AAST440

Examines writing by South Asian American authors and authors writing about South Asian American issues. It explores major South Asian diaspora themes, considering how migration, war, the events of 9/11, global capitalism, and the changing socio-political and racial scene have affected South Asians in the United States. We will use a transnational approach to consider how writers and filmmakers explore gender, class, religious, caste, and other differences amongst South Asian Americans. We will also examine the place of South Asian Americans in relation to other Asian American populations. We will consider how South Asian American texts disrupt traditional literary classifications based on national identities by reflecting the complex global conditions, imperialistic and capitalistic expansion, and interconnectedness of peoples, nations, and cultures that have transformed American literature and conceptions of American identity.