AAS 3515 - The Asian American Middle Class

(crosslisted) HIST 3515
(HA-AS)

Fall. 4 credits.

C. Lau.

The Asian American middle class is defined by having a certain level of education, bourgeoisie sets of manners, investment in home ownership, professional qualifications such as a doctor or an engineer, and participation in popular culture. This course takes a historical, cultural, and social perspective of the rise of the Asian American Middle Class from the late nineteenth century to the current day. How did Asian Americans become part of the American middle class? Did the middle class experience racism differently compared to the working class? And although many Asian Americans strived to belong to the middle class, what are the limits of middle-class Asian American politics and lifestyle? We will cover topics such as immigration, imperialism, family politics, second generation, popular culture, model minority, education, and suicides.