Chink in Armour: Anti-Asian Sentiments in the United States

Anti-Asian sentiments as well as anti-Asian hate crimes have a long history in the United States. Since the start of the global Covid-19 pandemic, this former rather unnoticed or undiscussed topic has increasingly been debated both within and outside the U.S. This course will confront the invisibility of anti-Asian sentiments in American history, literature, and culture. Closely investigating texts from different genres, we will discuss how different Asian groups have been represented and how they represent themselves. Some of the questions to be discussed are: What does the term “Asian” mean and what is problematic about it? Who is included and excluded in the discourse of anti-Asian sentiments? What kind of stereotypes are used?

Please purchase and start reading the following books:

• Variny Yim. The Immigrant Princess
• George Takei. They Called Us Enem

Additional texts will be made available in a reader at the beginning of classes.