Ethnic Studies Commons^™

“Filipinos In California, Community, And Identity”: A Personal Inquiry, Sam T. Mcclintock

The Forum: Journal of History

No abstract provided.

The Ainu, Meiji Era Politics, And Its Lasting Impacts: A Historical Analysis Of Racialization, Colonization, And The Creation Of State And Identity In Relation To Ainu-Japanese History, Bri Lambright

History Summer Fellows

On March 2nd, 1899, the Meiji government of Japan passed the Hokkaido Former Natives Protection Act. At its core, the act stripped the Ainu of their indigenous identity, labeling the group as ‘former aborigines’ and forcing every member into Japanese citizenship. In an instant, the Ainu became erased in an official capacity from the consciousness of the state and its people, a condition that would last well over 109 years when in 2008 the Japanese state finally acknowledged the Ainu as an indigenous group. What is often not acknowledged is that the implementation and subsequent enforcement of the Protection Act …

Belief And Belonging: A Case Study Of The Maronite In San Antonio, Texas, Rose Karam

Theses & Dissertations

This study focuses on a religious group in America and how it has managed to engage the third and fourth generations who have assimilated into the American cultural milieu while maintaining allegiance to the Church of Lebanon-the Maronite Catholic church. Understanding the history of the Lebanese American people and their connection to this Church is essential when studying this group because it offers a deep awareness of the existing phenomena in America, the natural progression of an immigrant population, and its subsequent generation’s progression into the American society. Most of these individuals in this study are the descendants of the …

A Look At Asian American Studies, Emery Mckee, Ryan Caragher, Emma Rohrer, Gabe Velazquez

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

Our Zine hopes to cover the multitude of topics discussed in our Intro to Asian American Studies class. Each section is based on a reading relevant to a specific subject covered in the class, whether that be the history of Japanese internment camps or the globalization of the Filipino workforce. After a deeper analysis of the history and tradition in each reading, our zine also focuses on the social, political, and intellectual significance of Asian American articles and stories. There are many significant facts and key ideas that truly speak for themselves on the issues and events being discussed along …

From The Yellow Peril To The Model Minority: A History Of Asian American Immigration, Annabelle Jefferies, Ben Police, Jack Evenson, Sam Stiker

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

Throughout the past semester, our group has read books, interpreted art and propaganda, and grappled with ideas from scholars on the topic of Asian American immigration and assimilation into the society of the United States. The zines that were created in response to these different forms of media discuss this process of immigration and inclusion as a slow, ongoing process that began with Chinese immigrants in the late 19th century. They also investigate this historical process through a lens of prejudice and racism in our country as a result of global geopolitical events, such as the Vietnam War or the …

Introduction To Asian American Studies: Final Zine Project (5), Delaney Tax, Maria Zesbaugh, Ashley Montrezza

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

This zine allowed us to confront the ways in which colonization and its historical implications play into modern race relations. This is especially evident in the ways bodies are valued and devalued based on social location, birthplace, and racial appearance. Our weekly zines confronted the direct interactions between colonial violence and individuals, as well as their communities. We also worked to intentionally contrast this to the western construction of whiteness, and pulled from historical and modern examples of how whiteness has been weaponized against Asian communities in order to further marginalize them. Adjacency to whiteness, however, has also been used …

A Study Of Asian American Issues In The United States, Nicoline Pedersen, Krista Celo, Eden Stilman, Seren Ventullo

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

Throughout this zine you will explore a variety of obstacles that Asian Americans have faced in regards to their immigration and acclimation into American society and culture. Over the last century, individuals from Asia, the Middle East, and Africa have either migrated to America in hopes of a better life, or have been forced out of their homes due to war conflicts or as a necessity for cheap labor. Despite the means of their arrival, Americans have historically maintained an imperialistic outlook that America is the superior country. While the white American believes he is saving these transpacific countries from …

A Brief Journey Through Asian American History, Jordan Rahe, Julian-Ross Fernandez, Jefferson Kiyasu, Dylan Latham

