AsianAmericanStudiesUndergraduateCourse

AsianAmericans,Political
Empowerment,&CommunityOrganizing
BIANCALOUIE

BULLETINDESCRIPTION
Historical,institutional,andsocialfactorsthatimpactthepoliticalandcivicengagementofAsian
Americans,andthelegacyofsubversiveactionthroughcommunityorganizing,directaction,
andlobbyingtodisruptunjustsystemsandaddressproblemsimpactingourcommunities.

COURSEDESCRIPTION
Whenwereflectonourfamiliesengagementwithpoliticsandelections,manyAsianAmericans
canconfirmthatwehavesomeofthelowestnumbersinvoterturnoutandpolitical
representation.Thiscoursewilllookatthehistorical,institutional,andsocialfactorsofwhythis
isthecase.Usingcriticalracetheoryandracialformationtheoryasframeworks,wewillexplore
howthemeslikecolonization,immigration,laborexploitation,andotheringdirectlyandindirectly
disenfranchiseAsianAmericansandcontinuetoimpacttheiridentities,senseofagencyand
politicalpower,andrelationshiptotheStatetoday.

Althoughwemay
appear
tohaveminimalpoliticalpower,AsianAmericanscomefromalegacy
ofactivecommunityengagement,advocacy,andproblemsolving.Thiscoursewillalsohighlight
andcelebratethelegacyofsubversiveactionstakenbyAsianAmericanstodisruptunjust
systems,changepolicy,andsolveproblems.Wewilldocasestudiestounderstandissuesthat
havehistoricallyandcontinuetoimpactourcommunitiestoday,including:antiAsianviolence
immigrationpolicingandincarcerationdisaggregatingdatahealthoutcomesandAAPILGBTQ
healthlivablewageandhousing,gentrificationanddisplacement.WewilluseMannstheoryof
transformativeorganizingasaframetoexaminehowAsianAmericanshaveengagedin
communityorganizing,directaction,directservice,andlobbyingtodirectlyaddressthese
issuesintheircommunities.Throughcollaborativegroupprojects,fieldtrips,interactivelectures
andpresentations,dialogue,andparticipatoryresearch,wewillcritically,personally,and
politicallyengagewiththeseissues.Bytheendofthesemester,eachstudentwilllearnhowto
formulateacasetolobbyforaparticularissuethatimpactstheircommunity.Wewillconclude
thecoursebypresentingourcasestoourrepresentativesinlegislativevisitstoSacramento,
holdingthemaccountabletorepresentandservetheirconstituencies
.Takethiscourseifyouwant
todisruptthehistoryofAsianAmericandisenfranchisement,andcarryonthelegacyof
subversiveactionthroughhandsoncommunityandpoliticalengagement.

COURSEOBJECTIVES

StudentswillbeexposedtothehistoricalbarriersandchallengestoAsianAmerican
politicalrepresentation,aswellasthelegacyandvictoriesofAsianAmericansubversive
actionandcommunityengagement.
StudentswillbeexposedtoissuesimpactingAsianAmericancommunitiestoday.

Studentswilldevelopincriticalthinking,writing,research,collaborative,and
presentationskills.
Studentswillunderstandtheiragencyandcollectivepower,andbeexposedto
opportunitiestocontinuepoliticalandcommunityaction.

REQUIREDTEXTS

Aoki,AndrewandOkiyoshiTakeda.
AsianAmericanPolitics
.Malden:PolityPress,2008.

TrinhVo,Linda.
MobilizinganAsianAmericanCommunity
.Philadelphia:TempleUniversity
Press,2004.

Salomon,LarryR.
RootsofJustice:StoriesofOrganizinginCommunitiesofColor
.San
Francisco:JosseyBass,1998.

Ho,Fred.
LegacytoLiberation
.SanFrancisco:BigRedMedia,2000.

Mann,Eric.
PlaybookforProgressives
.Boston:BeaconPress,2011.

Omi,MichaelandHowardWinant.
RacialFormationintheUnitedStates
.NewYork:Routledge,
1986.

Articleseachweek(availablethroughSFSUlibrary).

