Part 1: Book Review (2-3 pages, double-spaced, 12-point font)
Student will select one book from a curated list of academic books (see List of Books for Review Essay below) related to topics in Asian American studies. The student is to read through the book and write a review of the chosen book. In the form of an essay, the book review should critically assess the argument made by the book’s author, describe how the author made their argument, and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the work. Students are encouraged to conduct library searches and draw on external sources (related works or other reviews of the same book) to frame their critical essay. Consider what you might want to research for your final paper when selecting a book.
Please follow the provided Guidelines: Across your academic career, you will encounter a good deal of academic books, published by a university press. Assessing academic arguments and identifying the theoretical and historical relevance of a given work or its contribution to a field is a critical research skill. This assignment is designed to help you absorb and analyze the secondary sources. First, review examples of published book reviews. You can find these online via the library catalogue in academic journals (publications of relevance to this class include Journal of Asian American Studies, Amerasia, Asian American Law Journal, Asian American Literature: Discourses and Pedagogies, Journal of Asian Studies, Asian American Policy Review, Journal of Southeast Asian American Education & Advancement). Second, select an academic book from the curated list which you wish to review (i.e., published by a university press). This is not to suggest that non ‘academic’ books do not have value, in general or to your research, but academic books tend to follow formatting and style conventions best suited for our purposes here. Third, read the book. When preparing a published review, it is only fair to the author that you read the book in its entirety. However, some parts of the book should be read with particular care. The introduction in particular will tell you what the author’s objectives are, and how they think the book contributes in an original way to existing scholarship. It should also provide an overview of the argument, and how its component parts (usually separate chapters) fit together. Four, consider your analysis of the book. What is the argument? Is it as novel as the author claims? What sources did they consult when writing the book? Are these likely to provide the sort of information needed to make a plausible argument? Is the argument logical? Coherent? Are the supporting chapters relevant to the overall thesis? Do the chapters demonstrate the validity of the overall thesis or set of claims? Is the book incomplete? Are there other events or themes or ideas which should have been considered in order to more thoroughly support the overall argument? Are you aware of evidence which contradicts the author’s account? Does the text seem partial, or biased in any way? If so, how? Does the author fail to grapple with another important scholar’s work? These are all examples of the sorts of questions you might consider when preparing your critical analysis of the work. Five, write your review. A good book review is generally concise, usually between 2-3 pages, though there are of course exceptions. Your review for this class should be no less than 2 pages and no more than 3 pages. The ability to express complex ideas concisely is an important skill, and this assignment is intended to help you hone your writing techniques. First, consider your audience. Your reader is someone consulting your review to learn a) what the book is about and b) whether or not (or to what extent) it is worth reading. Your review should therefore begin with an impartial summary of the contents of the book. Here you might discuss: – What are the author’s objectives? – What does the book include? – What sources does the author consult? – How does the book fit within the broader historiography? – What is new about the research or argument? In this section, your tone should remain neutral for the most part, in order to give the author a fair hearing and to demonstrate your credibility to the reader of your review as an informed and trustworthy commenter. After summarizing the book’s objectives, argument and components, you can then introduce your critique. Be sure to consult several examples of published reviews before getting started – and be aware of book reviews as an aide in preparing your own research.
Filipino American History. Durham: Duke University Press, 2003. https://csu-dh.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01CALS_UDH/18hbp0r/alma99100334262970290Links to an external site.
Espiritu, Yen Le. Asian American Panethnicity: Bridging Institutions and Identities. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1993. https://csu-dh.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01CALS_UDH/1vc4mkk/cdi_globaltitleindex_catalog_33594590Links to an external site.
Lowe, Lisa. The Intimacies of Four Continents. Durham: Duke University Press, 2015. https://csu-dh.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01CALS_UDH/18hbp0r/alma99100755668000290Links to an external site.
Man, Simeon. Soldiering Through Empire: Race and the Making of the Decolonizing Pacific. Oakland: University of California Press, 2018. https://csu-dh.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01CALS_UDH/18hbp0r/alma99107179671740290Links to an external site.
Nguyen, Phuong Tran. Becoming Refugee American: The Politics of Rescue in Little Saigon. Champaign: University of Illinois Press, 2017. https://csu-dh.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01CALS_UDH/1vc4mkk/cdi_perlego_books_238304Links to an external site.
Shibusawa, Naoko. America’s Geisha Ally: Reimagining the Japanese Enemy. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2006. https://csu-dh.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01CALS_UDH/18hbp0r/alma99100329391970290Links to an external site.
Srinivasan, Priya. Sweating Saris: Indian Dance as Transnational Labor. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2012. https://csu-dh.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01CALS_UDH/18hbp0r/alma99100473390970290Links to an external site.
Wu, Ellen. The Color of Success: Asian Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2014. https://csu-dh.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01CALS_UDH/18hbp0r/alma99107220499840290Links to an external site.
Xiong, Yang Sao. Immigrant Agency: Hmong American Movements and the Politics of Racialized Incorporation. Newark: Rutger University Press, 2022. Contact Professor for a copy of the book.
Yuh, Ji-Yeon. Beyond the Shadow of Camptown: Korean Military Brides in America. New York: New York University Press, 2002. https://csu-dh.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01CALS_UDH/18hbp0r/alma991067596330502901
Part 2: In your own words, explain what is the relationship between race and nation? Why is it relevant to Asian Americans? Be specific by drawing on one of the covered Asian American communities from the Erika Lee text. Use two quotes and cite. The document you will cite with is attached below
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Discussion Board Instructions:
Post answering the question prompt. 2
POST: When the professor posts a question related to the reading, students will answer the question in a short essay form. These are short essays and must make use of proper grammar, spelling, and capitalization. Use approximately 500 words. Choose two quotes the readings that best support your argument. Correctly cite the quote in your response. Citations do not count toward the word count.
Rubric for Discussion Board Part 2
1) Post a short essay (500 words) in response to the thread prompt. Reply to another student’s post (200 words). Use academic language, proper citation, and good writing style in these short writing assignments.
Grading Rubric for Discussion Board (50 points total for both post and response)
Up to 40 points for Post
40 Excellent writing style, organization, argument, and support (with a well-chosen quote with proper citation of reading and page number). No more than 20% of post was quoted material. The essay was engaging and interesting, answered all prompt questions, incorporated terms and concepts from class, and free of typos, poor grammar, and lack of capitalization.
35 Good writing style, organization, argument, and support (with a well-chosen quote with improper citation of reading) but one or more elements missing. 30 Satisfactory writing style, organization, argument, and support (with a quote, could have been better selected)
25 Needs Improvement
0 No post
Up to 10 points Response to another student
10 Satisfactory completion, thoughtful and well-written
5 Needs improvement or unsatisfactory completion, not thoughtful or well-written
0 No response
Part 1 and Part 2 will be in separate documents.
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