76-211 Model Minorities?: Introduction to Asian American Studies
9 units, Carnegie Mellon University
"Asian American" is a self-conscious political identity developed by pan-Asian ethnic groups in solidarity with one another in 1968. What does it mean now, 55 years later, to be Asian American? How is "Asian Americanness" defined through and against dominant racial, social, cultural, and political meanings? How do Asian Americans fit into the differentially racialized landscape of the U.S., and how, in turn, are Asian American identities and experiences shaped and expressed? How does the political and activist history of Asian America inform Asian Americanness, and social movements in general, today? Is the label of "Asian American" a drawback or a resource? To grapple with these questions, this course brings together Asian American studies, ethnic studies, and Asian American rhetoric to examine the currents of global and domestic power that have shaped Asian American experience, the movements and communities that have acted in solidarity among and against those forces, and the communicative practices that both shape and are shaped by Asian Americans.
Prerequisites: none listed
Offered: Spring 2027, Spring 2026, Fall 2025
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