ENGL C128: Asian American and Transpacific Literature
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Curriculum Committee Approval Date | 10/07/2022 |
| Top Code | 150300 - Comparative Literature |
| Units | 3 Total Units |
| Hours | 54 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 54) |
| Total Outside of Class Hours | 0 |
| Course Credit Status | Credit: Degree Applicable (D) |
| Material Fee | No |
| Basic Skills | Not Basic Skills (N) |
| Repeatable | No |
| Grading Policy | Standard Letter (S) |
| Local General Education (GE) |
|
Course Description
Asian American and Transpacific Literature studies narratives from major authors of Asian and Asian American descent, such as Viet Thanh Nguyen, Thi Bui, Tommy Orange, Bharati Mukerjee, Maxine Hong Kingston, Jessica Hagedorn, Andrew X. Pham, Ocean Vuong, Tony Tulathimutte, Isabelle Thuy Pelaud, and Celeste Ng. The course explores the influence of Asia on American literature and the transpacific imagination inherent to the Asian immigration experience. Significant themes include war, conflict between generations, family expectations, diaspora, and immigration/ acculturation within texts that describe Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Vietnamese, Thai, Bangladeshi, Cambodian, Laotian, Pacific Islander, and South Asian/ Indian American experiences from the early mid-20th century onward. Reading content includes poetry, fiction, historical and contemporary narrative prose, and illustrated memoir that describe and/or critically examine the aesthetic, historical, cultural, sociological, environmental, and political forces at work in the texts. Transfer Credit: CSU; UC.
Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)
- Analyze selected works by Asian and Asian American authors with attention to theme, plot, character development, symbolism, and the use of language.
- Identify and analyze the aesthetic, political, and historical contexts of different Asian and Asian American groups' experiences.
- Construct arguments that communicate what has been learned about Asian American and Transpacific literature with support from multiple sources and proper Modern Language Association (MLA) formatting.
Course Objectives
- 1. Gain an understanding of work by Asian and Asian American authors.
- 2. Identify what is uniquely Asian American, Asian, or Transpacific about the literary work studied in the course.
- 3. Identify and analyze the aesthetic, political, social, and historical context of the different Asian and Asian American groups experiences depicted in the literature.
- 4. Compile the major theories of relevant critics in a scholarly analysis of texts related to Asian American and Transpacific literature in proper Modern Language Association (MLA) formatting.
Lecture Content
Unit I: Literature written on Chinese, Japanese, and Korean experiences Social and historical contexts out of which major Asian texts emerged, such as Mao Tse-Tung and the Chinese Cultural Revolution, World War II, Japanese Internment, Korean War, the Roosevelt Administration and Chinese Immigration to the U.S. Overview of Asian genres, such as Chinese and Japanese poetic forms, Taoist and Buddhist literature, the Confucian canon, moral and devotional writing, Chinese utopian literature, Japanese diaries and travel writing, and immigrant narratives to the United States Reflections, values, myths, and themes in the literature Unit II: Literature written on Vietnamese, Laotian, Cambodian, Thai, Filipino, and Pacific Islander American experiences Vietnam War and history, including the Vietnamese perspective and Vietnamese American perspective Explanation of South Vietnamese relocation to Orange County, CA after Fall of Saigon and other Southeast Asian refugee experiences, including the definition of the Vietnamese Diaspora and American militarization in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander immigrant experiences as narrated through reflections, values, myths, and themes in the texts The transpacific imagination and its dynamics with Asian American immigrant narratives and American literature, Transpacific Studies theory and Postcolonial theory. Unit III: Literature written on Bangladeshi, Mynamarian, and South Asian/ Indian American experiences Indian American, Mynamarian, and Bangladeshi immigration narratives Literary themes (generational gaps, identity, war, gender roles, family, culture, immigration) and study of reflections, values, myths in the novels from authors like Mukherjee, Divakaruni, and Nandini Islam.
Method(s) of Instruction
- Lecture (02)
- DE Online Lecture (02X)
Instructional Techniques
The instructor will deliver lectures, direct discussion of papers, themes, and other work/ concepts, assign individual and, possibly, group assignments. Also, the instructor may arrange for group presenters and field trips.
