Tarisa MatsumotoMaxfield

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ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES
Tarisa Matsumoto-Maxfield tarisaball_at_aol.com,
tmatsumo_at_highline.edu 5-103, ext. 6405
Fall 2003 1044 (M-F, 11-1150am), 23-310 Office
hours M-F 10-11am or by appt.
Course Description This course will introduce
you to the Asian American experience and past and
current concerns of Asian American immigration
internment the development of pan-Asian American
social, political and cultural movements gender
issues the Model Minority Myth and issues of
race and representation.
Course Outcomes At the end of the quarter, you
should be able to do the following
Demonstrate an understanding of Asian American
experiences and issues within a historical,
social, cultural, and artistic context. Demonst
rate an understanding of the formation and
emergence of the Asian American cultural and
political identity. Participate in a larger
conversation about Asian American issues
knowledgeable, responsibly, and with respect for
others. Identify and articulate how topics
covered in Asian American Studies are relevant to
our understanding of personal experience,
observations, and the world around us.
Required Texts Materials Takaki, Ronald.
Strangers From a Different Shore A History of
Asian Americans. Boston Back Bay Books,
1998. Another book chosen from a list I will
provide at a later date. You will either have to
purchase it or borrow it from a library. Some
internet work. Materials for presentations and
projects. Copies of your work when
required. Various handouts. Dont forget to use a
college-level dictionary and thesaurus when you
need it.
Attendance Policy Attendance is expected. It is
important that you attend class on a regular
basis in order to build your writing skills.
Attendance will be taken each class session.
Tardiness and/or poor attendance will lower your
grade. YOU ARE ALLOWED 4 ABSENCES. Any
additional absences will lower your grade by 0.5.
For example, if you have a final grade of 3.2
and four absences, your final grade will be
reduced to 2.7. Missing class is not an excuse
for failing to turn in work that is due or
assigned.
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Participation and Engagement The success of this
class is dependent on your active participation.
This means that you have carefully read the
assigned readings, taken notes, and have
something to say about these readings. Asian
American studies should not be a lecture class,
as the subject matter is dynamic, complex,
ever-changing, and greatly relies on those
responding to it. I do not intend for this
course to be solely a lecture class, but an
interactive one. This discipline is a
challenging one in which ideas build on other
ideas. It is also a process of discovery and
exploration that is stimulated by group
interaction. Think of our classroom as a
learning community in which we can all benefit
from each others experiences, knowledge, and
insight. We cannot further cultural, gender, and
global ideas and experiences if we are not
willing to be mentally alert, responsive, and
engaged in class activities. Your active
interest and willingness to share your thoughts
with others are indispensable to academic
success, so come on time and be ready to speak.
You are required to participate in the following
ways
Respond thoroughly and thoughtfully to any
assigned readings and/or discussion questions.
Be prepared to voice your responses, ideas, and
criticisms in class. Come to class with
something to say or uncertainties youd like to
work out. Respond to each others comments
during class discussion. Be an active
listener. Demonstrate that you are engaged with
the rest of us and with the discussion. Offer
comments, questions, observations, and
feedback. Be punctual and ready to work with
your classmates to create a supportive
atmosphere. NOTE All cell phones, beepers, and
other noise makers will be turned off before
class begins. These types of interruptions will
result in a loss of 15 points each time an
interruption occurs. Poor participation will
adversely affect your final grade.
Classroom Environment Our goal is to create a
classroom environment in which we can ask tough
questions, including the questions weve always
had but were afraid to ask. We should feel
comfortable with the assurance that no questions
or responses are dumb ones. To this end, here
are some ground rules for being a respectful
participant in class
Show respect through your tone, words, and body
language. What does respect look like? Use
I statement to express your views I think,
I believe, In my experience Dont
interrupt others. Encourage participation of
others. Be open to challenging others
opinions and having your opinions challenged.
Respectful disagreement is often valuable to
understand the complexities of issues. Be
open to the possibility that your thinking might
change as a result of our discussions!
All out-of-class assignments Work must be typed
in 10- or 12-point blocked letter font and
double-spaced with one-inch margins. Staple or
paper clip your work together before class.
Out-of-class assignments that are not word
processed will not be accepted and will be
subject to the late policy. Spelling and grammar
of your writing should also be attended to.
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Your final grade will depend on the following
Keep all handouts and work until the end of the
quarter.  When you turn in an assignment, be sure
you keep either a paper copy or a copy on disk.
Journals/Study Worksheets 150 ptsClass
participation 50 ptsWeekly Tests 80 pts Book
presentation 50 pts Midterm 70 pts Final
project 100 pts Final 100 pts TOTAL 600 pts
Missing Assignments At the end of the quarter, if
you have any missing assignments, you will
receive a final grade of 0.0 for the course.
Journals/Study Worksheets You will have short
writing assignments, worksheets, and in-class
activities which will all be kept as journal
entries. The journals will be collected and
graded three times during the quarter based on
the following criteria (1) quality and
completeness of entries, (2) if there are any
missing entries, (3) if the entries were
submitted on time. Weekly Tests At the end of
each week unless otherwise scheduled, you will
have the opportunity to respond to topics that
have been discussed during the quarter. These
will be graded based on the quality and
completeness of your responses. Book
Presentations These presentations will give
you practice for the final project as well as let
you explore the artistic literary expressions of
Asian America. You will give an oral
presentation of the book and provide the class
with materials that will give them more
information on the book. Final Project This
research project will give you the opportunity to
focus on a specific issue, event, controversy, or
person that youd like to learn more about. We
will be working on this project in stages
throughout the quarter toward the end of it, you
will be able to speak knowledgeably about your
research topic and be able to share your findings
with others. The project will culminate in a
paper and a visual presentation of your research
which will be on display in combination with
other classes. Exams Exams will be essay exams.
