Department of Ethnic Studies & Asian American Studies Program

1. ETHN 14: Introduction to Asian American Studies Department of Ethnic Studies & Asian American Studies Program California State University, Sacramento Week 9 Session 2 Midterm Review

2. Last Time • Impact of the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965 on the API community • Discuss the Southeast Asian American experiences in the United States • Introduce midterm essay topics

3. Today • Strategies for preparing for the midterm: • Creating the proper mindset for preparing for and performing in exam situations. • Interpreting the prompts • Developing theses from the evidence • Creating an outline • Making an argument

4. Developing a Positive Exam Mindset • “Respect and expectation go hand-in-hand” • FCP success: • More students are set to graduate than non-participating CSUS students • Higher GPAs • More students report stronger ties to peers, staff, and faculty • Increased use of campus resources • Exams are opportunities for feedback and to improve academic skills. Try not to think of them as judgments of your intelligence or self-worth.

6. Developing a Positive Exam Mindset • Preparation = Confidence • “Feel into the stress” and respond to it. • Tend to your health: Eat, sleep, and exercise well. • Working with others can help you to cope and recognize progress. • Having a plan helps to alleviate feeling overwhelmed and defeated.

7. Mid-Term Format Monday, 11/2 • Three to four analytical essay topics will be developed from our class’s cross-group analysis work. You will write on two of them but will need to be prepared for all four. Wednesday, 11/4 • Four identification terms. Short essay explanation of their significance to the API experience and the class.

8. Suggested Strategy • Interpret the prompt • Explore possible evidence • Synthesize evidence into a thesis • Check to make sure the thesis and evidence respond to all of the prompt • Outline your essay • Make an argument. • Do more than summarize. • Explain how your evidence proves your thesis!

9. Topic 1: Sociopolitical Context of API Immigration Asian American Studies scholars routinely situate the emergence of the umbrella term “API” within a historical context of national expansion, colonization, and marketplace dominance. As a result, a central dimension of the collective Asian and Pacific Islander American experience is strong similarities in the sociopolitical context of arrival to and settlement in the United States among different national origin groups. Develop and defend a thesis that characterizes this shared experience with regard to U.S. national interest, labor market conditions, and immigration policy. • The term API came about when the United States expanded, took over other countries, and grew its economy. • A commonality shared by different API groups is that each is connected to this history of expansion, colonization, and globalization (international market dominance). • Create a defendable statement about what these groups have in common as illustrated through the U.S.’s goals, labor needs, and immigration policy.

13. Topic 2: Cultural Representations, Discrimination, and Maintaining Privilege Numerous stereotypes experienced by API groups reflect a history of orientalism, or an assumption by westerners that easterners are “cultural others.” Some examples include yellow peril, perpetual foreigners, and the model minority. Oftentimes, representations like these justify forms of discrimination. Develop and argue a thesis that explores how cultural representations of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans promote and maintain a system of material wealth and privilege for those of the dominant culture in the United States.

17. Topic 3: Structural Influences on Acculturation Historically, social scientists viewed ethnic group arrival, settlement, and adaptation through the lens of assimilation. The guiding assumption of their analyses was that all groups eventually lose their cultural differences to become part of the dominant group. In more recent decades, scholars moved away from assimilation theory to acculturation theory. Acculturation theory rejects the “all or nothing” and linear view of culture (culture does not “get lost,” it evolves). Instead, ethnic group arrival, settlement, and adaptation are viewed as negotiations, or an ongoing process of “picking and choosing” between cultural rituals, forms, values, and influences. Develop and argue a thesis that explores how structural factors influenced API acculturation in the United States.

21. To Prepare for Next Session Review for Midterm Exam A list of possible identification terms will be posted to the course website by Friday evening.