GRADING

20%ClassParticipation

5%ATTENDANCEismandatoryandtardinessisnotpermitted.Attendancewillbetakenatthe
beginningofeachclass.However,emergencieshappen.Ifyoucannotattendclassforan
emergency,youMUSTcontactme.Absencesdonotexcuselateassignments.
10%PARTICIPATIONisexpectedfromeachstudentandwillbepartofthefinalgrade.Nopassive
participationeveryoneisexpectedtoverballyandcreativelycontributeduringeachclasssession!
Keepcurrentoncoursechanges,announcements,andemails.Bepreparedtocometoclass
havingcriticallyandcloselyread,watched,viewed,andlistenedtoallcoursematerials.
15%CLASSACTIVITIESwillconsistofgroupprojects,verbalpresentations,debates,visualand
performanceart,fieldtrips,andotherelementstopursuemultiplewaysoflearning.

20%ReadingsandPTEAforums
Studentsmustreadtheweeklyreadings.
StudentscompletetwoweeklyPTEAforumsperweek,onefromeachsection(PTEA1
andPTEA2).PTEAsshouldbepostedoniLearnbythetimeclassstarts.

OutlinethereadingsandsummarizeeachreadingwiththePTEAformat.Makesuretoinclude
aPTEAforeachreadingasanaddendumtoyourPraxisCaseStudy.Whatismostimportant
istousethePTEAformat,notnecessarilytheworksheet.

P(ossibili)TEAs


P
roblem/Purpose
:
State
theprimaryproblemsorpurposethattheauthorsareaiming
toaddress.

T
heories
Synthesize
themaintheoriesusedinthereadings.

E
vidence
Summarize
theevidenceusedbytheauthor/scholartotestorprovethetheories
presentedintheirwork.(Thisshouldincludequotesfromthetext.)

A
nalysis/Application/Action
Show
the
significance
ofthereadingandhowitappliesto
Yourpersonalexperience
Yourthesistopic
ActionthatcanbetakentosolveproblemsforAsianAmericans

20%FacilitatingPraxisCaseStudy
Eachstudentwillchooseaweektoteachandfacilitatea1hourpraxiscasestudydialogue
basedonthereadingsinthecourseassignedduringthatweek.Thepraxiscasestudyshould
followtheformatbelow.Twostudentswillbeassignedtoeachweek,sotheyshouldplanto
work,facilitate,andteachtogether.Studentsshouldmeetwiththeprofessoraweekbeforethey
presenttogoovertheirpraxiscasestudyandgetfeedback.

PraxisCaseStudyFormat
1. IdentifytheProblem
2. AnalyzetheFrameworksorIdeologies
3. PlanofActiontoSolveProblem
4. AnalysisofImplementationChallenges,Successes,Impact
5. ReflectionDiditwork?Whatcouldhavebeendonedifferently?
6. RelevanceHowdoesthisproblemimpactAsianAmericanstoday?

40%FinalCaseProject:
Problem&RelevanceAssignment
Studentswillresearchandwriteupa2pagepaper
onthehistoryandrelevanceofaproblemthatimpactstheircommunitiestoday.The
problemshouldfallunderoneofthePraxisCaseStudyTopics,andwillbethebasisof
yourCaseProject.IfyouwouldliketochooseaproblemoutsidethePraxisCaseStudy
Topics,talktoProfessor.
RepresentativeAssignment
Researchandwriteupa1pagepaperonyour
representativehighlightingtheirkeyissues,stances,andanyinformationrelevantto
yourcase.
CaseProject
Writtenanalysisandverbalpresentationofyourcasetotheclass.Your
writtenanalysiswillincludeapaperon1)yourtopic(usethePraxisCaseStudyFormat
asaguide),and2)yourcasetoyourrepresentative(seeformatbelow).Yourverbal
presentationwillinclude1)highlightsonyourtopicfromyourPraxisCaseStudy,and2)
atrialrunofyourcasepresentationtoyourrepresentative.
LegislativeVisit
Eachstudentpresentstheircasetotheirrepresentativeinlegislative
visits.Eachstudentsupportstheirpeersbyattendingtwolegislativevisitswith
classmates.Wewillmakeappointmentswithourrepresentativesinclass,schedulingall
theappointmentsonthesameday.

ReflectionPaper
Reflectionpaperonthevictoriesandchallenges,personaland
systemic,oftheoverallexperienceofyourlegislativevisit.

CLASSSESSIONSTRUCTURE

Eachclasssessionwillbreakdownasfollows:
Intro.tothetopicenergizer

30minutes

Lecture

40minutes

MainActivity

35minutes

Break

15minutes

PraxisCaseStudyfacilitatedbystudents

1hour

COURSEOUTLINE

Date

Topics

ReadingsandAssignmentsDue

MainActivity

Week1

Unit1

IntroductiontotheCourse
StudentIntroductions
ProfessorIntroduction
Courseand
Assignments
PTEAs
PraxisCaseStudies
FinalCaseProject

Whoarewe?

