Ju Yon Kim, Erika Lee, & Taeku Lee
Gen Ed 1206 | Spring 2026 | Course Listing | Canvas Site
Tuesday, 12:00 PM – 2:45 PM
How have paradoxical conceptions of Asian Americans informed Asian American history, culture, and politics, shaping modern America and the world?
This course examines how paradoxical conceptions of Asian Americans have informed the identities, experiences, and political and creative contributions of peoples of Asian descent in the United States while shaping national debates concerning race relations, immigration, and foreign policy. We will explore the contradictory positions Asian Americans have had to occupy as both colonial subjects and settlers, “model minorities” and “the yellow peril,” foreign friends and enemies, and people of color and “honorary whites,” and consider their implications for US and transnational histories, politics, and culture.