Media Studies 100: Fall 2019
Asian Americans in Media

Time/Location: T/R, 2:45pm-4:00pm, West Hall Q120

Instructor: Ming-Yuen S. Ma
Phone: x74319
E-mail: ming-yuen_ma@pitzer.edu

Office + Hours:
• Scott Hall 213
• Tuesday 11:00am-12:00pm
• Thursday 11:00am-12:00pm
• Wednesday by appt.



Course Description
This course begins with a historical survey of Asian American involvement in media production, beginning in the silent film era and concluding with the current digital age. Students then put the history and theories they have learnt into practice through the conception, planning, and execution of their own Asian American film festival. In the course we focus on the shifting yet continuous participation of Asians in the production of media in North America, from the careers of silent films stars Anna May Wong and Sessue Hayakawa to the birth of the Asian American Movement in the 1960s and '70s - which also triggered the birth of Asian American independent films - to the lure of (relatively) big-budget narrative films in the '80s, punk-inspired rebellion and video art in the '90s, and finally landing right into the contemporary mediascape. Throughout the course, we look at how changing political, social, and cultural discourses have affected Asian American participation in media production, as well as how these forces have shaped media representations of Asians. Form, content, funding, and circumstances of production also enter our discussions of how these films, videos, and digital media works came to be.

*You may notice that this class has no prerequisites. The reason for this is to enable students from disciplines other than Media Studies, including Asian American Studies and other Ethnic Studies, Gender and Feminist Studies, etc. to take the class, thus creating what we feel are important connections between Media Studies and these disciplines. Thus, there are students enrolled from a variety of of levels and backgrounds in the class, with knowledge from many different fields. I encourage you to see this as an opportunity to learn from each other, and to be patient if I have to explain certain concepts and information that you already know to the other students in the class, as I am sure you would appreciate the same courtesy and respect extended to you.

This course fulfills the IMS major's media history requirement.




Statement of Student Learning Outcome
By the end of this course, students ideally are expected:

  • To develop a historicized understanding of Asian American involvement in media production in the U.S.;
  • To develop a working knowledge of Asian American histories and communities, as well as media production, exhibition, and reception as it pertains to Asian Amercans;
  • To acquire skills in analyzing media representationin a wide variety of films, including narrative, experimental/avant-garde, documentary, and other genres;
  • To be able to discuss and convey the above-mentioned knowledge and skills in both critical written arguments, film festival programming, and in oral presentations/discussion;
  • To be able to work and learn in both individual and group contexts, both on campus amongst students and off campus amongst diverse communities.

 

 


Course Organization

The course format consists of lecture, screening, and discussion. Myself or student presenters introduce the work with a short lecture, and an interactive, integrative discussion follows. Participation in the class discussion will contribute to your final grade. You are expected to draw from reading assignments, class screenings (just as important as the readings) as well as first-hand observations in the discussions.

Please turn off all phones and mobile digital devices during class. Laptops can only be used for taking notes and for relevant web searches; no emailing, texting, and other actvities unrelated to this class. These and other diversions are not acceptable during class time, and will lower your grade. 

Course Requirements
1. Attend all classes
2. Participation in class discussions
3. Completion of reading assignments, 1 class presentation, at least 3 blog posts, film festival project, 2 papers and final paper or project




Attendance

Attendance and participation of all classes is required. Do not miss class or arrive late! If you miss class 3 times without a proper excuse, (e.g. a doctor's note if you are sick) you fail the class. Absences must be cleared by me before or after (in case of emergencies only) the class you missed in order for it to not affect your final grade. Attendance is determined by when I take roll.



Class Participation

Your active, well-prepared participation in class discussions is essential to creating a dynamic (i.e. not boring!) learning environment. Although you will not receive a letter grade for class participation, it will figure into your final grade based on my observations.

We may study sexually explicit, political, and otherwise challenging material in this course. These are not included for shock value, but are legitimate investigations of controversial subject matters in media. You are certainly encouraged to explore difficult and complex subject matters in your work, and should be prepared to consider these issues intellectually and emotionally. Our class is a safe space in which students can express their beliefs and opinions. You always have a voice, but please be respectful of others as well. Abusive language and behavior are not be tolerated. Open-mindedness is encouraged!

