AAST498F

An advanced topics course to understand, explore, analyze, practice, and present Asian American oral histories. An introduction to the general field, methodology, and importance; listen, read, and analyze examples of Asian American oral histories; and then conduct and share an oral history interview of a local Asian American. Course questions: how can Asian American oral histories illuminate larger global, national, and regional forces such as war, empire, militarism, capitalism, racism, and other forms of state violence? How can they illustrate different forms of resistance to these same forces? What are some of the ethical, socially-just practices we must maintain when listening, preserving, and circulating them? And how can these questions, practices, and processes help us be better listeners, members, and actors in our communities?