“Asian American,” “Pacific Islander,” “APA,” “APIA,” and even “APIDA”—these identifications encompass people whose heritage and ancestral homelands range from the Pacific Ocean across East and Southeast Asia to—and include—the Indian subcontinent. This course examines the diverse historical and contemporary experiences in the United States.

Drawing from scholarship, historical materials, film, television, and other forms of popular culture, we will ask key questions: What are the origins of terms like “Asian American,” “Pacific Islander,” and “Asian Pacific American?” How are these community formations inclusive, exclusionary, and/or strategic? By what historical experiences have these people entered the U.S.? How and where do these communities fit in conversations on race and immigration? How does thinking about these communities impact our understanding of everyday life and culture in the U.S.?