First Year Seminar - Chinatown: Migration, Identity, and Space

AMERICAN CULTURE STUDIES 135

"Chinatown," as a cultural symbol and a spatial entity, links various topics and studies in this course. Our survey starts with a historical and geographical glimpse of five Chinatowns in the U.S. through the real-life stories of their residents. This is followed by an in-depth study of Chinese restaurants and food in a global diasporic context using texts, images, and films that reveal how Chinese cuisine is inherited in and adapted to each local culture and society. The seminar culminates in discussions of Chinese migration and settlement, of representations of identity, and of cultural and spatial constructions in particular historical and social contexts. It will also examine the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Chinatowns in the US and elsewhere. The assignments include surveys of Chinese businesses and a debate on whether or not Olive Blvd constitutes a Chinatown in St Louis.
Course Attributes: EN H; FYS; BU IS; AS HUM; AS LCD; FA HUM; AR HUM

Section 01

First Year Seminar - Chinatown: Migration, Identity, and Space - 01
INSTRUCTOR: Gao-Miles

Section 02

First Year Seminar - Chinatown: Migration, Identity, and Space - 02
INSTRUCTOR: Gao-Miles