 

Class Assignments
You are responsible for weekly reading assignments, contribution to class discussions, introducing at least one of the films, 2 short papers (3-5 pages), a final paper (8-10 pages) or project, and at least three posts on the Asian Americans in Media blog. All written assignments should be typed and double-spaced.

1. Short Papers
Two short papers are due on Week 5, and Week 8 in class. They should be 3-5 pages, typed and double-spaced. These papers are assessments of the films seen in class, and should consider these films in relation to each other. They can include comparative analyses of as well as personal responses to the films, reference to the class reading, and thoughts on class discussions. Additional research (outside of class material) is encouraged.

2. Final Paper or Project
There are several options for this assignment, the topic and format to be determined by the student with the instructor's approval. Go to this link for format options. Generally speaking, final papers are 8-10 page research papers, typed and double-spaced, must include footnotes, a bibliography and filmography. Additional research is required.

Students must indicate their cho
ice of final paper/project to instructor by Week 8. For students choosing their own paper topic or media project, they should submit an abstract of the paper topic or proposal for media project for instructor approval. All students are encouraged to continue to meet with instructor to discuss ideas and progress on the final paper/project.

3. Asian Americans in Media Blog Throughout the semester, students are required to post at least 3 blog entries on the Asian Americans in Media blog.

The blog is a forum designed to allow students to respond to the film shown in class in relation to a specific essay or chapter in the assigned reading, pose relevant questions raised by the film or the reading, comment on class discussion, or all of the above! Your three posts should be as follows: 1) your introduction to the film shown in class, 2) your reflection or response on the Film Festival, 3) a topic of your choice. You are welcome to post more than the required number, and to incorporate multi-media content into your posts (e.g. links to other sites, images, web video, etc.) This would a good way to connect some of the historical materials we study in class to the contemporary context.

Introduction posts should be on-line for the class when the film in question is discussed (in cases where the film is screened before class) or one week after (in cases where the film is screened in-class), and will most likely be used as a part of our class discussion—you will be asked to present your post to the class. You can also use them to start formulating ideas and arguments for your papers. There is an option to do your final paper/project on the blog. (see the Final Paper/Project Web Page for more details) Posts will not be graded individually, but together with the Film Festival Project, they will count for 15% of your grade for the class.
4. Film Festival Project Students will program and present the Asian Americans in Media (AAIM) Film Festival as a class project this semester, consisting of 4 screening programs and other events, curated by students collectively from entries to the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival and presented to the Claremont and larger communities. Guidelines for film fesitval project.
5. Class Presentation Students are required to participate in 1 class presentation. Working in groups of 2-3, you will view the film before class, discuss and write a 1 page introduction to the film, and formulate questions for the class discussion following. Each group will begin the presentation by reading the paper, followed by the film screening (in cases where the film is screened outside of class, each group will select up to 15 mins. of clips from the film as a part of your presentation). The introduction will be posted on the blog, and will count for one of your three posts. Guidelines for class presentations.


Unless an extension is approved by myself in advance of the due date, your grade will be reduced by one letter grade (i.e. B to C) per class day your paper is late.
You are encouraged to meet with me individually during my office hours to discuss your assignments, your grades, and your overall performance in class. I am always open to suggestions and feedback!





Screening Assignments
Required films and videos are posted on the class Sakai site video playlist. Media assignments should be completed before the day / week it is scheduled for discussion, along with the reading assignments. If there is enough interest, and schedule permitting, we can organize class screenings as a group. I also encourage you to watch the films and videos with your classmates.





Reading Assignments
Required readings are drawn from the required textbooks (see below) and readings posted on the class Sakai site. Readings are for the day when they are posted. You should be able to draw from them during class discussions and are required to reference them in all written assignments.

Required Textbooks:

Students should purchase copies of the following books.
Peter X. Feng, ed., Screening Asian Americans, Rutgers University Press, 2002.
Darrell Hamamoto & Sandra Liu, eds., Countervisions: Asian American Film Criticism, Temple University Press, 2000.
Russell Leong, ed., Moving The Image: Independent Asian Pacific American Media Arts, UCLA Asian American Studies Center and Visual Communications, Los Angeles, 1991.

