Asian American Studies Minor

Asian American Studies Minor

The interdisciplinary field of Asian American Studies examines the lives, cultures, and histories of people of Asian descent living in the Americas. Emerging from the ethnic identity movements of the late 1960s, it has become an established academic field that encompasses history, sociology, psychology, literary criticism, political science, and women's and gender studies. It intersects significantly with the study of other minority groups in the United States and with the study of the Asia-Pacific region.

Learning Objectives for the Asian American Studies Minor

Students minoring in Asian American Studies will:

  • Gain competence in the interdisciplinary study of the fastest-growing racial group in the United States

  • Grasp how history has shaped the lives and experiences of Asian Americans

  • Examine the relationships between this group and other minority groups within the United States

  • Understand the transnational ties and global contexts of Asian Americans

Course Requirements for the Asian American Studies Minor

The Asian American Studies minor consists of five units:

  1. Either AMST 151, The Asian American Experience or AMST 121, Ethnic Studies: Key Concepts, Theories, and Methods

  2. One course that examines race, ethnicity, immigration, or minority politics in the North American or South American context. To fulfill this requirement, the following categories may be included: 

    • This requirement can be met by courses about the history, culture, religion, or politics of America, such as AMST 152 Race, Ethnicity and Politics in America; EDUC 212 Seminar: History of American Education; HIST 244 The History of the American West: Manifest Destiny to Pacific Imperialism; REL 218 Religion in America.

    • Courses about minority groups as defined by race, ethnicity, class, caste, or gender in this region, such as HIST 252 The Twentieth-Century Black Freedom Struggle or SPAN 255 Chicano Literature: From the Chronicles to the Present

    • Courses about comparative or theoretical frameworks for comprehending America and Asia, including empire, immigration, and globalization, such as LING 312 Bilingualism: An Exploration of Language, Mind, and Culture; POL2 204 Political Economy of Development and Underdevelopment; SOC 221 Globalization; or WGST 206 Migration, Gender, and Globalization

  3. One course that examines history, culture, or politics in the Asian region. To fulfil this requirement, the following categories may be included:

    • Courses about the history, culture, religion, or politics of East, South or Southeast Asia, such as CAMS 205/JPN 256 History of Japanese Cinema; POL2 211 Politics of South Asia; POL3 227 The Vietnam War; REL 259 Christianity in Asia; or SAS 302 Traditional Narratives of South Asia

    • Courses about minority groups as defined by race, ethnicity, class, caste, or gender in this region, such as HIST 275 The Emergence of Ethnic Identities in Modern South Asia

    • Courses about comparative or theoretical frameworks for comprehending America and Asia, including empire, immigration, and globalization, as listed above under (2/C).

  4. Two courses on Asian American topics, such as AMST 116 /ENG 116, AMST 212, AMST 222/PSYC 222, WGST 249, WGST 305

To ensure that appropriate courses have been selected, students should consult with the program director or their minor advisor.

A maximum of two units, including AMST 151, may be taken at the 100 level. At least one unit must be at the 300 level. Four units must be taken at Wellesley. American Studies majors minoring in Asian American Studies must decide whether to count an eligible course toward the major or the minor.