English 271 (DL, NI, WI)
Philippine/American Literature
The Philippines and the United States have had an on-again/off-again relationship. Ramifications of this situationship have resulted in English being one of the official languages of the islands along with the emergence of ube-flavored consumables in the United States.
This class will examine the literature that has emerged from this relationship. Themes such as identity, language, history, and culture will be discussed, as we seek to address these questions:
Q: What does it mean to be Filipino?
Q: What does it mean to be American?
Q: What does it mean to be Filipino-American?
READINGS
We’ll cover the above issues and more through our writings and readings, which may include Dogeaters by Jessica Hagedorn, Rolling the R’s by R. Zamora Linmark, and The Son of Good Fortune by Lysley Tenorio, along with other short stories, articles, films, poems, and songs (texts subject to change).
WELCOME ALL
It is not necessary to know the history of the Philippines or have an understanding of any of the Philippine languages to be successful in this class. Anyone is invited to pull up to the gathering and grab a styrofoam plate and plastic fork and spoon.
FINE PRINT
This class satisfies the Writing Intensive (WI) requirement. We will meet in-person, and attendance is required—absences will negatively affect your grade. Assignments will include discussion posts, in-class writing prompts, and at least three major papers. We will also talk about the readings in every class, so please come prepared to examine the texts as a group.
Please contact me with any questions: jlmanuel@hawaii.edu