Asian American Studies
asianamerican.northwestern.edu
Asian American studies is a vital component of a liberal arts education that seeks to broaden awareness and appreciation of the world. Asian American studies deepens understanding of the multiracial history and character of the United States and also provides an opportunity to place the American experience within a larger global context.
Northwestern’s Asian American Studies Program aims to provide students with an understanding of Asian American experience as fundamental to the ongoing development of American society and linked to the experiences of other racial minorities in the United States and of Asian migrants across the world. The program thus encourages students to develop informed, far-reaching perspectives that facilitate responsible participation in a rapidly changing world. As an interdisciplinary program, Asian American studies develops investigative, analytic, and critical skills while also promoting the intellectual and creative powers students need to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
Both the major and the minor in Asian American studies offer an opportunity to pursue a coherent study of Asian American communities and the experiences of Asian Americans in the United States. Students pursuing the major or minor engage in the interdisciplinary study of race, ethnicity, and migration within the modern global historical development of nationalism, imperialism, and colonialism.
ASIAN_AM 101-7 College Seminar (1 Unit) Small, writing and discussion-oriented course exploring a specific topic or theme, and introducing skills necessary to thriving at Northwestern. Not eligible to be applied towards a WCAS major or minor except where specifically indicated.
ASIAN_AM 101-8 First-Year Writing Seminar (1 Unit) Small, writing and discussion-oriented course exploring a specific topic or theme, and focused on the fundamentals of effective, college-level written communication. Not eligible to be applied towards a WCAS major or minor except where specifically indicated.
ASIAN_AM 203-0 Topics in Asian American Social and Cultural Analysis (1 Unit) Issues and themes in Asian American society and culture. Recent topics include the Arab American studies, student protests, and minority conservatisms. May be repeated for credit with a different topic. Social Behavioral Sciences Distro Area
ASIAN_AM 210-0 Introduction to Asian American Studies (1 Unit) Origins of the field, emerging trajectories, core concepts, theories and methodologies. Analyzes race, gender, immigration, diaspora, class, labor, and sexuality as primary subjects of the field. Social Behavioral Sciences Distro Area
ASIAN_AM 214-0 Asian American History (1 Unit) Introduction to the history of Asians in the United States, with a focus on their impact on American society as well as their experiences within the United States. ASIAN_AM 214-0 and HISTORY 214-0 are taught together; may not receive credit for both courses. Historical Studies Distro Area
ASIAN_AM 216-0 Global Asians (1 Unit) Survey of Asian diasporas in the United States and elsewhere in the 19th and 20th centuries, emphasizing causes of migration, process of settlement, relations with other ethnic groups, and construction of diasporic identities. ASIAN_AM 216-0 and HISTORY 216-0 are taught together; may not receive credit for both courses. Historical Studies Distro Area
ASIAN_AM 218-0 Asian/Black Historical Relations in the U.S. (1 Unit) Comparative historical analysis of relations of these groups in the United States, including racialized and sexualized discourses structuring interracial relations and social, political, and economic location. Slavery, immigration, model minority myth, cross-racial politics. BLK_ST 218-0 and ASIAN_AM 218-0 are taught together; may not receive credit for both courses. Historical Studies Distro Area Interdisciplinary Distro - See Rules Social Behavioral Sciences Distro Area Social and Behavioral Science Foundational Discipl
ASIAN_AM 220-0 Topics in History (1 Unit) Exploration of theme, event, region, or historical period, with emphasis on historical interpretation. May be repeated for credit with a different topic. Historical Studies Distro Area
ASIAN_AM 225-0 Asian American Communities (1 Unit) Critical examination of post-1965 Asian American communities in light of demographic, social, racial, and economic trends in the United States and Asia. Social Behavioral Sciences Distro Area
ASIAN_AM 235-0 Language in Asian America (1 Unit) Survey of linguistic anthropological topics relevant to Asian American communities, including bilingualism, code switching, language socialization, language shift, style, sociolinguistic variation, indexicality, media, and semiotics. ANTHRO 235-0 and ASIAN_AM 235-0 are taught together; may not receive credit for both courses. Social Behavioral Sciences Distro Area Social and Behavioral Science Foundational Discipl U.S. Perspectives on Power, Justice, and Equity
ASIAN_AM 247-0 Asian Americans and Popular Culture (1 Unit) Examination of the varied roles of Asian Americans in U.S. popular culture, from representations to cultural production, historically and today. Literature Fine Arts Distro Area Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline U.S. Perspectives on Power, Justice, and Equity
