RM300: The Model Minority is an interdisciplinary course that teaches students the social, political, cultural, and economic forces that have produced the model minority stereotype. It asks: when did the model minority stereotype emerge in the U.S., and why? How did it come to be organized ideologically and representationally in relation to wider sociopolitical forces domestically and globally? And, how did the U.S. and indeed Asia both play key roles in creating the model minority? This course traces the model minority as an evolving racial form alongside institutional and cultural developments in the U.S. and Asia from the nineteenth century to the present. Reading literary and cultural production in conjunction with academic discourse from interdisciplinary fields across Asian American Studies, students learn to approach the model minority not simply as a representational figure but also as a conceptual orientation to systems of inequality organized by race, ethnicity, class, gender, and (dis)ability in a global capitalist economy.

This is an advanced Chinese language and culture course, that builds on the language progress made in advanced Chinese, emphasizes application of translation and storytelling, and centers on learning Chinese culture and society through the authentic Chinese sources, original texts, and online median videos. Students will read, listen, and tell stories, watch online videos, conduct translation practice in oral and written expression, and learn a “other” culture cross-culturally.

This course delves into popular culture in Asia, exploring its impact as a global phenomenon shaping fan communities worldwide. It examines the diverse media of East, South, and Southeast Asia—ranging from K-pop, J-pop, and C-dramas to Bollywood films, Thai BL (boy’s love) dramas, and anime—using these as lenses to understand the complex intersections of media consumption, gender, and sexuality. Through case studies and media analysis, students will gain insight into how popular media and their fandoms reflect and challenge societal norms and values related to gender and identity.