Recommended Textbooks:
Students do not have to purchase these book, but they are referenced in the course syllabus. If required readings are assigned from these book, they will be posted on this web site.
Robert G. Lee, Orientals: Asian Americans in Popular Culture, Temple University Press, Philadelphia, PA, 1999.
Gina Marchetti, Romance and the "Yellow Peril," University of California Press, 1993.
Glen M. Mimura, Ghostlife of Third Cinema: Asian American Film and Video,Univ. of Minnesota Press, 2009.
Celine Parreñas Shimizu, The Hypersexuality of Race: Performing Asian/American Women on Screen and Scene, Duke Univ. Press, 2007.






Additional References:
Karin Aguilar-San Juan, The State of Asian America, Activism and Resistance in the 1990s, South End Press, 1994.
Bad Object-Choices, eds, How Do I Look: Queer Film and Video, Bay Press, 1991.
Anthony B. Chan, Perpetually Cool: The Many Lives of Anna May Wong (1905-1961), The Scarecrow Press, 2003.
Jachinson Chan, Chinese American Masculinities: From Fu Manchu to Bruce Lee, Routledge, 2001.
Hye Seung Chung, Hollywood Asian: Philip Ahn and the Politics of Cross-Ethnic Performance, Temple Univ. Press, 2006.
Shilpa Dave, Leilani Nishime, Tasha G. Oren, Robert G. Lee, eds., East Main Street: Asian American Popular Culture, NYU Press, 2005.
David L. Eng and Alice Y. Hom, eds., Q&A: Queer in Asian America, Temple Univ. Press, 1998.
Peter X. Feng, Identities in Motion, Duke Univ. Press, 2002.
Russell Ferguson, Martha Gever, Trinh T. Minh-Ha, Cornel West, eds., Out There: Marginalization and Contemporary Culture, MIT Press/New Museum, 1990.
Roger Garcia, ed., Out of The Shadows: Asians in American Cinema, Olivares/Locarno Film Festival, 2001.
Martha Gever, John Greyson, Pratibha Parmar, eds., Queer Looks: Perspectives on Lesbian and Gay Film and Video, Routledge, 1993.
Laura Hyun Yi Kang, Compositional Subjects: Enfiguring Asian/American Women, Duke Univ. Press, 2002.
Alex Juhasz and Jesse Lerner, eds., F is For Phony: Fake Documentary and Truth's Undoing, Univ. of Minnesota Press, 2006.
Helen Lee and Kerri Sakamoto, eds., Like Mangoes in July: The Work of Richard Fung, Images Festival, 2002.
Jennifer Lee, ed., Asian American Youth: Culture, Identity and Ethnicity, Routledge, 2004
Russell Leong, ed., Asian American Sexualities, Routledge, 1995. Also available as an issue of the Amerasia Journal: Dimensions of Desire, Vol. 20, NO. 1, 1994.
Amy Ling, ed. Yellow Light: The Flowering of Asian American ArtsTemple Univ. Press, 2000.
Lori Kido Lopez and Vincent Pham, ed., The Routledge Companion to Asian American Media, Routledge, 2017.
Steve Louie and Glenn Omatsu, eds., Asian Americans: The Movement and the Moment, UCLA Asian American Studies Center Press, 2001.
Lisa Lowe, Immigrant Acts: On Asian American Cultural Politics, Duke Univ. Press, 1996.
Laura U. Marks, The Skin of the Film, Duke Univ. Press, 2000.
---, Touch: Sensuous Theory and Multisensory Media, Univ. of Minnesota Press, 2002..
Diasuke Miyao, Sessue Hayakawa: Silent Cinema and Transnational Stardom, Duke Univ. Press, 2007.
Jose Munoz, Disidentifications, Univ. of Minnesota Press, 1999.
Nguyen Tan Hoang, A View from the Bottom: Asian American Masculinity and Sexual Representation. Duke Univ. Press, 2014
Jun Okada, Making Asian American Film and Video: History, Institutions, Movements. Rutgers Univ. Press, 2015.
Kent Ono & Vincent Pham, Asian Americans and The Media, Polity Press, 2008.
Celine Parreñas Shimizu, Straitjacket Sexualities: Unbinding Asian American Manhoods in the Movies, Standford Univ. Press, 2012
David Roh, Betsey Huang, Greta A. Niu,eds. Techno-Orientalism: Imagining Asia in Speculative Fiction, History, and Media, Rutgers Univ. Press, 2015.
Ella Shohat & Robert Stam, Unthinking Eurocentrism, Routledge, 1994.
Susan Sontag, Against Interpretation, Farrar Straus and Giroux, 1966.
Trinh T. Minh-Ha, Framer Framed, Routledge, 1992.
---, Woman, Native, Other , Indiana Univ. Press, 1989
Jun Xing, Asian America Through The Lens, AltaMira Press, 1998.
Jean Yu-Wen Shen Wu, Min Song, eds. Asian American Studies: A Reader, Rutgers Univ. Press, 2000.





