Asians in American Higher Education

Asian American Studies 533

Mondays 4:00 - 6:45PM | Burk Hall 249

Instructor Krysty Shen

EP 1002 | Monday 2:00 - 4:00PM
cshen1@mail.sfsu.edu

Course Description

This is an interdisciplinary upper division course in education studies, global studies, and Asian
American studies. We will explore academic journeys of Asian students in American higher
education. We will analyze the rise of American higher education institutions, primarily looking at
its relations with wartime and imperialism. We will also talk about the claims of equal access
within American education. Students will then learn about the history of Asians (Asian
Americans, Asian immigrants, and Asian international) in American higher education and the
systemic challenges these students face. We will further analyze social, cultural, and political
factors that are unique to Asian students in American higher education.

Learning Objective

At the end of this course students should:

- Be aware of American higher education as a system of power
- Analyze and reflect on their positionality as a student in American higher education
- Understand some of the challenges Asians in American higher education face
- Apply knowledge from course to critically analyze problems in the academy
- Develop research, writing, and teaching skills

Required Text

All readings will be available on the iLearn page. No additional texts for purchase are required.

Assignments and Grading

Meet Instructor during Office Hours | 3%

Attendance | 10%

My Academic Journey Reflection (3-4 pages) | 10%

Write a reflection of your academic journey from when you first started school to now. What is
your relationship to education? What/who influenced you or your family's decision to attend the
schools you did? Why did you choose to attend the school you are at now?
Critical Essay (5-7 pages) | 15%
Write a critical essay on American higher education institutions. For example: What was the role
of American higher education institutions during WWII? How does American higher education
promote American imperialism?

Final Project | 62% total

You will be asked to research and teach about a subset of Asians in American higher education.
For this presentation, you will be expected to provide one class reading, a literature review, a
lesson plan, and a powerpoint. Parts of this project will be individual work and parts of this
project will be group work. See below.

Literature Review​ (minimum 5 sources) | 15%

Choose a minimum of three peer-reviewed sources and a minimum of two news/internet/other
relevant sources. The class reading you assign will be one of these sources. Using these
sources, you will write a literature review on the population of students you will be presenting
on. You may have the same sources as your group, but you must write your own literature
review.

Lesson Plan and Powerpoint ​| 17% (2% for turning in draft | 15% for content)
A draft of your lesson plan and powerpoint is due one week before your presentation. Also
include which reading you are assigning the class. This part of the project will be a group
assignment. The instructor will provide feedback within the next three days for you to revise if
necessary. Only the final version will be graded on content.

Presentation​ (30 minutes) | 15%

You will be graded as a group and as an individual.

Reflection​ (4-7 pages) | 15%

Write a reflection on your experience researching and teaching the class about your topic and
also seeing your peers teach the class. What have you learned about Asians in American
higher education? Has your perception on American higher education changed?

Classroom Policies

Electronics
The use of electronics to take notes is permitted. The use of electronics to partake in activities
not related to class is prohibited.

Emails
The instructor will reply to student emails within 48 hours. Students must include their name
and course name in the body of the email. All messages must be conveyed professionally,
which includes a greeting, a clear statement of your concern, and a closing.
Late Assignments
Late assignments will be accepted with 10% reduction every 24 hours late. Contact instructor
regarding extensions and special circumstances.

Campus Policies

Academic Honesty
Cheating and/or plagiarism will result in a grade between 0 and F and could be referred to the
Office of Student Judicial Affairs. For more on the University’s policy regarding cheating and
plagiarism, refer to the University Catalog (Policies and Regulations).

Disabilities Access
Students with physical, perceptual, or learning disabilities as addressed by the Americans with
Disabilities Act who need accommodations are encouraged to contact the instructor. The
[Disability Programs and Resource Center] DPRC is available to facilitate the accommodations
process. The DPRC is located in the [Student Service Building and can be reached by
telephone (voice/TTY 415-338-2472) or by email (dprc@sfsu.edu).

Student Disclosures of Sexual Violence

SF State fosters a campus free of sexual violence including sexual harassment, domestic
violence, dating violence, stalking, and/or any form of sex or gender discrimination. If you
disclose a personal experience as an SF State student, the course instructor is required to notify
the Dean of Students. To disclose any such violence confidentially, contact:
The SAFE Place - (415) 338-2208; http://www.sfsu.edu/~safe_plc/
Counseling and Psychological Services Center - (415) 338-2208; http://psyservs.sfsu.edu/

Course Calendar

Week 1 Course Introduction and Syllabus

27 Jan 2020

Unit 1 American Higher Education

Week 2 Establishment of American Higher Education Institutions

03 Feb 2020 When and why did American higher education rise?

My Academic Graham, H. D., and Diamond, N. (1997). ​The Rise of American Research
Journey Universities: Elites and Challengers in the Postwar Era.​ Baltimore and
Reflection Due London: The John Hopkins University Press.

