Fall 2020

Race, Empire, and Transnationalism: Chinese Diasporic Communities in the U.S. and the World

Listed in: Asian Languages and Civilizations, as ASLC-114  |  History, as HIST-114

Faculty

Richard T. Chu (Section 01)

Description

(Offered as HIST 114 [ASC] and ASLC 114) How does a study of the Chinese diasporic communities in Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, the United States, and other parts of the world help us understand the questions of ethnic identity formation, construction, and negotiation? More specifically, how does the study of their history and experiences force us to rethink the concepts of “China” and “Chinese-ness”? How did scholars, officials, and travelers construct the categories of “China” and being “Chinese”? These are the main questions that we seek to answer in this introductory course to the history of the Chinese diaspora. We will begin by looking into the early history of Chinese migration (circa 1500 to 1800) to particular geographical areas in the world, including the United States. The rest of the course will look into the history of selected diasporic communities from the nineteenth to the twenty-first centuries. All throughout the course we will also examine how these diasporic people and their families manipulated and continue to manipulate attempts by dominant groups to control their identities, bodies, and resources, and how their lives challenge the meanings of “China” and “Chinese-ness.” Other questions to be discussed during the course are: What caused people from China to move, and to where? What forms of discrimination and control did they experience? How do their experiences and histories deepen our understanding of “race,” “empire,” and “transnationalism”? Themes to be discussed throughout the course include imperialism, colonialism, race, ethnicity, gender, nationalism, transnationalism, orientalism, hegemony, and globalization. Two class meetings per week.

Fall semester. Enrollment is limited to 18 students. Five College Associate Professor Chu.

HIST 114 - L/D

Section 01
Tu 10:10 AM - 11:30 AM ONLI ONLI
Th 10:10 AM - 11:30 AM ONLI ONLI

This is preliminary information about books for this course. Please contact your instructor or the Academic Coordinator for the department, before attempting to purchase these books.

ISBN Title Publisher Author(s) Comment Book Store Price
The Chinese in America Penguin Books Chang, Iris TBD

Offerings

2024-25: Not offered
Other years: Offered in Spring 2015, Spring 2018, Fall 2020