essay

 
 

  a. Read the lecture notes “#1-AAS322” and view the featured “Cartoon” excerpts on the early US media portrayal of the Chinese in America (both are email attachment files); 

        b. Write an evaluative essay (approximately 3 pages) on your observation of the early illustrative portrayal of Chinese America in the US media. 

            i) Prepare your paper in a standard essay format (see “guidelines” in Class Syllabus); 

Spring2021 Semester

ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES 322 (#5255): CHINESE AMERICAN LANGUAGE & LITERATURE
Time: W 4:00-6:45 Location: online via email contacts

Descriptions: Survey and critical analyses of the community heritage language,
literary writings, and performing arts of Chinese America prior to the
1980s, with focus on the cultural sensibility of being Chinese American.

This course satisfies partial graduation requirements in AAS major and minor,
This course requires writing essays on regular basis

Consult the University Bulletin on using this course to meet GE requirements:
Upper Division Overlay: American Ethnic and Racial Minorities; Social Justice
UD-C: Creativity, Innovation, and Invention
UD-C: Enduring Ideas, Values, and Achievements
UD-C: Ethical Reasoning and Action
UD-C: Human Diversity
UD-C: Life in the San Francisco Bay Area and/or CA
UD-C: Social Justice & Civic Knowledge/Engagement
UD-C: Personal and Community Well-Being

Instructor: M. K. Hom
Office: EP104 – inaccessible due to campus shut-down
Office Hours: via email
Email: mhom@sfsu.edu (for class-related matters only)

Texts: 1. M. Hom. Songs of Gold Mountain (U of California Press, 1992, paper back)
You have to secure this book; copies are available from instructor on loan upon request

2. “AAS322 Class Reader” (need a 1G-capacity jump-drive or CD to download
the electronic copy of the Class Reader from instructor, ASAP)

Grades: Written assignments/essays: 70
Comparative Book critique: 30 Total: 100 pts; min. to pass: 51 pts
(Extra Credits: Up to 5 points)

General Guidelines:

1. You need to make arrangement on your own to acquire the textbook Songs of Gold Mountain

a) Prepare all the reading assignments as scheduled in the class syllabus.

2. Take-home essays will be randomly given during the semester. 20% off on late assignment;
no late submission after 24 hours. (70% of your grade)

3. Book Critique: Based on your submitted annotated bibliography of four (4) books; select
two books from these four for the final book critique. It should be a comparative critique on
two books of Chinese American literature (BOOKS! not chapters or parts of a book)
published since the 1980s by different Chinese American male and female writers. Books
reprinted from pre-1980 original publications are not acceptable; books on arts, history,
politics, or any other non-literature subjects are not acceptable. A book critique (approx.
6-8 pages) must consist of: a) full publication data, b) a brief—no more than 25% of your
paper—summary and c) an extensive analysis (evaluation/critique) on the two books.
Recommended format: MLA style sheet (cf. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers) or
follow a standard book review format. You will be randomly select to present the critique
in class. (30% of your grade)

4. All written essay assignments must be typewritten, double-spaced with standard margins.
Follow a standard format for essay writings. 10% off on any take-home assignment submitted

without pagination, inappropriate or imprecise thematic title/topic to identify the
focus/theme/premise of your essay.

5. Extra Credits: You may earn up to 5 points towards your final grade by participating in
additional activities beyond the classroom. Example: independent research on a particular
topic pertinent to Chinese in America, Chinese American cultural events, special research
on Chinese American language/literature/culture, etc., with prior approval from
instructor.

6. You are welcome to email me during my office hours or by appointment to discuss subject
matters pertinent to you in this class.