Grading and Other Policies:
We may study sexually explicit, political, and otherwise challenging material in this course. These are not included for shock value, but are legitimate investigations of controversial subject matters in media. You are certainly encouraged to explore difficult and complex subject matters in your work, and you should be prepared to consider these issues intellectually and emotionally. Our class is a safe space in which students can express their beliefs and opinions. You always have a voice, but please be respectful of others as well. Abusive language and behavior are not tolerated. Open-mindedness is encouraged!

Grading
Your final grade will be based on the following
Final paper/project 30%
2 short papers (15% each) 30%
Film Festival and Blog 20%
Class participation* 20%

* This includes your general class participation, presentation, discussion, attendance, and punctuality (except in the special cases listed above, such as if you have more than 3 un-excused absences).

Generally, outstanding ('A') students in this class have good attendance and completed all their assignments on time. They are consistently well prepared for class, and actively participate in and advance our discussions with pertinent information, questions, and observations. Their work demonstrate their awareness of the issues at hand, the historical context for the film and videos they are discussing, as well as their ability to articulate their observations and analyses in a clear and concise manner. Only letter grades are given out in this class.

Academic Accommodations:
A student’s home campus is responsible for establishing and providing accommodations. You must contact your home institution to establish accommodations. Below is a list of coordinators: 

CMC - Julia Easley, julia.easley@claremontmckenna.edu
Harvey Mudd – Deborah Kahn, dkahn@hmc.edu
Pitzer - Gabriella Tempestoso, gabriella_tempestoso@pitzer.edu
Pomona - Jan Collins-Eaglin, Jan.Collins-Eaglin@pomona.edu
Scripps - Academic Resources and Services (ARS) at ars@scrippscollege.edu

Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty in any form -- including the representation of someone else's work as your own, the destruction or malicious alteration of the work of others, the re-use of work prepared for another course, and so on -- will be subject to the most severe penalties permitted under your school's student code.

Extra credit - Students are encouraged to attend screenings, conferences, lectures, exhibitions and web events related to this course. Write a two-page (typed and double-spaced) report of the event or activity. Incorporate the event's relevance to the class as well as your personal responses to it. Proof of attendance is required (keep your ticket stubs, programs, etc.) Students are allowed two extra credit papers. Announcements for events of interest to this class are done in the first 5 mins. of each class.

* I try my best to make my grading criteria as clear as possible, and you are welcome to come and discuss your grades and your class performance with me. However, I only consider legitimate concerns, and be aware that your grade is as likely to go down as it is to go up after I reassess your assignment. I do not tolerate haggling, bribing, threats, and any other pointless arguments. I consider all aspects of your performance before I assign a grade, please respect my assessment as I respect your efforts.

