Paul Ong
CUNY Graduate Center
Ph.D. Program in Sociology
Fall 2011
Course: Asian American Studies Scholarship: Alternative Approaches
Course Syllabus: PDF
One of the major challenges facing Asian American Studies (and ethnic studies in general) is defining a set of reasonable and acceptable scholarly and creative activities. Three salient factors have shaped AAS: an activist historical root, expansive coverage in terms of diverse populations and multiple issues, and the inclusion of scholars and creative agents from disperate disciplines and traditions. Given this framework, it is critical for those pursuing AAS to have an exposure to and appreciation for alternative paradigms and epistemologies. The course will cover three major social science disciplines (sociology, economics and political science) focusing on both academic and applied research and publications. Although the course utilizes examples from Asian American Studies, many of the lessons are applicable to other fields.
Russell C. Leong
Hunter College/CUNY
Department of English / Asian American Studies Program
Spring 2012
Course: Asian and American Literatures: Writing New York & LA
Course Syllabus: PDF
New York–“the Big Apple” and L.A. –“the Big Orange”–have spawned writers-and their novels, essays, creative non-fiction and other literary genres since the settlement of the two areas. From Korean immigrant Younghill Kang’s East Goes West–to Indian American writer Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake–and Frank Chin’s Bulletproof Buddhists–these regions have provided rich material for the literary imaginary of the ethnic American writer. This course will contrast and compare approaches to modern 20th and 2lst writing about NY and LA–from primarily an Asian American perspective—and the larger metropolitan and suburban areas for which they are the locus. While the emphasis is on writers of Asian descent, selected Latino and African writers who write about about these locales will be utilized as points of comparison, style, and voice, since both cities are truly multiracial and multicultural. A number of historical literary works e.g. Younghill Kang, Louis Chu, will also be included as point of comparison.
The CUNY Thomas Tam Visiting Professor will perform teaching, research, and guidance duties in area(s) of expertise as noted below; and share responsibility for committee and department assignments, performing administrative, supervisory, and other functions as assigned.
The Tam Visiting Professor will be based at one of the four CUNY campuses participating in the search, Brooklyn College, Hunter College, Queens College or the Graduate Center. He or she will teach one class a semester at that campus and will engage with students and faculty members during the appointment. The Tam Visiting Professor will participate in public events designed to raise the visibility of scholarship in Asian American studies. This will include working closely with the Asian American / Asian Research Institute (AAARI).
