Faculty First Year Seminars 191HIST1 - Chinese American History/Film

Through the viewing of full-length feature films and documentaries, this course takes you through the history of the Chinese in the United States, from the era of the Gold Rush in the 1850s, the succeeding decades of the exclusionary period of the late 1800s and the early 1900s, the roaring '20s, the Second World War, the Civil Rights Movement, and down to the tumultuous last fifty years. You will learn about discriminatory laws such as the Page Law Act of 1875, the experiences of second-generation Chinese Americans such as Anna May Wong, the travails of undocumented Chinese caught in the steamship Golden Venture, the model minority myth, and much more. Apart from learning about the historical experiences of Chinese Americans, we will also discuss pertinent themes such as racism, gender, capitalism, and orientalism. Course requirements include viewing a film or documentary every class session, classroom written assignments, and a three-minute presentation/discussion of what you?ve learned on topics related to the course during the semester.

First-year (R1ST)