THE ACADEMIC CURRICULUM

ASAM 42: The Southeast Asian Community in the U.S.

Examination of one of the fastest growing Asian American communities in the United States during the past twenty years: the mainland Southeast Asian Americans from Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. The experience and the diversity characteristics of the Southeast Asian community in the United States will be surveyed and studied. Topics such as socioeconomic adaptation, community organization and family life will be discussed from a sociological viewpoint. The winter break program will focus on the origins of this diversity and examine the cultures of these various groups from Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. From village life to the challenge of modernity, students will be able to interact and discuss with local experts on these issues. CSU/UC

Lectures and informal discussions will be in English. These will take place at museums, monuments, temples, sites of historic and cultural intereset and during boat and city tours.

Participants will receive three units of credit transferable to the UC and CSU systems. Students may request an option of Credit (CR) or No Credit (NC) instead of a letter grade.

ASAM 65: Individual Study in Asian American Studies.

Supervised individual or group study on topics and issues in Asian American Studies. Students who have already taken ASAM 42 may enroll in ASAM 65; those who do will complete an individual project focusing on one of the topics that will be covered during the program. For example, a comparative study on the lowland and highland cultures, ethnic arts, ethnic cultures, and the history of these ethnic groups are among the suggested topics for an individual project with the assistance of both the accompanying faculty and other local resources. Details will be provided during the pre-departure orientation. CSU (UC upon review).

Important Note: Course offered is subject to change.

PROGRAM FACULTY

Chuong Chung is an instructor at City College of San Francisco. He was formerly the Director of the Vietnamese-American Studies Center at SFSU. His most recent publication is the “Book of Perceptions”, which highlights the reconnection of Vietnamese Americans with their homeland, and other articles focused on the resettlement and adaptation of Southeast Asian Americans to the United States. He travels extensively to Southeast Asia to update course content, as well as working on new itineraries for CCSF. He is a native of Vietnam and is currently serving as the President of the San Francisco/Ho Chi Minh Sister City Committee. This is the eighth year that Professor Chung will be leading a group to Southeast Asia for CCSF.