Gened 1206. Asian Americans as an American Paradox

Instructor: Ju Yon Kim, Erika Lee, and Taeku Lee
Tuesday, 12:00-2:45pm | Location: TBD
 

How have paradoxical conceptions of Asian Americans informed Asian American history, culture, and politics, shaping modern America and the world?

This course examines how paradoxical conceptions of Asian Americans have informed the identities, experiences, and political and creative contributions of peoples of Asian descent in the United States while shaping national debates concerning race relations, immigration, and foreign policy. We will explore the contradictory positions Asian Americans have had to occupy as both colonial subjects and settlers, “model minorities” and “the yellow peril,” foreign friends and enemies, and people of color and “honorary whites,” and consider their implications for US and transnational histories, politics, and culture.

This course is part of the Gen Ed lottery and has an enrollment cap. To participate in the lottery, you must request permission to enroll and rank your choices through my.harvard by 11:59 p.m. EST Wednesday, November 12, 2025.