CriticalConcepts:CriticalRace
Theory,RacialFormation
Theory,Empire,
Counternarratives,Identity

Readings:RacialFormationintheUS
Part1

Week2

Unit1

HowdoesEmpire,history,
policyshapeandimpactAsian
Americanidentity,experience,
andpowertoday?

CriticalConcepts:Capitalism,
WhiteSupremacy,Immigration,
Citizenship,Identity

Due
:Mynarrativeofmigration
workseet

PTEA1
RacialFormationintheUSPart2

PTEA2
RacialFormationintheUSPart3

HumanMigration
andResistance
Timeline

week3

unit1

WhatisAsianAmerican
politicalpower?HowdoAsian
Americansaccesspolitical
power?

PTEA1
Readings:
AsianAmericanPoliticsCh
15

AsianAmerican
movement
guestspeaker


CriticalConcepts:racialization,
politicalparticipation,interest
groups,socialmovements
AsianAmericanmovement

PTEA2(AsianAmericanMovement)
Maeda,D.(2001).
ForgingAsian
AmericanIdentity:Race,Culture,and
theAsianAmericanMovement,
19681975
.n.p.:ProQuest
DissertationsPublishing.
LING,S.(1989).Themountainmovers,
asianamericanwomensmovementin
losangeles.
AmerasiaJournal
,
15
(1),
5167.
Okamoto,D.(2006).Institutional
panethnicity:Boundaryformationin
asianamericanorganizing.Social
Forces,85(1),125.
Domingo,L.(2010).
Buildinga
Movement:FilipinoAmericanUnion
andCommunityOrganizinginSeattle
inthe1970s
.n.p.:ProQuest
DissertationsPublishing.

week4

unit1

WhatisAsianAmerican
politicalpower?HowdoAsian
Americansaccesspolitical
power?

CriticalConcepts:elected
officialsandrepresentation,
politicsofidentity,conflictand
cooperationwithotherminority
groupsantiAsianviolence

Due
:Prepareanarrative(creative
mediumsencouraged!)aboutyou,your
family,and/oryourcommunitys
personalconnectiontooneoftheissues
wewillbediscussinginthenext2units.

PTEA1
AsianAmericanPoliticsCh69

PTEA2(AntiAsianviolence)
Hwang,R.(2009).Killingspawned
asianamericancivilrightsmovement:
34thmilestonetohighlightvincentchin
case.
MichiganBarJournal
,
88
(5),30.
Kurashige,S.(2000).Panethnicityand
communityorganizing:Asianamericans
united'scampaignagainstantiasian
violence.
JournalofAsianAmerican
Studies,

3
(2),163190.
Kurashige,S.(2000).Beyondrandom
actsofhatred:Analysingurbanpatterns
ofantiasianviolence.
Amerasia
Journal
,
26
(1),209231.
Tang,E.(2001).Communities
organizingagainstantiasianviolence.
NewYorkUniversityReviewofLaw&

WatchWho
KilledVincent
Chin?

SocialChange
,
27
(1),31.
week5

unit2

IntrotoUnit2:
Whatarethe
toolsofEmpireandhowdo
theyimpactusandour
communities?HowdoAsian
Americansresistandorganize
tosolveproblemsandserve
theircommunities?

*identifythepersonalrelevance
oftheproblemswewilltalk
about

CriticalConcepts:Thelevels
andformsofimpactthese
issueshaveonindividualsand
communitiesintroductionand
theoriestoorganizations,
movements,andstruggles

PRAXIS:Immigration

PTEA1
Guestspeaker
LegacytoLiberation
Ch18
fromASPIRE

PTEA2(Immigration)
Chan,Beleza.(2008).NotaMexican
Thing:UndocumentedAsianstudents
facestigmaandlackoffinancialaid,job
experience.SanFrancisco:
Asianweek
.
October,13,2008.