Reading Assignments
Students will read from assigned texts as well as any other primary and/ or secondary readings assigned by the instructor.
Writing Assignments
Students will complete written work such as essays, short responses, discussion board posts, and final exam responses.
Out-of-class Assignments
Students will complete required readings, work on assigned papers, discussion board posts, and/ or projects either individual or collaborative.
Demonstration of Critical Thinking
Critical thinking will be primarily demonstrated through written assignments, such as essays on final exams, and/ or papers, analyzing primary and secondary sources.
Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration
Course assignments will include written work that demonstrates the ability to construct arguments, use evidence, and analyze primary and secondary sources.
Eligible Disciplines
English: Masters degree in English, literature, comparative literature, or composition OR bachelors degree in any of the above AND masters degree in linguistics, TESL, speech, education with a specialization in reading, creative writing, or journalism OR the equivalent. Masters degree required.
Textbooks Resources
1. Required Huang, Y. Transpacific Imaginations: History, Literature, Counterpoetics, ed. Harvard University Press, 2008 Rationale: Transpacific Imaginations theorizes how American literature is enmeshed with the literature of Asia. There is explanation of the historical context for Asians immigrations to the U.S. and the linking of diverse peoples. Legacy Textbook Transfer Data: Legacy text
Software Resources
1. Digital Humanities Tools. website curated by Alan Liu, N/A ed. http://dhresourcesforprojectbuilding.pbworks.com/w/page/69244319/Digital%20Humanities%20Tools 2. ArcGIS StoryMaps. software, N/A ed. Https://storymaps.arcgis.com is a free site for students to create and share storymaps for their signature project in Asian and Transpacific Literature.
Other Resources
1. Additional texts for assignment options: Refugees, Viet Thanh Nguyen (2017) Nothing Ever Dies: Vietnam and the Memory of War, Viet Thanh Nguyen (2016) The Sympathizer, Viet Thanh Nguyen (2015) The Sorrow of War: A Novel of North Vietnam, Bao Ninh (2018) There There, Tommy Orange (2018) Island of the Sea Women, Lisa See (2019) The Boat (short story), Nam Le (2008) Bright Lines, Tanwi Nandini Islam (2015) Private Citizens, Tony Tulathimutte (2016) Mona in the Promised Land, Gish Jen (1997) Perfume Dreams, Andrew Lam (2005) The Buddha in the Attic, Julie Otsuka (2012) Afterparties, Anthony Veasna So (2021) Before We Remember, We Dream; Bryan Thao Worra (2020) The Best That We Could Do, Thi Bui (2017) The Wangs vs the World, Jade Chang (2016) Everything I Never Told You, Celeste Ng (2014) The River of Heaven, Garret Hongo (1988) The Gangster of Love, Jessica Hagedorn (1996) Dream Jungle, Jessica Hagedorn (2003) Jasmine, Bharati Mukherjee (1989) Queen of Dreams, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (2004) Monkey Bridge, Lan Cao (1997) Catfish and Mandala: A Two-Wheeled Voyage Through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam, Andrew X. Pham (1999) We Should Never Meet, Aimee Phan (2004) Native Speaker, Chang-Rae Lee (1996) Last Night I Dreamed of Peace: The Diary of Dang Thuy Tram, Andrew X. Pham, translator (2005) The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts, Maxine Hong Kingston (1976) On Earth Were Briefly Gorgeous (2019), Night Sky with Exit Wounds, Ocean Vuong (2016) Asian American Panethnicity, Yen Le Espiritu (1992) The Vietnam Reader, Stewart ONan (1998) Vietnamerica: A Familys Journey, G.B. Tran (2011) The Gangster We Are All Looking For, Le Thi Diem Thuy (2004) Thousand Star Hotel, Bao Phi (2017) poetry This Is All I Choose to Tell, Isabelle Thuy Pelaud (2010) Treacherous Subjects: Gender, Culture, and Trans-Vietnamese Feminism, Lan Duong (2012)