios and contemporary issues within their local communities and personal experiences. Visual and oral assessments provide opportunities for students to creatively express their understanding and problem-solving skills through presentations, multimedia projects, or debates, showcasing their ability to communicate complex ideas effectively. Multiple choice assessments evaluate students' comprehension of foundational concepts and their ability to apply sociological theories to different contexts, requiring them to demonstrate their analytical and problem-solving skills. Action project proposals, oral histories, and reflection papers require students to identify relevance of course content to their lived experiences and local community and creatively adapt decolonial and anti-racist strategies historically employed by Asian Pacific Islander American activists and communities.

Resources Subscreen

Textbook: Erika Lee. Making of Asian America. Simon & Schuster (2015).
Textbook: Yen Le Espiritu. Asian American Panethnicity: Bridging institutions and identities.. Temple University Press (1992).
Textbook: Lisa Lowe. Immigrant Acts: On Asian American cultural politics. Duke University Press (1996).
Textbook: Carlos Bulosan. America is in the Heart. Penguin (1945).
Textbook: Gary Y. Okihiro. American History Unbound: Asians and Pacific Islanders.. University of California Press (2015).
Textbook: Robyn Rodriguez, Diane C. Fujino. Contemporary Asian American Activism: Building movements for liberation.. University of Washington Press (2022).
Textbook: Nina Revoyr. Southland. Akashic Books (2003).
Textbook: Mae N. Ngai. Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America. Princeton University Press (2004).
Textbook: Ronald Takaki. A History of Asian Americans: Strangers from a Different Shore. Back Bay Books (1998).
Textbook: Lynn Fujiwara, Shireen Roshanravan . Asian American Feminisms and Women of Color Politics. University of Washington Press (2018).
Textbook: Vivek Bald. Bengali Harlem and the lost histories of South Asian America. Harvard University Press (2013).
Textbook: Helen Zia. Asian American dreams: The emergence of an American people.. MacMillan (2001).
Textbook: Iyko Day. Alien capital: Asian racialization and the logic of settler colonial capitalism. Duke University Press (2016).
Textbook: Catherine C. Choy. Asian American Histories of the United States (ReVisoning History). Beacon Press (2022).
Textbook: Jean Yu-Wen Shen Wu, Thomas Chen. Asian American Studies Now: A Critical Reader. Rutgers University Press (2010).
Textbook: Franny Choi, Bao Phi, Noʻu Revilla, Terisa Siagatonu . We the Gathered Heat: Asian American and Pacific Islander Poetry, Performance, and Spoken Word. Haymarket (2024).
Textbook: Cindy I-Fen Cheng. The Routledge Handbook of Asian American Studies.. Routledge (2016).
Textbook: Jennifer Huynh. Suburban Refugees: Class and Resistance in Little Saigon. University of California Press (2025).
Textbook: Claire J. Kim. Social Sciences: Asian Americans in an Anti-Black World. Cambridge University Press (2023).

Eligible Discipline(s)

Ethnic studies: Master’s in African American Studies, Black Studies, Africana Studies, Latino Studies, La Raza Studies, Chicana/o Studies, Asian American Studies, Native American Studies, or American Indian Studies OR Master’s in Ethnic Studies OR the equivalent. Master's degree required.

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