Why and How Should We Teach Asian American History?

This synopsis of an interview conducted on March 12, 2021 reflects an interview conducted by Sohyun An and Ritu Radhakrishnan with Dr. Erika Lee, Regents Professor of History and Asian American Studies at the University of Minnesota. This interview took place during a time of extreme violence perpetrated against the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Our conversation was subdued and anxious. However, we recognized the importance of Dr. Lee's scholarship and knowledge in framing this special issue. Our focus during this interview was to provide a context for how Asian Americans are experiencing current events and how these events have been informed by history. As a result, Dr. Lee offers a perspective on why and how we should teach Asian American history.

Afterword: Transnational Asian Studies—Toward More Inclusive Theory and Practice

Based on the articles in this “Global Asias” forum, this essay proposes that in order to build a meaningful bridge between Asian studies and Asian American studies, we must first face what needs to be critically overcome in Asian studies itself: persistent white male domination of the field, on the one hand, and historical role that the United States has played in Asia, on the other. One possibility is to adopt a transnational Asian studies approach, which advocates bringing Asian studies and Asian American studies together while also envisioning radical interdisciplinarity across Asian studies and African American studies, Latino/a studies, and Asian American studies. The key to pursuing such an approach would be to create a teaching and research environment of inclusion and collaboration.

The Challenge of Studying the Pacific as a “Global Asia”: Problematizing Deep-Rooted Institutional Hindrances for Bridging Asian Studies and Asian American Studies

This essay aims to address the structural barriers that deter the study of “Global Asias”—or even something smaller in scale, the study of the “Pacific”—in the context of the institutional split between Asian studies and Asian American studies.

Bridging Work and Global Asias: Stars and Sandbars

Proposals for Global Asias as an emerging field that “bridges” Asian studies and Asian American studies should attend to the residual debris of older understandings of global bridging work. This response explores two motifs for speculating about what bridging work in Global Asias could be: stars, as understood in terms of interimperial constellations, and sandbars, as a metaphor for more local, coalitional, and temporary aggregations.

Introduction

In the twenty-first century, Asian American studies has turned increasingly toward diasporic and transnational frameworks, even as some scholars have raised concerns about the loss of an Asian American identity and politics grounded in cultural nationalism. Drawing in part on the work of Paul Gilroy, I propose a new theory of “Asian diaspora” in which “Asian” identity emerges from a dialectic of national and transnational forces. Since the 1970s, this category of Asian identification has circulated among the United States, Canada, and Australia, white settler colonies with histories of Asian immigration and exclusion. The work of Asian poets in these locations registers, in content and form, the history of diaspora that gives rise to Asian identity.

Do Chinese associations facilitate second-generation Chinese-Trinidadians to integrate into the wider society?

This research project explores Chinese Associations in Trinidad and their relationship with second-generation Chinese-Trinidadians. It asks whether Chinese Associations facilitate the integration of these individuals into the wider Trinidadian society. This is a qualitative research project that involves content analysis of published literature surrounding this topic, case study analysis, and interviews with second-generation Chinese-Trinidadians. The discussions in this research include: the history of Chinese migration to the West Indies, the role of Chinese Associations for migrants, and the sense of belonging to the Chinese community for second-generation Chinese-Trinidadians. The potential benefits of this research include spreading further awareness and understanding of Chinese diasporic experiences in the fields of Caribbean and Asian American studies, and enriching the understanding of immigration and settlement strategies used by diasporic populations more generally. Key words: Chinese migration, integration, creolization, imagined community

Do Chinese associations facilitate second-generation Chinese-Trinidadians to integrate into the wider society?

This research project explores Chinese Associations in Trinidad and their relationship with second-generation Chinese-Trinidadians. It asks whether Chinese Associations facilitate the integration of these individuals into the wider Trinidadian society. This is a qualitative research project that involves content analysis of published literature surrounding this topic, case study analysis, and interviews with second-generation Chinese-Trinidadians. The discussions in this research include: the history of Chinese migration to the West Indies, the role of Chinese Associations for migrants, and the sense of belonging to the Chinese community for second-generation Chinese-Trinidadians. The potential benefits of this research include spreading further awareness and understanding of Chinese diasporic experiences in the fields of Caribbean and Asian American studies, and enriching the understanding of immigration and settlement strategies used by diasporic populations more generally. Key words: Chinese migration, integration, creolization, imagined community