Asian Pacific Islanders Americans in the Civil Rights Movement explores the civil rights movement with an overview of how state and federal laws have affected the A/PIA experience and presence in the United States. The course is a combination of lectures, discussion, and guest lectures and films. By examining different topics each week, we cover the history timeline, Chinese and Asian exclusion laws, alien land laws, WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans, anti-Asian hate crimes, Hawaiian sovereignty, and anti-Asian racism during the Covid pandemic.
The course is unique in bringing in several guest speakers to provide their eye witness recollections and analysis, as well as a number of films.
Students will gain an understanding of the complex issues surrounding the history of A/PIAs as affected by the law. Students will contextualize the continuities and changes in the lives of people in the community. Students will establish their takeaways through a weekly journal and a term paper on a topic of one’s choice.
Intended Audience:
The course is accessible to undergraduates of all levels.