ASIAN 302

Asian Diasporas


Please note: this is archived course information from 2019 for ASIAN 302.

Description

Amazed at there being so many Asians around you? And do you want to understand why so many people, particularly Asians, have recently migrated internationally? What kinds of social, cultural and political experiences do they have as diaspora? Welcome to the wonderful world of diaspora!  

In fact, increasing international migrations, transnational life styles, hybrid cultures and multiple and versatile identities are some of the most notable characteristics of today’s world, leading to a growth in recent attention on diasporas. In particular, “Asians” - diverse groups of peoples who (or whose ancestors) are originally from Asian countries - form an important part of today’s world of diasporas. 

Studying their histories, cultures and lives allows us to deepen our understandings of today’s culturally, socially and economically dynamic world. This course focuses on three major groups of Asian diasporas: the Chinese, Korean and Japanese diasporas. We will explore the following topics in this course:

  • Historical, economic, political and cultural backgrounds of Chinese, Korean and Japanese diasporas
  • Cultural, social and economic adaptations of the diasporas
  • Relationships between diasporic communities and their ethnic homelands
  • Recent trends in international migrations such as international labour migrations, international marriage migrations, ethnic return migrations and the growing multiculturalism in Asian countries
  • Sending societies’ perspectives and policies toward their diasporas overseas

After taking this course, students will understand all of the important aspects of Asian diasporas including their history, social and cultural adaptations, identities and the relationship with their ethnic homelands.

View the course syllabus

Availability 2019

Semester 1

Lecturer(s)

Coordinator(s) Dr Changzoo Song

Assessment

Coursework only

Points

ASIAN 302: 15 points

Prerequisites

30 points at Stage II in BA or BGlobalSt courses

Restrictions

ASIAN 204