Week 3 Influence of American Higher Education

10 Feb 2020 What does having an American education mean for API students?
 Chen, P. (2010) "Introduction" and "Assimilation of College Education:
Intergenerational and Inter-Class Mobility of the Second Immigrant
Generation" in ​Assimilation of Immigrants and Their Adult Children :
College Education, Cohabitation, and Work.​ El Paso: LFB Scholarly
Publishing LLC.

Week 4 Global Appeal of American Higher Education

17 Feb 2020 What doors does having an American education open for API students?

Goodman, A. and Guitierrez, R. (2011). "The International Dimension of

U.S. Higher Education: Trends and New Perspectives" in ​International
Students and Global Mobility in Higher Education: National Trends and
New Directions​. New York: Palgrave MacMillion.

Unit 2 API Students in American Higher Education

Week 5 Early Asians in American Education

24 Feb 2020 What is the history of API students in American education?

Critical Essay Chang, I. (2003). Excerpts on Yung Wing from ​The Chinese in America.​
Due (pp. 103-114). New York, NY: Penguin Books.

Week 6 Model Minority

02 Mar 2020 How does race and model minority affect API students in higher
education?

Teranishi, R., Behringer, L., Grey, E., & Parker, T. (2009). Critical Race
Theory and Research on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Higher
Education. ​New Directions for Institutional Research,​ (142), 57-68.

Lee, S. (1996). Excerpt from ​Unraveling the Model Minority Stereotype​.

(pp. 396-404). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Week 7 Ivy League v. State Schools

09 Mar 2020 How does race play a role in the experience of API students in prestigious
vs non-prestigious schools?

Louie, V. (2004) ""Ending Up" at Hunter" and "A Place at Columbia" in

Compelled to Excel. S​ tanford University Press.

Week 8 Community Colleges

16 Mar 2020 How does race play a factor in the experience of API students in
 community colleges?
Topics
Proposal Due Park, J., & Assalone, A. (2019). Over 40%: Asian Americans and the
Road(s) to Community Colleges. ​Community College Review,​ ​47(​ 3),
274-294.

Amanda E. Assalone & Amy Fann (2017) Understanding the Influence of

Model Minority Stereotypes on Asian American Community College
Students. ​Community College Journal of Research and Practice​, 41:7,
422-435.

Week 9 Spring Recess - No Class Meeting

23 Mar 2020

Unit 3 Issues of API Students in American Higher Education

Week 10 Affirmative Action for Asians

20 Mar 2020 How are API students affected by affirmative action?

Chu, Chan Hee. (2016). When proportionality equals diversity: Asian

Americans and affirmative action. ​Asian American Law Journal,​ 23,
99-144.

Inouye, Kelsey. (2016). Asian Americans: Identity and the stance on

affirmative action. ​Asian American Law Journal,​ 23, 145-167.

Week 11 Immigrant and Undocumented Asian Students

06 Apr 2020 What challenges do API immigrant and undocumented students face in
American education?

Ling Yeh, T. (2002). Asian American College Students Who are

Educationally at Risk. ​New Directions for Student Services: Working with
Asian American College Students​. 97, 61-71.

Buenavista, T. and Chen, A. (2010). Intersections and Crossroads: A

Case Study of an Undocumented Asian American College Student.

Chan, B. (2008). Not ‘a Mexican Thing’: Undocumented Asian students

face stigma and lack of financial aid, job experience. San Francisco:
Asianweek.​ October, 13, 2008.

Week 12 International API Students

13 Apr 2020 What challenges do API international students face in American
education?
 Literature
Review Due García, H. A., and de Lourdes Villarreal, M. (2014). "The “Redirecting” of
International Students: American Higher Education Policy Hindrances and
Implications." ​Journal of International Students. ​Volume 4, Issue 2.

Week 13 Mental Health

20 Apr 2020 What mental health challenges do API students in American higher
education face?

Han, M., & Pong, H. (2015). Mental Health Help-Seeking Behaviors

Among Asian American Community College Students: The Effect of
Stigma, Cultural Barriers, and Acculturation. ​Journal of College Student
Development,​ ​56​(1), 1-14.

Week 14 Presentations
27 Apr 2020
Readings on iLearn

Week 15 Presentations
04 May 2020
Readings on iLearn

Week 16 Presentations and Course Wrap-Up

11 May 2020
Readings on iLearn

Week 17 Finals Week - No Class Meeting

18 May 2020

Research
Project
Reflection Due

Syllabus and timeline are subject to change at the discretion of the instructor.