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

In order to understand the complexities of the Asian American experience, readers must be able to comprehend how the past has built a foundation for the treatment of individuals both inside and outside of the Asian community. Based on various academic editorials and books, we have analyzed what we believe to be the most valuable historical facts, stories, and ideas and presented them in a way that provides the most important information along with our perceptions of each topic. This compilation of articles looks to bring largely unknown issues to the forefront of reader’s minds, in a pursuit to create …

(Re) Model Minority: A Discussion Of The Past And Present, Eden Concepcion, Jason Luu, Jannah Orbita, John Tran

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

PURPOSE. The purpose of this zine is to look at historical events that have influenced the way Asian American communities cope with injustices in the United States, and how Asian Americans have been treated throughout history and until now. Throughout this zine, we draw connections between the past and the present– some things may have changed, but others still remain the same. KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR... Analysis of Discriminatory Law Before & After Historical Analysis Satire PANDEMIC. With racial tensions towards Asian American high throughout the world because of COVID-19, it has become relevant to learn about the origins …

Asian American History And Politics, Rahaf Abdalkareem

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

Asian American Studies offers a scholarly avenue to discuss questions of racial inequality, domestic capitalism, and global imperialism. The debate also includes research on how Asian Americans of the first and second generations cope with adaptation and assimilation, in particular on their Americanization and active pursuit of higher education and prestigious professions in a community that still discriminates against them. In the United States, Asian American Studies focuses on the identities, historical and current perspectives of people and communities. Nationalism, migrants, Asian American masculinity, Asian American femininity, cultural politics, and media coverage are topics and concerns that are central in …

Introduction To Asian American Studies: Final Zine Project (1), Matthew Bohamed, Jakob Osland, Deshaun Harvey, Mikey Hawkins

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

This zine is an accumulation of all of the zines that our group has made throughout the semester based upon reading assignments covering a wide variety issues that affect Asian Americans in the United States. The following are some of the zine topics within this final accumulation of our zines throughout the semester, to give you an idea of what follows this introduction page. The first zine is based off a text from Erika Lee, titled “The Chinese Must Go!” which touches upon the anti-Chinese movement in the United States and the issues associated with movements against Chinese immigrant labor …

Introduction To Asian American Studies: Final Zine Project (2), Jason Redlew, William Jonathan Brown, Joey Provost, Maiki Kawakami

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

Over the course of this class, we have examined different perspectives on historical events and learned about how these events have impacted minority lives. This careful examination allows us to be self-critical of both our actions and the actions of our country. Each week, we were tasked with reading a piece of literature that critiques a historical event or provides a different interpretation. Our goal was to take the message of each reading and represent it through a creative magazine article, known as a zine. As we began this project, we had some trouble comprehending the deeper meaning behind the …

Introduction To Asian American Studies: Final Zine Project (3), Regina Gaffney, Jonny Mather, Conner Prendergast

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

Over the past few months, we have studied the importance of Asian American history. Specifically, the ideas of connecting: class, gender, sexuality, nationalism, war, colonialism and race to contemporary issues going on in the world today. The following is a collection of Zine format projects aimed at displaying key ideas in the research of American History. Each week contains new information and a different display format. Moreover, we have made connections to modern day issues in an attempt to demonstrate how learning from past events can influence decisions made in the future.

Peril, Pandemic, And Crisis: Asian American Studies, Alexis Desany, Carter Lawton, David Wiley

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

Hello and Welcome to our Zine!! We are so happy you stopped by! :) We were presented the opportunity to create a zine on Asian American studies through Josen Diaz’s ETHN course. Although this started out as a project, it became so much more to our group. We had the opportunity to explore different Asian American cultures, their history, and their influence on American culture and politics. This project allowed us to relate all of the historical readings from the Chinese Exclusion Act and the world wars to events that occur today. Over the semester, we developed our overall knowledge …

History, Culture, And Humanity: Contextualizing Modern Oppressions, Rosalyn Arvizu, Payton Asch, Thalia Petronelli

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

In our Fall 2020 Introduction to Asian American Studies class, small student cohorts were tasked with creating a zine page for the various concepts analyzed in class. We read many articles in relation to Asian American oppression, both globally and locally. This included topics such as the history of the Chinese Exclusion Act and the anti-Chinese movement, and the various racializations different Asian ethnicities faced. We read about the model minority myth and its prevalence after the Vietnam War, Korean War, and Cold War. Additionally, we discussed the militarization and radicalization of the United States' colonial projects in Hawai'i, Guam, …

