Law and Literature: How U.S. Exclusionary Laws Shaped the Asian American Experience and Literature

Lead Author Major

English

Lead Author Status

Junior

Format

Oral Presentation

Faculty Mentor Name

Xiaojing Zhou

Faculty Mentor Department

English

Abstract/Artist Statement

My research critically analyzes the relationship between U.S. exclusionary laws and Asian American identities, social positions, and literature. I argue that U.S. immigration and other laws, which intended to exclude Asians from entering the U.S., and from the U.S. citizenship, produced a unique racial identity and social positions for Asians as the perpetual “foreigners.” This identity and social position shaped not only the Asian American experience, but also literature. I argue that China Men by Maxine Hong Kingston and When the Emperor was Divine by Julia Otsuka are two salient examples of strategic counter-narratives that expose racial exclusion, subjugation, exploitation of Asian immigrants, and call into question cultural assimilation as the right of passage to U.S. citizenship.

Location

DeRosa University Center, Room 211

Start Date

27-4-2018 12:30 PM

End Date

27-4-2018 12:49 PM

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Apr 27th, 12:30 PM Apr 27th, 12:49 PM

Law and Literature: How U.S. Exclusionary Laws Shaped the Asian American Experience and Literature

DeRosa University Center, Room 211

My research critically analyzes the relationship between U.S. exclusionary laws and Asian American identities, social positions, and literature. I argue that U.S. immigration and other laws, which intended to exclude Asians from entering the U.S., and from the U.S. citizenship, produced a unique racial identity and social positions for Asians as the perpetual “foreigners.” This identity and social position shaped not only the Asian American experience, but also literature. I argue that China Men by Maxine Hong Kingston and When the Emperor was Divine by Julia Otsuka are two salient examples of strategic counter-narratives that expose racial exclusion, subjugation, exploitation of Asian immigrants, and call into question cultural assimilation as the right of passage to U.S. citizenship.