Nguyen,SahraVang.(2014,October
15).5terrifyingfactsabout
undocumentedAsianAmericans.
Huffingtonpost.Retrievedfrom:
www.huffingtonpost.com
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sahrava
ngnguyen/5terrifyingfactsabout_b_5
670005.html

Malik,Sanam.(2015,May21).Asian
ImmigrantsintheUnitedStatesToday.
AmericanProgress.Retrievedfrom:
www.americanprogress.org
https://www.americanprogress.org/issue
s/immigration/news/2015/05/21/113690/
asianimmigrantsintheunitesstatesto
day/

Vargas,JoseAntonio.(2011,June22).
Mylifeasanundocumentedimmigrant.
TheNewYorkTimes.Retrievedfrom:
www.nytimes.com
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/26/ma
gazine/mylifeasanundocumentedim
migrant.html?_r=0

Becomefamiliarwith:
http://sfbay.aspireforjustice.org/

http://aapidata.com/undocumented201
4/

week6

unit2

HowdoAsianAmericans
organizetogethertosolve
problems?

CriticalConcepts:theoriesand
frameworksforcommunity
organizing

PRAXIS:Policing/Incarceration

PTEA1
LegacytoLiberation
Ch915
(
Ch13:ABrickintheUnitedFront:
SouthAsiansAgainstPoliceBrutality
andRacism)

RootsofJustice
Ch12:Justice,Not
SympathyJapaneseAmericansFight
forDignityandReparations

Make
appointments
with
representatives

Workshop:
problemand
relevance

PTEA2(Policing/Incarceration)
Who'swatchingthewatchers?oncea
victim,joannkanshigoisnowworkingto
raiseasianamericanawarenessin
southerncaliforniaaboutpolice
harassmentandbrutality.(1996).
A.
Magazine
,69.
Ahuja,SaritaandRobertChlala.
WideningtheLensofBoysandMenof
Color:CaliforniaAAPI&AMEMSA
Perspectives.AsianAmericans/Pacific
IslandersinPhilanthropy(AAPIP).June
2013.
PartIIandIII

Cendana,G.(2015).Asianamericans
andpacificislanderscelebrateasian
pacificamericanheritagemonthby
workingtoendmassincarceration.
The
HuffingtonPostBlog.

week7

unit2

HowdoAsianAmericans
organizetogethertosolve
problems?

CriticalConcepts:theoriesand
frameworksfordirectaction
andlobbyingstrategic
essentialism

PRAXIS:DisaggregatingData

Due
:ProblemandRelevancePaper

PTEA1
:
MobilizinganAsianAmerican
Community:
Ch3:ThePoliticsofSocialServicesfor
aModelMinority:theunionofPan
AsianCommunities
Ch7:MappingAsianAmerica:In
SearchofOurHistoryandOur
Community
Ch8:AmbiguitiesandContradictions:
narrativesofIdentityandCommunity

PTEA2(DisaggregatingData)
Wang,FrancesKaiHwa.(2014,July
23).ACampaigntoDisaggregateData
andEnsureAllStudentsCount.
NBC
News
.Retrievedfrom
www.nbcnews.com
.
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/asiana
merica/campaigndisaggregatedataen
sureallstudentscountn163536
Jaschik,Scott.(2013,June7).The
DeceptiveDataonAsians.
Inside
HigherEd
.Retrievedfrom
www.insidehighered.com
.

Debateon
Disaggregating
Data

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2
013/06/07/reportcallsendgroupingasi
anamericanstudentsonecategory
Quinlan,Casey.(2015,September23).
HowTheDataonAsianStudents
ChangesCompletelyWhenYouLookAt
TheDetails.
ThinkProgress
.Retrieved
from
www.thinkprogress.org
.
http://thinkprogress.org/education/2015/
09/23/3703777/asianstudentsdatadiff
erences/
week8

unit2

Whataretherolesofa
successfulorganizer?

CriticalConcepts:
communicating,recruiting,
strategizing,agitating,and
buildinginorganizing

PRAXIS:PRAXIS:Health
OutcomesandAAPILGBTQ
health

PTEA1
PlaybookforProgressivesPart1

PTEA2(HealthOutcomesandAAPI
LGBTQHealth)
Hom,L.D.(2012).EarlyChinese
ImmigrantsOrganizingforHealthcare.
InG,Yoo,M..LeandA.OdaHandbook
ofAsianAmericanHealth(353362).
NewYork:SpringerPublishing.

