AAAS 280U
Introduction to Asian American Literature
- Institution
- Binghamton University
- Taught
- Fall 2025
Description
How is Asian American identity constructed, and in what ways does Asian American literature illuminate, challenge, or even perpetuate this identity? More specifically, what makes a novel, memoir, or poem “Asian American literature,” and what storytelling tools, such as the author’s choice of words, narrative style, or cultural details, do writers use to express and shape that identity? This course surveys the history of Asian American writing, from the coinage of the term “Asian American” through the most recent responses to Asian American identity and experience. As a survey course, it offers a broad overview of foundational texts by writers of Indian, Filipino, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean descent. Major assignments include one group presentation, a photo-book project, and a final video essay.