History 253 - Asian-Pacific Amer Hist: 1850-

History of Asian-Pacific Americans as it is inextricably linked to the empire-building projects of the United States and other imperial powers in the Asia-Pacific region, 1850-present. (Gen.Ed. HS, U)

Open to Seniors, Juniors & Sophomores only. Ever wonder what groups constitute the Asian American communities in the state of Massachusetts and in the Pioneer Valley/Western Massachusetts, and what they are doing to empower and help themselves? This course combines the methods of historical inquiry and community engagement, and is designed for students who are willing to learn more about Asian Americans both inside and outside the classroom. In the first half of the course, students will be introduced to concepts of community engagement, and required to report on the general history of specific Asian subgroups (e.g. Chinese, Korean, Indian, Japanese, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Hmong, Filipino, Tibetan). In the second half of the course, students will apply the concept of community engagement as they conduct research (that would include community visitations and/or interviews) on the different Asian subgroups found in the Five Colleges/Pioneer Valley/Western Massachusetts, focusing on their history of and reasons for migration, demography (based on government census records), community needs and issues, and different activities and organizations.