 

 

 

 

Course Schedule:

Week 1: Introduction, The Silent Film Era - Broken Blossoms
Required Reading
Tuesday 9.3: Class Introduction, go over syllabus, class organization, etc.
Thursday 9.5: Romance and the "Yellow Peril": Ch. 2 pp. 10-45
Suggested Reading
"What is Asian American Media?" introduction in Ghostlife of Third Cinema, xiii-xxiii
Orientals: Introduction, Ch. 1-4
Moving the Image: pp. 121-156
Romance and the "Yellow Peril": Ch. 1
Required Film/Video

BROKEN BLOSSOMS (1919) Directed by D.W. Griffith, 98 min.
Suggested Viewing
THE CHEAT (1915) Directed by Cecil B. De Mille, 59 min.
Powerpoint for this week


 

Week 2: The Yellow Peril Genre - Daughter of the Dragon
Required Reading
Tuesday 9.10: Screening Asian Americans: pp. 53-70
Thursday 9.12: Countervisions: pp. 23-39
Orientals: Ch. 3 and 4, read pp. 113-117, (and pp.117-144 if you have time, skim the rest)
Suggested Reading
Moving the Image: pp. 156-170
Screening Asian Americans: pp. 21-52
Hypersexuality of Race: Ch. 3, pp. 58-101
Required Film/Video

DAUGHTER OF THE DRAGON (1934) Directed by Lloyd Corrigan
Suggested Viewing (last two films starring Anna May Wong)
THE MASK OF FU MANCHU (1932) Directed by Charles Brabin, 67 min.
CHU CHIN CHOW (1934) Directed by Walter Forde
SHANGHAI EXPRESS (1932) Directed by Josef von Sternberg
Powerpoint for this week


 

Week 3: The 'Good' Chinese Vs. The 'Bad' Japanese - The Good Earth,
Paper #1 Assignment
Required Reading
Tuesday 9.17: Moving the Image: pp. 125-132
Paper #1 assignment
Thursday 9.19: No reading, work on paper #1
Required Film/Video

THE GOOD EARTH (1937) Directed by Sidney Franklin, 138 min. (Note: running time for this film is over 2 hours)
Suggested Viewing
DRAGON SEED (1944) Directed by Jack Conway, 148 mins.
Powerpoint for this week



 

Week 4: Assimilation, Model Minorities and the Cold War - Flower Drum Song
Required Reading
Tuesday 9.24: Orientals: Ch 5 pp. 145-179
Film Festival project assignment
Thursday 9.26: Screening Asian Americans: pp. 21-52
Suggested Reading
Countervisions: pp. 40-58
Hypersexuality of Race: Ch. 3, pp. 77-101
Romance and the "Yellow Peril": Ch. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 ,
Required Film/Video

FLOWER DRUM SONG (1961) Directed by Henry Koster, 133 mins. (Note: running time for this film is over 2 hours)
Suggested Viewing
SAYONARA (1957) Directed by Joshua Logan
LOVE IS A MANY-SPLENDORED THING (1955) Directed by Henry King
THE CRIMSON KIMONO (1959) Directed by Sam Fuller
THE WORLD OF SUZIE WONG (1960) Directed by Richard Quine
Powerpoint for this week


 

Week 5: Birth of Asian American Independent Films / Early Asian American Documentaries, Film Festival Project Assignment
Paper #1 Due

Required Reading
Tuesday 10.1: Screening Asian Americans: pp. 101-110
Due date for paper #1
Please email your paper as an MS Word attachment (with ".doc" or ".docx" suffix) by 5PM
Thursday 10.3:
Optional Reading
"Claiming A Voice: Speech, 'Voice', and Subjectivity in Early Asian American Independent Media" in The Routledge Companion to Asian American Media- book chapter on Asian American voice in early independent media by Prof. Ma
Required Film/Video
HOMECOMING GAME (1970) by Danny Kwan, 20 min.
YELLOW BROTHERHOOD (1970) by Brian Maeda, 10 min.
WONG SINSAANG (1971) by Eddie Wong, 11 min.- In class
MANZANAR (1970) by Robert Nakamura, 16 min.
SLEEPWALKER (1971-2) by Laura Ho, 12 min.- In class
Suggested Reading
Ghostlife of Third Cinema , Ch 2, pp. 25-53
Suggested Viewing
CLAIMING A VOICE: THE VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS STORY (1990) by Arthur Dong, 60 mins
Powerpoint for this week