FieldTripto
Asian&Pacific
Islander
WellnessCenter
(SanFrancisco)

(inplaceof
PraxisCase
Study)

Islam,N.,Khan,S.,Kwon,S.,Jang,
D.,Ro,M.,etal.(2010).
Methodologicalissuesinthecollection,
analysis,andreportingofgranulardata
inasianamericanpopulations:Historical
challengesandpotential
solutions.
JournalofHealthCareforthe
PoorandUnderserved,

21
(4),
13541381.
Wilson,PatrickAandYoshikawa
Hirokazu.(2007).Improvingaccessto
healthcareamongAfricanAmerican,
AsianandPacificIslander,andLatino
lesbian,gay,andbisexualpopulations.
TheHealthofSexualMinorities,Part
IV,p
p.607637.doi:
10.1007/9780387313344_25

Becomefamiliarwith:
http://www.aapcho.org/

http://www.asianhealthservices.org/

and
http://apiwellness.org/site/

week9

unit3

Whatarethequalitiesofa
successfulorganizer?

CriticalConcepts:coalition

Due:Paperonyourrepresentative

PTEA1
PlaybookforProgressivesPart2

Draftingacase

Roleplaying:
presentinga

building,investigating,and
care(forselfandothers)in
organizing,directservices

PRAXIS:Livablewage

(quality18)
caseina

legislative
PTEA2(LivableWage)
appointment
RootsofJustice
Ch.2:AngLakaAy
NasaPagkakaisaStrengthisinUnion
FilipinoFarmworkersOrganizeinthe
1930s

Pih,K.,Hirose,A.,&Mao,K.(2012).
Theinvisibleunattended:Lowwage
chineseimmigrantworkers,healthcare,
andsocialcapitalinsoutherncalifornia's
sangabrielvalley.
SociologicalInquiry
,
82
(2),236256.
Mathew,B.,Aliani,S.,Begum,S.,
Mollah,R.,&Patil,S.(1999).Loudand
clear:Aconversationwithworkers'
awaaz(organizationofsouthasian
lowwagewomenworkersintheus).
AmerasiaJournal
,
25
(3),183193.
Yeoh,Gillian.(2014,February18).
ChineseProgressiveAssociation
CampaignsforWorkersRightsand
LivingWagesinSanFrancisco.
ChineseAmericanCommunity
Foundation.
Retrievedfrom
www.chineseamericancf.org
.
http://www.chineseamericancf.org/chine
seprogressiveassociationcampaigns
workersrightslivingwagessanfrancisc
o/

Fine,J.(2005).Lowwageworkers,
faithbasedorganizing,workercenters
and`onebigmovement'indan
clawson'sthenextupsurge.
Critical
Sociology
,
31
(3),401409.
Maulik,M.(2011).Ourmovementisfor
thelonghaul:Tenyearsofdrum's
communityorganizingbyworkingclass
southasianmigrants.
Race/Ethnicity:
MultidisciplinaryGlobalContexts
,
4
(3),
455467.

week
10

unit3

Whatarethequalitiesofa
successfulorganizer?

CriticalConcepts:continuity,
service,strongclassstand

PTEA1
PlaybookforProgressivesPart2
(quality916)

PTEA2(Housing,Gentrification,

Creative
research
collaboration
project:timeline
ofmigrationand

(whichsideareyouon)in
organizing

PRAXIS:Housing,
Gentrification,Displacement

Displacement)
RootsofJustice
Ch.8:NoEvictions,
WeWontMove!SavingtheIHotel

Baranski,J.(2007).Somethingtohelp
themselves:Tenantorganizinginsan
francisco'spublichousing,19651975.
JournalofUrbanHistory
,
33
(3),
418442.

displacementin
theBayArea

Gee,P.,Le,D.,Lee,R.,Yoo,J.,&
Kui,C.(2010).Thestruggleforquality
affordablehousinginnewyorkcity:
Asianamericansforequality.
Asian
AmericanPolicyReview
,
21
,9.
AsianAmericanLegalDefenseand
EducationFund.(2013).
Chinatown
ThenandNow:Gentrificationin
Boston,NewYork,andPhiladelphia.
NewYork.
http://aaldef.org/Chinatown%20Then%2
0and%20Now%20AALDEF.pdf

PrattInstituteCenterforCommunityand
EnvironmentalDevelopment.(1996).
OrganizationProfile:AsianAmericans
forEquality.
Brooklyn,NewYork.
http://www.nhi.org/online/issues/85/asia
nameq.html

week
11

unit3

ReflectiononPraxistopics

ConclusionandSummaryof
Unit2and3

CaseProjectsquestionsand
worktime

Workoncaseprojectsand
presentations

Artisticreflection
onpraxisissues

Selfevaluations

week
12
unit4

Casepresentations

week
13

Casepresentations

week
14

Casepresentations

week
15

LegislativevisitsandDebrief