ASIAN_AM 251-0 Introduction to Critical Mixed Race Studies (1 Unit) Exploration of demographic trends in interracial and interethnic marriages to highlight the complexity of the American experience. Special attention to mixed-race experiences portrayed in film and novels. BLK_ST 251-0 and ASIAN_AM 251-0 are taught together; students may not receive credit for both courses. Social Behavioral Sciences Distro Area Social and Behavioral Science Foundational Discipl U.S. Perspectives on Power, Justice, and Equity
ASIAN_AM 275-0 Introduction to Asian American Literature (1 Unit) Introduction to Asian American literature from the late 19th century to the present, covering a range of genres and ethnicities. ASIAN_AM 275-0 and ENGLISH 275-0 are taught together; may not receive credit for both courses. Literature Fine Arts Distro Area Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline U.S. Perspectives on Power, Justice, and Equity
ASIAN_AM 276-0 Topics in Literary and Cultural Studies (1 Unit) Close study of Asian American literary and cultural texts within a theme, genre, or other organizing criterion. May be repeated for credit with a different topic. ASIAN_AM 276-0 and ENGLISH 276-0 are taught together. Literature Fine Arts Distro Area Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline U.S. Perspectives on Power, Justice, and Equity
ASIAN_AM 303-0 Advanced Topics in Social and Cultural Analysis (1 Unit) Detailed exploration of an issue and its ramifications in Asian American society and culture. May be repeated for credit with a different topic. Social Behavioral Sciences Distro Area
ASIAN_AM 304-0 Asian American Women's History (1 Unit) Exploration of race, gender, and the contours of US history from the perspective of Asian American women's experiences. Considers migration, exclusion, labor, marriage, family, sexuality, and cross-racial alliances. ASIAN_AM 304-0 and HISTORY 304-0 are taught together; may not receive credit for both courses. Historical Studies Distro Area
ASIAN_AM 310-0 Contemporary Asian Black Relations (1 Unit) Divides between these groups, as well as areas of positive cross-cultural collaboration. Historical analysis of reparations, the 1992 Los Angeles riots, and affirmative action. Cross-racial exchange in youth expressions, popular culture, hip-hop. BLK_ST 310-0 and ASIAN_AM 310-0 are taught together; may not receive credit for both courses. Ethics Values Distro Area
ASIAN_AM 320-0 Advanced Topics in History (1 Unit) Close study of Asian American history within a theme, event, or other organizing criterion, with emphasis on primary documents, historical interpretation, and research. May be repeated for credit with a different topic. Historical Studies Distro Area
ASIAN_AM 350-0 Asian American Religions (1 Unit) Analysis of the role of religion in Asian American communities; how experiences as immigrants and as racial and ethnic minorities shape religious practices, communities, theologies, and identities. Ethics Values Distro Area Interdisciplinary Distro - See Rules Social Behavioral Sciences Distro Area
ASIAN_AM 360-0 Advanced Topics in Sexuality, Gender, and Race (1 Unit) Exploration of the intersections of gender, race, and sexuality, the construction of masculinity and femininity, and the role of gender and sexuality in the life experiences of Asian Americans. May be repeated for credit with a different topic. Social Behavioral Sciences Distro Area
ASIAN_AM 365-0 Language, Race, and Ethnicity in the U.S. (1 Unit) Analysis of connections between language ideologies, language use, and meanings of race and ethnicity. Bilingualism, immigration, identity, accented English, African American English, language policy, English only movement, education, social change. ASIAN_AM 365-0 and ANTHRO 365-0 are taught together; may not receive credit for both courses. Social Behavioral Sciences Distro Area
ASIAN_AM 370-0 Advanced Topics in Diaspora (1 Unit) Exploration of the ideas of diaspora and homeland and their implications for rethinking immigration and migration as they relate to the experiences of Asian Americans. May be repeated for credit with a different topic. Social Behavioral Sciences Distro Area
ASIAN_AM 376-0 Advanced Topics in Literature and Culture (1 Unit) Close study of Asian American literary and cultural texts within a theme, genre, or other organizing criterion, with an emphasis on theory and its application. May be repeated for credit with a different topic. Literature Fine Arts Distro Area
ASIAN_AM 377-0 War and Empire (1 Unit) Examination of US-Asia connections through history and representations of US wars in cultural and historical texts. Literature Fine Arts Distro Area
ASIAN_AM 380-0 Advanced Topics in Arts and Performance (1 Unit) Analysis of Asian American contributions to the art, visual culture, and film of the U.S. Exploration of the dynamics of race, gender, and class in Asian American dance, theater, film, art, and visual culture. May be repeated for credit with different topic. Literature Fine Arts Distro Area
ASIAN_AM 392-0 Advanced Seminar for Majors and Minors (1 Unit) Seminar on a topic in areas related to Asian American social structure and culture. May be repeated for credit with different topic.
ASIAN_AM 399-0 Independent Study In Asian American Studies (1 Unit) Readings and conferences on special subjects for students pursuing areas of interest in Asian American studies.