Asian Pacific American Studies (APAM)

An introductory course which surveys the cultures and histories of Asian Pacific Americans in the United States. Interaction among various Asian Pacific Americans communities also will be discussed. University Core fulfilled: Foundations: Studies in American Diversity.

This class surveys the ways in which U.S. interchanges with Asia and the Pacific Islands have transformed cultural, political, ideological, and socioeconomic developments on both sides of the Pacific from the earliest contact to the twenty-first century within global and comparative frameworks. University Core fulfilled: Explorations: Historical Analysis and Perspectives.

A survey of Asian Pacific American writers and their literature, using critical analysis of autobiographies, short stories, novels, poetry, essays, and films. University Core fulfilled: Explorations: Creative Experience; Flag: Writing.

Topical studies of timely and pertinent contemporary interest involving Asian Pacific Americans in the United States. University Core fulfilled: Explorations: Understanding Human Behavior; Flag: Engaged Learning.

How can we understand Korean society, not within a narrow scope of South Korea but through transpacific mobility and connections of Korean people, commodities, and cultures? Drawing upon the literature in Anthropology, Sociology, History, and Media Studies, Transpacific Korea aims to develop students' perspectives on the transnational mobilities, connections, and dynamics that have shaped Korean societies and communities. Through class reading and discussion on Korea's recent histories, students will contextualize the implication of colonialism, cold war, and neoliberalism in contemporary Korean societies. Students will build up knowledge of Korean society and culture in global contexts by reading and discussing sociological literature on South Korea and overseas Korean communities. Based on the interdisciplinary approaches that students will develop in this course, students will analyze and discuss the artistic representation of Korean societies and cultures in film and conduct independent research on transpacific Korea around Us.

This class traces the many-faceted histories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders from cross-cultural and transnational perspectives, beginning with the earliest immigration to the present era.

Using interdisciplinary approaches and cross-cultural perspectives, this class explores the ways in which certain Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have been portrayed and, in turn, have portrayed themselves in the visual culture throughout historical time and space.

An interdisciplinary and comparative examination of the histories and experiences of Asian Pacific American women. Topics include social and economic inequality, literary and cultural representation as well as political and community activism.

Coverage of major psychological issues relevant to Asian American personality, identity, and mental health, including acculturation, the creation of stereotypes, and intergenerational conflict.

Examines Asian American political participation from legal challenges and labor organizing to social protests and electoral politics. Explores Asian Pacific American politics and social movements in light of dramatic changes in domestic and international contexts of the past half a century.

An examination of constitutional, immigration, and civil rights laws and their impact on the Asian Pacific American experience. Discussions may include analysis of historical court cases and legislation pertaining to citizenship, exclusion, and World War II internment as well as the study of contemporary legal issues in Asian Pacific American communities.

An interdisciplinary and comparative examination of the historical role of immigration and migration in shaping the Los Angeles region as well as the social, political, economic, and cultural impact of immigration in contemporary Los Angeles. University Core fulfilled: Integrations: Interdisciplinary Connections.

An in-depth examination of the experience of a single Asian Pacific American subgroup. Populations covered will vary.

This course engages in an interdisciplinary examination of the identity development of persons of mixed-race ancestry in the United States through which students derive a critical understanding of race, ethnicity, and culture, while developing a deeper appreciation for ethnic, class, gender, generational, and racial diversity. University Core fulfilled: Integrations: Interdisciplinary Connections.

Comprehensive introduction to the Filipino American experience. Historical analysis of U.S. colonialism and the experiences of Filipino Americans as "American Nationals." Review of contemporary issues such as immigration patterns, community formation, and family dynamics. In-depth study of Filipino American communities in Los Angeles and Southern California.

Comprehensive introduction to the Vietnamese American experience. Review of Southeast Asian politics during the Cold War with emphasis on U.S. policies in Vietnam. Review of contemporary issues in the Vietnamese American community, including economic integration, political mobilization, and community and family dynamics. In-depth study of the social and cultural lives of Vietnamese Americans in Los Angeles and California.

Comprehensive study of the Pacific Islander American experience, including the histories and cultures of Pacific Islanders and contemporary issues facing the Pacific Islander American communities.

This course will provide APAM minors with the opportunity to work on an individualized research project under the direction of a faculty member.