In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

: 4 Reading a Foreig n Place : Geography an d America n Literature Sheila Hones Defining American Studies in Asia One o f th e onl y definin g characteristic s tha t i t seem s possibl e t o m e t o identify withi n th e widesprea d an d richl y varie d practic e o f 'America n Studies i n Asia ' i s th e somewha t obviou s poin t tha t i t i s engage d i n th e study o f something foreign. Although 'America', in a myriad variet y o f forms , is indisputabl y presen t throughou t th e region , th e academi c practic e o f American Studie s i s nonetheles s largel y a stud y o f foreig n places , cultures , histories, way s o f thinking , languages , an d texts . This foreig n worl d ma y weU have loca l significance , an d i t may b e a matter o f self-interest fo r Asian students t o develo p a n understandin g o f the U S (an d a competenc e i n th e foreign language s spoke n there) , but, in m y understanding , a significant par t of the attractio n tha t American Studie s hold s for student s livin g outsid e th e US come s from th e fac t tha t it s context s an d material s ar e not local , not obvious, an d not eas y t o grasp. 1 This, a t least , is th e vie w I hav e develope d throug h m y experienc e a s a Europea n Americanis t workin g i n Japan ; becaus e i t seem s t o m e tha t American Studie s i n Japan, when define d as 'American Studie s i n Japan', is at it s bes t a creativel y interpretativ e practic e bor n o f curiosit y abou t difference. And where American Studie s as practiced within th e United State s might focu s o n differenc e within a coUective nationa l identity , a coUectiv e identity tha t ough t presumabl y t o includ e th e America n student , i n Japa n 42 Sheila Hones this curiosit y abou t differenc e wi U ofte n com e first fro m th e student' s sens e of differenc e from th e America n nationa l identity . An d o f cours e thi s separating difference , thi s distance , i s par t o f wha t make s th e subjec t s o interesting. This ma y seem , again , too obviou s t o nee d mentioning , bu t i n my experience , students outsid e th e U S ar e not s o much lookin g t o identif y with America n themes , texts , and peopl e a s t o satisf y thei r curiosit y abou t them. In stressin g her e th e importanc e o f a differenc e from, a s oppose d t o a difference within, I do no t wan t t o giv e the impressio n tha t Japanese student s in American Studie s classe s imagin e th e U S a s a homogeneous an d unitar y culture. O n th e contrary , par t o f th e fascinatio n wit h America n lif e an d history fo r man y non-America n student s seem s t o m e t o li e precisely i n it s enormous diversit y and its compHcated recor d o f cultural and ethni c conflict , accommodation, segregatio n an d integration . This highl y visibl e presenc e of difference within th e foreig n subject , i n othe r words , is actuaU y crucia l t o the sens e of difference from, whic h inspire s th e curiosity . The exten t t o which , say, Japanese societ y reall y ca n justifiably b e characterize d a s ethnicaU y an d culturally homogeneou s i s obviousl y ope n t o question , but nonetheles s fo r many Japanes e student s on e o f th e mos t...

Share