English 372 (1)
CRN: 89392
Cap: 25
Images of Asian Americans in Popular Culture and Graphic Novels
Fu Manchu. Charlie Chan. Dragon lady. Yellow Peril. These are some of the portrayals of Asians in America that pervaded popular culture in the 19th and 20th centuries. In this class, we will explore images of Asian Americans—first, historically, in the late 19th and 20th centuries, and then in the 21st century via the Asian American graphic novel. In addition to discussing reading strategies for the graphic novel, we will also ask: How are contemporary images of Asian Americans in graphic novels in conversation with these historical images? How do these graphic narratives engage with other issues in their author’s respective ethnic communities, such as war, family, assimilation, and generational tension?
Texts include:
Orientals: Asian Americans in Popular Culture, Robert G. Lee
Understanding Comics, Scott McCloud
Shattered: Asian American Comics Anthology
American Born Chinese, Gene Luen Yang
Citizen 13660, Mine Okubo
Shortcomings, Adrian Tomine
Forget Sorrow: An Ancestral Tale, Belle Yang
Vietnamerica: A Family’s Journey, GB Tran
Same Difference, Derek Kirk Kim
Tina’s Mouth: An Existential Comic Diary, Kashni Kashyap
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Ability to read and analyze images
- Background knowledge of the basic history of anti-Asian discrimination in the United States
- Understanding of the diversity within the “Asian American” community
- Familiarity with contemporary Asian American issues
Assignments will include in-class writing, formal reading responses and at least two essays. Regular attendance is required.