Courses
ASIA 290 Topics in Asian Studies
Usually a course on aspects of one of the societies and cultures studied in the Asian Studies program (India, China and Japan) or a comparative treatment of aspects of these cultures.
Credits
1 course
Fall Semester information
Eugene Gloria290A: Topics:Asian Pacific American Voices
Since Asian American and Pacific Islander writing is typically presented from the perspective of race, our topics will focus on cultural identity, immigration experience, displacement, gender identities, and language. The goal of this class is not to suggest a cohesive tradition of Asian American communities, but rather to explore the different histories and origins of Asian American writers and how their backgrounds inform their work.
Spring Semester information
Joshua Herr290A: Topics:Cold War Borderlands in E. Asia
The Cold War drew a line through East Asia, dividing countries between revolutionary socialist regimes and postcolonial free-market allies of the United States. This course explores the societies of Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and South Vietnam in the 1950s through 1980s as Cold War borderlands. This was the world of Bruce Lee, the Vietnam War, Samsung, and pop divas like Teresa Teng. Some of the topics covered in this course: popular culture; urbanization; migration; industrialization; border effects; power and protest; global connections, including the US and Japan. This course provides a vital background to understanding the emergence of today's East Asia, including its economic dynamism, modernity, politics, global influence, and strategic importance to the US.