This course is an introductory survey of Asian North American literature; given their similar immigration policy and cultural specificities, North America here includes Canada and the U.S.A. Since this is an introductory class in nature, we will read the excerpts from major works from the late 19th century to the present. While discerning the broad scope of Asian American literature as a whole, we will emphasize the recurring themes, the bi-cultural contexts in which these writers wrote, and their literary experimentation and innovation.

To supplement our readings of literary texts, we will study selected works of criticism, history, and social sciences. As heterogeneity is a crucial concept in defining the umbrella term “Asian American,” an important goal will be to understand Asian North Americans as diverse groups and individuals given their different historical and cultural backgrounds. Not only will we study Asian (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Eurasian) North American (American and Canadian) writers, but we will also attend to varieties of sexual, regional, and religious identity, noting especially how these are shaped in and through history.