American Ethnic Fiction and Social Science

Winter 2003

English 410/510

American Ethnic Fiction and Social Science

MWF1:00-1:50pm, 301 CON

Professor Tolentino

Office hours:Tuesdays, 12-3pm and by appointment, 444 PLC

Phone:346-0061

E-mail:

This course examines the relationship of race and social science in twentieth-century African American and Asian American fiction. Through a selection of fiction, critical essays, and film, we will study how African American and Asian American writers evaluate concepts of racial difference.We will pay particular attention to the processes by which fiction writers borrow from social science methods and rhetorical forms to interpret and revise dominant narratives of race and progress.

Texts can be purchased at Mother Kali’s Bookstore (13thand Hilyard).Required xeroxed readings are available at The Copy Shop, 539 E. 13thSt (marked * on syllabus). Books, required articles, and recommended readings can also be found at the Knight Library Reserve desk.

Texts

Chang-rae Lee,Native Speaker

Michael Omi and Howard Winant,Racial Formation in the United States

Colson Whitehead,The Intuitionist

Jade Snow Wong,Fifth Chinese Daughter

Henry Yu,Thinking Orientals:Migration, Contact, and Exoticism in Modern America

Written Assignments and Grading

Undergraduates:

Oral Group Presentation – 30 minutes (30%)

Presentations should summarize major points from the assigned texts and facilitate class discussion using examples. Students should meet with me the Tuesday before the presentation.

Five critical response essays - 1-2 page, typed, double-spaced. (20%)

These essays should demonstrate that you have read and understood the concepts in the readings assigned for that week. Critical response essays for readings in Weeks 10 and 11 are required; you may choose three sets of readings from the other weeks in the term.Due at the beginning of class every Friday.

Two 4-5 page essays. (50%) I will provide topics for these essays. Due Jan. 24 and Feb. 28.

Graduate Students:

One short essay – 5-6 pages; due Feb. 7. This essay should provide a solid and comparative analysis of two texts of your choice (30%)

Oral Presentation based on short papers on Feb. 7 – approx. 15-20 minutes.Presentations should briefly summarize the argument, major points, and theoretical possibilities of your paper, with references to specific examples from the texts (20%)

One research paper 10-12 pages.Due March 14.You should meet with me to discuss your project before the due date (50%)

Part 1Theorizing Difference and Development

Week 1Constructing Racial “Problems” and “Solutions”

M1/6Introductions; Go over syllabus and assignments

W1/8Richard Wright, “How Bigger Was Born”; 1-15*

F1/10Gunnar Myrdal, “The Negro Problem as a Moral Issue”; lxxvii-xci

“America’s Opportunity”; 1021-1024*

Ralph Ellison,“An American Dilemma:A Review.”

Shadow and Act;303-317*

Week 2Race, Experience, Narrative

M1/13Omi and Winant, “Paradigms of Race, Ethnicity, Class and Nation”; 1-50

W1/15Joan Scott, “The Evidence of Experience”; 773-797*

F1/17James Clifford,“On Ethnographic Allegory”; 98-121*

Edward Said, excerpt fromOrientalism.384-387*

Part 2Racializing Progress

Week 3Native Informants/Race and Domesticity

M1/20No class – Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday

W1/22Henry Yu, on the “Oriental Problem” in America, “Wanted:

Interpreters and Informants-Orientals, Please Apply”;

Thinking Orientals. 23-46; 93-110

Recommended:Henry Yu, “Language of Discontent:Using the Stranger’s Perspective.”Thinking Orientals. 111-148.

F1/24Ann Petry, “Like a Winding Sheet” and excerpt fromThe Street*

Paper 1 due (undergraduates)

Week 4Personal Development/US Expansion

M1/27Jade Snow Wong,Fifth Chinese Daughter

Recommended:Judy Yung, fromUnbound Feet:A Social History of Chinese Women in San Francisco

W1/29Presentations onFifth Chinese Daughter

F1/31Jade Snow Wong,Fifth Chinese Daughter

Omi and Winant, Racial Formation; 48-76; Omi and Winant,

The Racial State; 77-91

Week 5Changing Concepts of Race, Agency, Mobility

M2/3Omi and Winant, “The Great Transformation”;

95-112; “Race and Reaction”; 113-136

W2/5Henry Yu,Thinking Orientals; 151-172; 198-204

F2/7Graduate student presentations/papers due

Week 6

M2/10Colson Whitehead,The Intuitionist; 1-65

W2/12Colson Whitehead,The Intuitionist; 69-140

Presentations onThe Intuitionist

F2/14Colson Whitehead,The Intuitionist; 145-255

Week 7

M2/17Chang Rae Lee,Native Speaker; 1-171

W2/19Chang Rae Lee,Native Speaker; 172-258

Presentations onNative Speaker

F2/21Chang Rae Lee,Native Speaker; 259-349*

Week 8

M2/24Cynthia Kadohata,The Floating World; 1-44*

W2/26Cynthia Kadohata,The Floating World; 45-80*

Presentations onThe Floating World

F2/28Cynthia Kadohata,The Floating World; 109-133*

Paper 2 due (undergraduates)

Part 3Visualizing Civilization

Week 9

M3/3Timothy Mitchell, “Orientalism and the Exhibitionary Order”; 289-317*

W3/5Robert Rydell,“Introduction” and “The Louisiana Purchase Exposition,

St. Louis, 1904:The Coronation of Civilization.” 2-8; 154-183*

F3/7Video clips and discussion of “A World on Display”

(dir. Eric Breitbart, 1994)

Week 10

M3/10Video Clips and Discussion of “Bontoc Eulogy” (dir. Marlon Fuentes)

W3/12Video Clips and Discussion of “Bontoc Eulogy” (dir. Marlon Fuentes)

Presentations on “A World on Display” and “Bontoc Eulogy”

F3/14James Clifford, “On Collecting Art and Culture” and Toni Morrison,

“The Site of Memory”;Out/There:Marginalization and Contemporary Culture. 141-169; 299-305*