History Of Asian Americans, Brittany Le, Christine Sivilay, Mollie Frager

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

For our History of Asian Americans project, we aimed to creatively showcase some of the important topics discussed in the readings throughout this course. Additionally, our group related these historical topics to modern day issues or personal experiences. This was particularly interesting due to the current events taking place this semester like COVID-19, BLM Movement, and the election. In our project, we strayed away from summaries and explanations as much as possible while still providing context. We aimed to use our creative and critical thinking to highlight certain underlying aspects of the readings we thought were important, but may not …

An Artistic Exploration Of Asian American Studies, Eileen Rhatigan, Alanah Winston, Myah Pace, Tristan Brown

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

No abstract provided.

Asian American Studies, Annie Ho, Vicky Liu, Benjamin Stephen

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

Asian Americans have faced a long heritage of exclusion and injustice in relation to race, class, gender, sexuality, colonialism, immigration, labor, and a myriad of other problems throughout their history, particularly during times of shifting demographics, economic crisis, or war. In today's society, these inequities go largely unnoticed and are not addressed as often as they should be. This zine is meant to bring those inequities to light and discuss the history of Asians in America. We cover a wide range of topics, from the Vietnam war, to Japanese concentration camps, to the “model minority” myth. Understanding the history of …

Bringing The Marginalized Into Conversations About American Raciality, Erin Kane, Keely Gaeta, Emily Norris

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

In this collection of analyses that explore the multi-faceted Asian American identity, we hoped to speak honestly about the Asian American condition. The Asian American condition is one of constantly being without a seat at the table of the American racial consciousness. This zine delves into Asian American identity through the lenses of history, psychology, and lived experience. The historical perspective of Asian American identity has been explored at the hands of the “benevolent” West. History is written by the victors. For Asian Americans, the victor has always been the United States meaning that the interpretation of their identity has …

The Asian American Experience, Isabel Poljakovic, Oriana Sampath, Ryan Cu

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

The following zine pages aim to provide insight into the global experiences of Asian Americans. There are many ethnicities encapsulated in the term Asian Americans. In addition, each ethnic group has unique experiences. Studying Asian American race and gender relations is essential in unpacking global power dynamics. This zine attempts to show the way Asian American experiences have evolved over time. It attempts to connect history to the present by showing how Asian Americans are still affected by events that happened centuries ago Through exploring specific historic events, this zine reveals how the U.S. constructed the “Asian American” racial category. …

Introduction To Asian American Studies: Final Zine Project (4), Lauren Hendrickson, Kelli Kufta, Madi Earnshaw, Hayley Lee

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

ABOUT US… We are a group of USD students studying Asian American history & politics. Over the course of the semester, we have studied histories of labor, migration, war, incarceration, and displacement. This course has allowed us to better understand the ways in which Asian American identity has emerged. This course has given us the tools necessary to explore Asian American history and to contextualize what we have learned so we can apply it to contemporary issues both within and outside of the United States. ABOUT OUR ZINE… In each of our weekly zines, we really focused on the significance …

Asian Americans: Life And History In The United States, Annalyn Boothe, Shuyi Jiao, Hailey Freitag

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

In this zine, we educate ourselves on the history of Asian Americans and reflect on how the past has shaped our present and continues to construct the future. With the exception of Ocean Vuong’s novel, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, all the texts we studied are academic. Generally, the academic texts discuss how one anti-Asian policy leads to further exclusion and/or oppression. These chronological examinations of Asian immigrants in the United States helped us recognize and critically investigate current social and economic tensions experienced by Asian Americans. In order to clearly illustrate the ongoing cause and effects of past polices …

Reflections On A Movement, Mark Bautista, James Estillore, Paolo Garcia, Nadia Mohebati

Ethnic Studies Student Zines

In this zine, we aimed to explore several texts and discuss their significance in understanding both Asian American history and politics, as well as the oral histories and experiences that are often forgotten. In addition to this, each topic covered in our zine investigates how these events throughout time have shaped and continually affected the Asian American experience today. Throughout our time dissecting these select texts on the topic of Asian American Ethnic Studies, the editorial team came to understand the significance of employing a framework of the Asian American plight in regard to how we process modern events. From …