Important Dates: March 1 Annotated bibliography (for book critique) due
May 12 Book critique due

AAS 322 – TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE –

WEEK TOPIC & READING ASSIGNMENTS (from CLASS-READER unless *specified)

1/27 ORIENTATION TO THE COURSE – THE NATURE OF ETHNIC-ASIAN AMERICAN LITERATURE
Start preparing an annotated bibliography on at least four books on Chinese American literature published
after the 1980s. After approval, you will select two books from this list for your book critique

1. IMAGES OF CHINESE AMERICANS IN AMERICAN POP CULTURE BEFORE THE 20TH CENTURY

The Coming Man: 19th Century American Perceptions of the Chinese (1994) – an extra-credit exercise

2/03 2. CHINESE AMERICAN NAMES & COMMUNITY LANGUAGE: A BRIEF SURVEY
Reading: Dong & Hom: “Chinatown Chinese”

2/10 3. CHINESE AMERICAN LITERATURE: EARLY PERIOD

Reading: *Hom: “Introduction” in Songs of Gold Mountain
2/17 3.1 EARLY CHINESE AMERICAN VERSES
Readings: Angel Island immigration poems

*Hom, Songs of Gold Mountain – chapters: 1,2,3,4,5,6,8,10,11
2/24 3.1 CHINESE AMERICAN LITERATURE: EARLY PERIOD – CON’T

3.1 EARLY CHINESE AMERICAN VERSES –CON’T

!! Annotated bibliography for the Final book critique due this week !!

3/3 3.2 EARLY CHINESE AMERICAN NARRATIVES (SHORT STORIES)
Readings: Sui Sin Far: “Wisdom of the New,” “The Americanizing of Pao Tsu,”
In the Land of the Free,” “Lin John,” “The Story of One White
Woman,” & “Her Chinese Husband”

3/10 3.2 EARLY CHINESE AMERICAN NARRATIVES (SHORT STORIES) – CON’T

3/17 4. CHINESE AMERICAN IDENTITY: A DEBATE IN THE 1930S
Readings: The 1936 Ging Hawk Club Essay Contest

3/24 Spring Break – no class meeting
Keep up on your readings for the final book critique assignment

3/31 Holiday — campus closed – no class meeting

4/7 5. CHINATOWN LITERATURE IN THE 1940S
Readings: Selections from the China Daly News supplement (Bao Gao Ban, 1988)

4/14 6. CHINESE AMERICAN POETRY SINCE THE 1950S
Readings: Diana Chang: selections
Wing Tek Lum: selections
Eric Chock: selection

Laureen Mar: selections
Alan Lau: selections

Russell Leong: selection

4/21 6.1 CHINESE AMERICAN POETRY SINCE THE 1950S – CON’T

7. CHINESE AMERICAN SHORT STORIES SINCE THE 1950S
Readings: Monfoon Leong: “New Year for Fong Wing,” “Number One Son,”
“A Good Burial”
Frank Chin: “The Only Real Day,” “Food for All His Dead”
Jeffery P. Chan: “Jackrabbit”
Darrell Lum: “Yahk Fahn, Auntie,” “Beer Can Hat”
H.Y. Pai: “A Day in Pleasantville,” “One Winter Evening”

4/28 7.1 CHINESE AMERICAN SHORT STORIES SINCE THE 1950S – CON’T

5/5 8. CHINESE AMERICAN BIOGRAPHICAL /AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL NARRATIVES
Readings: Maxine Hong Kingston: “No Name Woman,” “Grandfather of Sierra…”
S. J. Leung: “A Laundryman Sings the Blues”
Yuen T. Gong: “A Gold Mountain Man’s Memoir”

5/12 Book critique due; semester ends;
No final examination for AAS322 during final examination week

Crossing the Pacific to America

Chinese gold miners in the Sierra

Chinese at the Transcontinental RR.

Chinese in Louisiana plantation

Famous Chinese grape grower in CA

Urban Chinese laundryman

Urban Chinese cigar-makers

Chinese workers as meteor

Darwinist evolution of the Chinese people

America’s responsibility on the Chinese

A statue for the Chinese in the SF Bay area

Evolution of an American pet

Chinese overtaking San Francisco

Chinese labor and white labor job loss

Chinese economic monopoly

Chinese & ruins to American family

Interracial marriage and its outcome in America

July 4th in San Francisco

Platform for Democrats and Republicans

Chinese in US public education

Building an American border wall

Immigration policy decisions

American missionary’s explanation of racism

Uncle Sam’s Thanksgiving Dinner