 

Week 6: Notions of Community, Part I - The Fall of The I Hotel
Paper #2 Assignment
Required Reading
Tuesday 10.8: No reading, view work for the Film Festival and prepare to discuss programming ideas
Paper #2 assignment
Thursday 10.10: Moving the Image: pp. 10-39
Student Presenters: Jackie, Kristine, Patrick
Required Film/Video
THE FALL OF THE I HOTEL (1977-83) by Curtis Choy, 58 min.
Suggested Viewing
CRUISIN' J-TOWN (1976) Directed by Duane Kubo
Powerpoint for this week

Site Visit: Friday 10.11 5PM
Visual Communications: 120 Judge John Aiso St., Los Angeles, CA 90012-3805 (213) 680-4462

Guest Speaker Abraham Ferrer, Co-Director, Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Fesitval
Link to Metrolink (train) schedule

 


 

Week 7: Notions of Community, Part II - Chan is Missing
Required Reading
Tuesday 10.15: No reading, finishing viewing work for the Film Festival, programming finalized
Thursday 10.17: Screening Asian Americans: pp. 185-216
Student Presenters: Alissa, Bry, Emma, Xiao
Required Film/Video
CHAN IS MISSING (1981) by Wayne Wang, 80 min .
Suggested Reading
Out of the Shadows: pp. 177-182
Moving The Image: pp. 71-73
Suggested Viewing
HITO HATTA: RAISE THE BANNER (1980) Directed by Duane Kubo and Robert A. Nakamura
Powerpoint for this week



 

Week 8: Fall Break, Film Festival Programming
Paper #2 Due
Tuesday 10.22: Fall Break - No Class Meeting
Thursday 10.24: Programming and logistics for Film Festival
No reading or viewing this week, other than fesitval-related work
Due date for paper #2
Please email your paper as an MS Word attachment (with ".doc" or ".docx" suffix) by 5PM


 

Week 9: Meanwhile, in Hollywood...
Final Paper/Project Options
Required Reading
Tuesday 10.29: Romance and The 'Yellow Peril": pp. 202-221
Thursday 10.31: Orientals: Ch 6 pp. 180-203
Student Presenters: Amber, Emmanuel, Hugo
Required Film/Video
YEAR OF THE DRAGON (1985) by Michael Cimino, 136 min.
Suggested Reading
Orientals: Ch 6 pp. 203-231 Ch. 7-8
Suggested Viewing
RISING SUN (1993) Directed by Philip Kaufman, 129 mins.
Powerpoint for this week





Week 10: Contemporary Topics 1 - Asian American Feature Films
Final Paper/Project Abstracts Due
Student Presenters: Ellen, Isaiah, Karen, Soren
Required Reading

Tuesday 11.5: Screening Asian Americans: pp. 217-235
Thursday 11.7: Unthinking Eurocentrism: pp. 178-219
Required Film/Video
MISSISSIPPI MASALA (US, 1991) Directed by Mira Nair, 118 mins.
Suggested Reading
Screening Asian Americans: pp. 273-298
Moving the Image
: PP. 173-184
Suggested Viewing
DIM SUM: A LITTLE BIT OF HEART (1985) Directed by Wayne Wang
THE WEDDING BANQUET (1993) Directed by Ang Lee
THE JOY LUCK CLUB (1993) Directed by Wayne Wang
MASALA (Canada, 1993) Directed by Srinivas Krishna
Powerpoint for this week



 

Week 11: Contemporary Topics 2 - Asian Americas and Porn
Required Reading

Tuesday 11.12: "Looking For My Penis: The Eroticized Asian in Gay Video Porn" by Richard Fung, in Asian American Sexualities, pp. 181-198.
Thursday 11.14: The Hypersexuality of Race, Ch. 5, pp.140-184, Countervisions: pp. 59-89 (skim both, read Hypersexuality of Race if you have time)
Required Film/Video

