Critical Social Thought 249AE - Afro-Asian Encounters

This course explores historical and contemporary connections between African American and Asian American communities -- the moments of solidarity as well as tension that have made their mark on literary and expressive culture. Looking to literary narratives, historical documents, film, and performance, we will consider how these groups have been defined in relation to one another, and explore how the categories of "Black" and "Asian" have come to be defined in the US context. In addition to our exploration of cultural objects, we will also study comparative ethnic frameworks -- like women of color feminisms and queer of color critique -- that read across and through the partitioning of ethnic American groups. This course ultimately aims to get students to think critically about the making of racial meaning, and to consider the centrality of literature and culture to social justice movements.