ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Ethnic studies is an interdisciplinary program that uses cross-cultural comparative methods to explore the diverse histories and cultures of ethnic groups in the US to examine the formation of identities and societies in local, national, and global contexts, and to analyze the social, cultural, and political sources of bias and discrimination.
Fall 2012 COURSES
ETHN 2001: Introduction to Ethnic Studies: HU | TR 12:30-1:45 pm| Rawl 206
In this course we will explore ethnicity and race in the United States by examining our own experiences as well as literary and scholarly explorations of the concepts. Our goal will be to develop a critical framework that will help us better understand our multicultural society. Questions we will consider include: What is race? What is ethnicity? How does ethnicity relate to race? What is ethnic studies? How are ethnicity and race perceived in America? What constitutes membership in an ethnic group? How have concepts of, policies toward, and treatment of ethnic groups changed over time? How do authors explore, express, extend and resist notions of ethnicity and race in literary, scholarly, and documentary works? How can considering these works help us understand better America's past, present, and future?
*This course satisfies the Cultural Diversity Requirement and the Humanities Foundation Credit Requirement.
ETHN 3501 Representations of Ethnicity on Film (HU) | TR 2:00-3:15 pm; Film Screenings: T: 6:30pm | Bate 1018
Instructor: Dr. Su-ching Huang
This course explores the assimilation or unassimilability of various ethnic groups in the US through both independent and Hollywood cinema. We will begin with a brief chronicle history of Hollywood representation of various ethnic groups (such as Italian American, Jewish American, African American, Native American, Asian American, Latino/as, etc.) and their interactions, and then look at the works by filmmakers from various ethnic backgrounds and consider how these “ethnic” filmmakers challenge or revise that history with their own representations. By reexamining the definitions of “ethnic” and “American,” we will explore the tensions between the two and consider how such categories have changed over time.
Films may include: Little Caesar (1931, Mervyn LeRoy), Gentleman’s Agreement (1947, Elia Kazan), An American in Paris(1951, Vincente Minnelli), Aladdin (1992, Ron Clements & John Musker), Far and Away (1992, Ron Howard), Smoke Signals (1998, Chris Eyre), The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005, Tommy Lee Jones), The Cats of Mirikitani (2006, Linda Hattendorf), Freedom Writers (2007, Richard LaGravenese), The Only Good Indian (2009, Kevin Willmott), The Spy Next Door (2010, Brian Levant), From Prada to Nada (2011, Angel Gracia).