Immigration, Small Business And Assimilation: Three Stories Of Small-Time Capitalism On The Lower East Side, Marcus Hillman

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Small businesses in New York City have often been a catalyst to assimilation for individual immigrants, their families and their communities. For this capstone project, I have recorded conversations with three small-time entrepreneurs on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and created a narrative audio piece that explores some of the important and study-worthy characteristics of New York City including economic opportunities in the city, immigration, assimilation and the ways that New Yorkers share space, just to name a few. These themes are threads that ran through all three of the conversations that I had and are crucial elements of …

Arab Americanesque, Hannah W. Shaban

Theses and Dissertations

Culture, as defined by Edward Said, is a concept of identity selectively curated through imperialism. Through my ceramic practice, I explore what constitutes my cultural identity as a first generation Arab American. My work, primarily influenced by family narrative was initially expressed through investigations in the figure and viewer relationships with my sculpted figures. As my research progressed into Western Imperialism, I began noticing extensive evidence of colonialism’s lasting effects, especially within Western consumer markets. Interest in the writings of Said, works by French Orientalist painters, family memory, and a general displeasure with the plethora of Middle Eastern design used …

An Exploratory Study Of Acculturation Experiences Of Graduate Student Immigrants At The University Of San Francisco, Courtney Lamar

Master's Theses

This study explores the shared challenges during the acculturation process of graduate student immigrants pursuing higher education in the United States. 13 graduate student immigrants at the University of San Francisco discuss their experiences of cultural adjustment into U.S. culture. Through qualitative interviews and thematic analysis, this study seeks to understand the acculturation experiences of graduate student immigrants in the San Francisco Bay Area of the United States. This analysis is based on the individual-level experience examining attitudes and acculturation strategies in the dominant society. Analysis, possibly policy implication for institutions of higher education, and possible directions for future research …

Oral History Conversation With Yasmin Alkhal, Elona Bebla, Nick Del Mundo

Philosophy 111: Philosophy of Human Nature

This oral history project builds on an ongoing storytelling project by freelance photographer Jim Lommasson entitled What We Carried: Fragments from the Cradle of Civilization, which has now become a traveling exhibit. The exhibit features various artifacts and belongings that Iraqi and Syrian refugees have carried with them on their journey to America. Each artifact bears a story about particular objects, images, or memories that reconnect refugee communities to what they have lost or left behind.

In their conversations with Iraqi and Syrian refugees, USD students invited members of the Iraqi/Syrian communities in San Diego to share the life …

Oral History: John Bartosiewicz

Zycie w Ameryce: A Collection of Polish-American Oral Histories

This conversation is an oral history interview with a former member of Worcester’s Polish-American community. The interview touches on a variety of aspects of life in the community, from school and parish life, to Polishness and the significance of language, and the effects of suburbanization.

Interview keywords: St. Mary’s, church / parish, all Polish, PNI, women’s guild, basketball, immigrant, Polishness, language, John Paul II, I-290, suburbs.

Oral History: Richard Lewandowski

Zycie w Ameryce: A Collection of Polish-American Oral Histories

This conversation is an oral history interview with a former member of Worcester’s Polish-American community. The interview discusses much about the Polish-American experience, from the Polish diaspora, the effects of I-290 and discrimination on the community in Worcester, as well as the effect of global events such as the rise of Solidarity on the Worcester parish.

Interview keywords: St. Mary’s, English, displaced people, I-290, Polish-American parish, Solidarity, Polishness, John Paul II, discrimination, education, Church

Oral History: ​Carol Fredette

Zycie w Ameryce: A Collection of Polish-American Oral Histories

This conversation is an oral history interview with a former teacher at the Polish-American high school in Worcester, Saint Mary’s. The interviewee is not Polish, but of Lebanese descent, so provides the point of view of someone who came from outside the community yet still became a part of it. The interview touches on the rising importance of the English language, the Church’s centrality, ethnic parishes, school life, and high school basketball.

Interview keywords: English, ethnic parish, church, nun, club, basketball