CHINESE CHARACTERS (1986) Directed by Richard Fung, 21 mins.
MASTERS OF THE PILLOW (2003) Directed by James Hou, 58 mins.
SEX: THE ANNABEL CHONG STORY (1999) Dir. Gough Lewis - excerpt screened in class
FOREVER BOTTOM! (1999) Directed by Nguyen Tan Hoang, 4 min. - screened in class
Suggested Reading
The Hypersexuality of Race, Ch. 3, 4, 6, 7
Nguyen Tan Hoang, A View From the Bottom: Asian American Masculinity and Sexual Representation, Duke Univ. Press, 2014. Ch. 1, 2, 3
"The Resurrection of Brandon Lee: The Making of a Gay Asian American Porn Star" by Nguyen Tan Hoang, in Porn Studies, pp. 223-270
Screening Asian Americans: pp. 243-252
Suggested Viewing
THE WORLD’S BIGGEST GANG BANG (1999) Dir. Greg Alves - this is a hardcore porn video, which we have in the A/V Collection for educational use. If you are interested in viewing for further research, please come and talk to me for access to the title.
SLANTED VISION (1995) Directed by Ming-Yuen S. Ma - this is my experimental video exploring queer Asian sexuality, in which there is a section on porn. If you are interested in viewing for further research, please come and talk to me for access to the title.
Powerpoint for this week


 


Week 12: Contemporary Topics 3 - Asian American Social Media Influencers
Student Presenters: Isha, Katie, Kenzo, Maddie
No required film or video for this week. Instead, select one case study of Asian American Social Media (e.g. a web site, a blogger or influencer, a twitter account, a meme, a controversy, a campaign, a viral moment) to present to the class for about 5 minutes, and connect your presentation to one idea or theory from the class reading.
Required Reading
Tuesday 11.19: "Asian Personal Style Superbloggers and the Material Conditions and Contexts of Asian Fashion Work" by Minh-Ha T Pham, introduction to Asian Wear Clothes on the Internet :Race, Gender, and the Work of Personal Style Blogging, Duke University Press, 2015, pp. 1-39.
Thursday 11.21: "Asian America Gone Viral: A Geneology of Asian American YouTubers and Memes" by Lori Kido Lopez, pp. 157-169 and "Reflectiond on #Solidarity: Intersectional Movements in AAPI Communities" by Rachel Kuo, pp. 181-194, both in The Routledge Companion to Asian American Media.
Suggested Reading
Vanessa Au, "Using the Tools of the YouTube Generation: How to Serve Communities Through Asian American Film Festivals" in The Routledge Companion to Asian American Media, pp.74-82.
Elizabeth Nathanson, "Dressed for Economic Distress: Blogging and the 'New Pleasures' of Fashion", in Gendering the Recession: Media and Culture in the Age of Austerity, Diane Negra and Yvonne Tasker, eds., Duke University Press, 2014, pp. 136-160.
Leilani Nishime, "'Stunning': Digital Protraits of Mixed Race Families from Slate to Tumblr", in The Routledge Companion to Asian American Media, pp. 131-141.
Powerpoint for this week


Week 13: Contemporary Topics, Thanksgiving Holiday
Tuesday 11.26: Film Festival Program Presentation - Group 1
Thursday 11.28: Thanksgiving Holiday - NO CLASS MEETING





Week 14: Festival Project Review, Contemporary Topics 3
Final Paper/Project Draft Due
Tuesday 12.3:Film Festival Program Presentation - Group 2
Draft of Final Paper Due (hand in 2 copies) + work-in-progress presentation for final projects
Thursday 12.5: Film Festival Program Presentation - Group 3




Week 15: Last Week of Class
Final Paper/Project Peer Review Due
No Reading or Class Screening This Week
Tuesday 12.10: Film Festival Program Presentation - Group 4 class evaluation, wrap-up discussion/ class party, Peer Review of Final Paper / Project Due (hand in 2 copies)
Thursday 12.12: No class meeting - go to IMS Capstone Presentations
Individual meetings Please make appointment to meet with me this week if you want to discuss your final paper/project before the deadline next week

Final Paper Due Tuesday 12.17 (Tuesday of Finals Week)

 

<Back to Course Listing

Back to top