This course examines the history and present-day agency and activism of Asian Americans in the United States, engaging in critical work at both a communal and personal level. Modern representations of Asian America lean towards an apolitical and passive characterization, erasing the long history of Asian American resistance, cross-cultural solidarity building, and political participation in prominent movements seeking to address the diverse issues of the diasporic communities that form the identity of Asian American. This course seeks to disrupt this harmful stereotype and highlight the rich and enduring presence of Asian American resistance and political engagement, raising a call to action to all who choose to participate, as well as gaining a better grasp of the presence of identity in political work.

To learn the histories, experiences, and methods of resistance used by Asian Americans, you will have the opportunity to critically engage and reflect upon the work of activists, community organizers, and scholars; participate in class lectures; and eventually ideate and produce your own work centered around an issue and activism in a respective community of interest. In lectures, students will critically analyze case studies of Asian American agency and activism across time and place in the United States to provide a historical and contemporary understanding of political activation and resistance within the Asian American community.