Through ethnographic methodologies, this class introduces the major themes and issues of contemporary Asian American life and promotes independent research in collaboration with community organizations.
Paper 1: This assignment will introduce you to the study of Asian American communities. Using a variety of sources from the Van Pelt Library such as journals, dissertations, ethnographies, ethnic newspapers, etc. write a research paper on any topic related to Asian Americans. This research should explore a research question or focus on an Asian American community. Paper 1 should have a hypothesis, a discussion/analysis based on at least 5 secondary sources, and a conclusion all with appropriate citations. (5 pages of TEXT) 20%
Paper 2: Paper 2 combines research on your Asian American community work and specific challenges the organization and community experience. It requires that you observe and engage with a community organization. More specifically, within the frame of your service work, research an issue or theme and discuss in context of field site. Your goal is to learn the basics of ethnography with a scholarly approach. (5-8 pages of TEXT) 25%
Paper 3 and Presentation: Paper 3 is the culmination of primary ethnographic and secondary research. Complete a research project on a particular Asian American community and an issue pertaining to their life experience that combines observation and basic fieldwork skills as well as in in-depth exploration of scholarly literature. This assignment requires knowledge of the community’s migration history as well as current challenges and/or successes. You will need to do research on your topic in the library and incorporate fieldwork from your community. This assignment is a formal research paper that has a clearly defined thesis, introduction, development, and conclusion. Your goal is to become an adept researcher in the field, in the library and to critically think about subjects beyond the classroom. (12–15 pages of TEXT) 35%