Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies 401 - Chinatown

Chinatown

Spring
2025
01
4.00
Brian Chen

M/W | 12:30 PM - 1:50 PM

Amherst College
AAPI-401-01-2425S
Chapin Hall Room 103
brchen@amherst.edu

This seminar aims to provide students with a foundational knowledge of the emergence of ethnic enclaves and community-building patterns. We will use Chinatown as a case study to examine its formation and development, as well as the socioeconomic issues that arise within the community. Meanwhile, we will also learn about how the Chinese diaspora seeks to challenge racial segregation, clichés, and stereotypes through cross-cultural and interdisciplinary analysis. Students will compare Chinatown with other ethnic enclaves through various critical lenses, exploring how race-based segregation policies impacted the community historically and how the neoliberal practice of gentrification affects these communities presently. Students will create a framework for approaching case studies within their designated disciplines through expository analysis, scholarly research, and rhetorical commentary. They will gain a comprehensive understanding of Chinatowns and critical methods for studying different cultures and ethnic groups.

Two class meetings per week. Visiting Professor Chen.

Pending Faculty Approval.

Permission is required for interchange registration during the add/drop period only.