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Curriculum

All courses are 4 quarter units each.

Required Course
Asian American Studies 187A: Community/Civic Engagement
Instructor: Roderick N. Labrador

This course focuses on the academic, pedagogical, and social context for making civic engagement and community learning a component of teaching and research. The course focuses on the educational and social reasons for civic engagement and for involving students in community-directed research. As part of the course work, students become involved in the surrounding community through meaningful interaction that gives them a real-life perspective on the topics studied.

Choose one of the following:
Asian American Studies 187C: Ethnic Studies, Peoples of Hawai'i
Instructor: Roderick N. Labrador

The course critically examines the historical and contemporary experiences of various people of Hawai‘i and utilizes anthropological and ethnic studies approaches to study identity, race, ethnicity, culture, language, gender, sex, class, land, and residence.

Asian American Studies 143C: Asian Pacific Communities in Hawai'i: Critical Issues Past and Present
Instructor: Jonathan Y. Okamura

The course is concerned with the continuing construction, expression and persistence of ethnic identity in various cultural forms and social contexts throughout the contemporary world. Recent examples abound including in the Middle East, the Philippines, and here in Hawai'i. In addition, the course examines individual and group problems of identity, identity conflict, culture conflict, and inter-ethnic relations.

Optional Course:
Asian American Studies 199: Directed Research (requires instructor consent)

You may earn independent study units by writing an academically rigorous 10-15 page paper (in addition to the paper and projects for 187A, 187C, 143E). There is an additional fee for this independent study course.

Grading

Grades are based on attendance, class participation, journals, a mid-term examination and a final examination. The instructor reserves the right to vary this format.

Schedule

All schedules, itineraries, and group activities are subject to change at the discretion of the instructor.

Daily Schedule

Lecture: M, T, W, Th, F, 9:00 a.m. -10:15 a.m.
Field Studies: M, W 10:30 a.m.-11:45 a.m.
Field Trips: T, Th, and some Saturdays 10:30 a.m. -3:00 p.m.
Discussion Section (Field Studies): F, 10:30 a.m. -11:45 a.m.
Classes generally do not meet on Saturdays or Sundays.

Field trips will possibly include: museums, cultural festivals and shows, cultural and historical walking tours, visits to community centers, taro and aqua culture farms.

Textbooks

You are responsible for purchasing your own textbooks. All course materials will be available in Hawai'i.