Late Policy First and foremost, due dates are
established so that each member of the class is
on a similar time frame that is most beneficial
to succeeding in this class. It is your
responsibility to turn in work on time regardless
of whether or not you are absent. It is also
your responsibility to keep track of your
assignments and ensure that you turn them in on
time. I do not have enough time to keep track of
each student and whether each has turned in all
assignments I can only help students based on
the work I do see. Therefore, if you are absent,
it is up to you to do the work of catching
up. Journals/Study Worksheets Journals may be
made up, but you will lose 10 points for each day
they are late. Weekly Tests Weekly tests
cannot be made up. Book Presentations Book
presentations may be made up, but you will lose
15 points for each day they are late. Midterm
Midterms may be made up, but you will lose 25
points for each day they are late. Final
Projects Final projects cannot be made
up. Final Exam Final exams cannot be made up.
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Plagiarism The worst academic offenses in the
U.S. are cheating and plagiarism. For this class,
that means 1) Dont turn in an assignment someone
else wrote 2) Dont let someone else (your best
friend, your mom, etc.) do a lot of rewriting or
proofreading for you, although its certainly
acceptable to get general feedback and 3) Dont
copy phrases or sentences from books, articles,
or the Internet into your papers. If I discover
you have copied phrases or sentences from another
source, and I find the source, your paper will
earn a 0.0, with no possibilities for revision.
Well talk about how to use sources ethically if
you find yourself wanting to use a source before
we cover it in class, come talk to
me. Plagiarism or any other forms of academic
dishonesty are unacceptable and subject to
disciplinary action.
Accommodation If you need course adaptations or
accommodations because of a disability if you
have emergency medical information to share with
me or if you need special arrangements in case
the building must be evacuated, please provide me
with the Letter of Accommodations you have
received from the Office of Access Services.
Access Services is located in Building 6 in the
Student Development Center
Extra Help/Writing Center If you find yourself
struggling with grammar or anything else in this
course, PLEASE come talk with me. You might do
some extra work or work with consultants in the
Writing Center (Bldg. 26, Rm. 319). The Writing
Center offers additional assistance with and
classes in all phases of the writing process.
Please be advised that instructors and tutors at
the Writing Center help identify English-related
problems, but expect that students will correct
the rest of their own compositions. They do not
compose or edit entire compositions.
Incompletes Withdrawals It is your
responsibility to withdraw from the class if
necessary prior to the withdrawal deadline.
Students who have not officially withdrawn from
the class by the deadline will receive a grade
based on the work they have completed to that
date, even if they have stopped attending class.
FERPA The Family Educational Rights and Privacy
Acts of 1974 (FERPA) requires strict controls on
the handling of student educational records.
College policy 6.8.100 states, in part, Except
as otherwise indicated in the procedural
guidelines, the college will not provide
information contained in student educational
records in response to inquiries within or
without the College unless the expressed consent
of the student has been given. This means that
the educational records of any student in the
class can be shared only with that student.
Civility Statement Highline is required to
provide a civil, productive atmosphere that
fosters learning and growth. Please join me in
creating this kind of environment by treating
each other with courtesy, listening respectfully
to each other, reflecting thoughtfully on each
others ideas (not just reacting to those ideas),
expressing your views in a straightforward but
diplomatic way (focusing on ideas, not
personalities), and offering each other feedback.
I recognize and respect diversity of ethnicity
and race, gender, sexual identity, class, age,
and disability. Differences provide us with
opportunities to learn new things, compare
experiences, test our assertions, understand
ourselves better, and find common ground.
Differences also sometimes engender conflict. In
the midst of that conflict, I ask everyone to
maintain a language and an attitude of
respect. Student rights and responsibilities are
outlined in the "Student Rights and
Responsibilities Code WAC 1321-120," a booklet
available in Student Services and elsewhere on
campus.  The document prohibits disorderly or
bothersome conduct which interferes with the
rights of others or which obstructs or disrupts
teaching (p. 4).  Further, the instructor is
responsible for classroom conduct and is
authorized to take such steps as are necessary
when a student's behavior interrupts normal
classroom procedures (p.8).
Preserving a Learning Environment Only enrolled
students are permitted to attend classes. 
Children may not attend classes, even in
emergencies such as the unavailability of
baby-sitters or day care.
Equal Application The requirements listed on this
syllabus apply equally to all students enrolled
for the course. You should not ask for
preferential treatment.
Use of Your Work I may keep copies of your
assignments to help students in future classes.
I can only do this if you agree and sign a
consent form which I will provide.
Personal Note from Tarisa Despite student
feedback to the contrary, this is a
college/university level course and I treat it as
such. I have taught composition, literature, and
poetry at Iowa State University and the
University of Washington. What this means is
that I did not sign up to teach high school, so
do not make the mistake of considering this class
to be at the high school level. Therefore, if
there are readings or assignments to be done,
they should be done. I will treat you and teach
you at the same level and caliber that I did the
students at the universities.