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

r-6— Institutional Imperative s Affecting th e Teachin g o f Asia n American Literatur e Insid e an d Outside th e Pacifi c Ri m Noelle Brada-Williams This chapte r juxtapose s teachin g experience s a t severa l U S universities — tw o o n th e easter n edg e o f th e Pacifi c Ri m and on e nea r th e cente r o f th e Nort h America n continen t — i n orde r t o answer question s abou t ho w ou r teachin g technique s shoul d respon d t o changes withi n th e field o f Asian American literar y an d cultura l studies . This juxtaposition o f teachin g experience s raise s man y question s an d a fe w answers. It i s my hop e tha t a fe w o f m y observation s ma y b e applicabl e t o classrooms outsid e o f th e Unite d States . I n th e las t 11 5 years , interes t i n ethnic America n literatur e ha s grow n i n th e Unite d States , eve n i n area s that have traditionaUy been raciaU y homogeneous. Forms o f student-centere d teaching hav e als o grow n in importance ; ye t ho w doe s on e involv e one' s students i n shapin g a cours e dealin g wit h Asia n American literatur e whe n they ma y neve r hav e bee n expose d t o Asia n America n cultur e excep t vi a stereotypes an d prejudices ? Althoug h ethni c studie s requirement s i n U S institutions encourag e a U students t o becom e expose d t o culture s othe r tha n their own , th e actua l structur e o f suc h requirement s i n America n school s and universitie s ofte n dictate s tha t a relativel y sma U numbe r o f text s mus t stand i n a s 'representative ' o f whol e communities , eve n whol e races . This synecdochic logi c persist s despit e th e ris e o f anti-foundationalis t theorie s of identity . I n summary , m y chapte r i s abou t th e institutiona l imperative s that ac t a s obstacle s t o th e effectiv e teachin g o f Asia n America n — an d perhaps a U multi-ethnic — literatur e a t the introductor y leve l in th e Unite d States. 68 Noelle Brada- Williams The first tim e I eve r taugh t a cours e specializin g i n Asia n America n literature wa s i n 1992 . I wa s a graduat e teachin g assistan t runnin g tw o undergraduate discussio n section s o f a clas s caUe d 'Introductio n t o Asia n American Literature' , offere d b y th e Asia n America n Studie s Departmen t at th e Universit y o f California , Sant a Barbara . The clas s wa s bot h a part o f the lowe r divisio n requirement s fo r Asian American Studie s major s an d on e way o f satisfyin g th e university-wid e ethnicit y requirement . I wa s workin g for a professor wh o i s one o f the mos t engagin g lecturers I know, and I ha d some voca l an d brigh t student s wh o wer e no t onl y wiUin g t o offe r thei r own interpretation s bu t sometime s additiona l information from thei r persona l experiences tha t helped , i n combinatio n wit h Professo r Lim' s lecture s an d secondary readin g material , t o contextualiz e th e literature . However , tha t year als o brough t on e o f th e mor e disturbin g interaction s i n m y teachin g career. A whit e sociolog y majo r cam e t o m y office , upse t wit h wha t h e sa w as the unfair rigo...

Share