The Department of Asian American Studies highly encourages all of its students
to participate in the UC Education Abroad Program. Throughout the world, issues of race and inequality have become increasingly intense, as more people now work and settle abroad at a much greater rate than ever before. Over the past century, many nations in Asia have generated vast Diasporas, and now many of them also host people from other parts of the world. Asian Americans are often re-migrating back to the lands of their ancestors, as part of this wide circulation of people and ideas around the globe. We hope that by studying abroad, our majors will take part in these exciting trends, and at the same time, gain deeper insights into their own academic work.
As an academic field, Asian American Studies is moving toward transnational
studies of race, identity, and inequality. We are deeply interested in the impact of Western colonialism on Asian nations since the 16th century— from the arrival of the Spanish in the Philippines in the 16th century, to the continued military presence of the United States in Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and throughout the Pacific. Western nations and Asian nations have been inextricably linked in our modern era. The migration of explorers and mission- aries from Europe to Asia was an integral part of the migration of Asians to other parts of the world. These exchanges transformed religious understand- ings, gender roles, racial identities, and class and status formations. They formed the bases for mass global migrations, and they explain why Asians now live in practically every major city in Europe, Africa, North America, South America, and Australia. And Asians often experience hostility in the places where they settle, just as they also express hostility toward their own
newcomers.
How illuminating it would be to study up close the continuing interaction of Western and Asian influences in Asian countries. The Philippines,
Japan, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, South Korea—these are just a few places were our students could gain insights about Western imperialism and Asian
adaptations to the West. Japan and Korea now have large non-Japanese and non-Korean populations in their midst—again, how illuminating to see how these states deal with “foreign workers,” “illegal immigrants,” and other “threats” to their national identities. For our students who visit European cities and capitals, they will have the opportunity to see “post-colonial” migrations—for example, the Vietnamese community in Paris, or the South Asian community in London.
Yet if the broader story of Asian American Studies has been one of learning to cope and to resist white supremacy and American racism, our majors can learn a great deal about American race relations by examining these same themes in other countries,in other places with different histories and entirely different cultures. As more people have moved across the world, bringing disparate cultures and ways of life in close contact with one another, we’ve seen more intense conflicts based on race, identity, immigration status, and class. We hope our majors will appreciate how the methods and insights of our field can help us better understand these trends.
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We recommend, but do not require, that students studying abroad complete all
of the lower division requirements in Asian American Studies before leaving. Regardless of when you plan to study abroad, start planning NOW!
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Almost all of the UC Education Abroad Programs offer classes in ethnic studies,
history, global studies, political science, media studies, and American studies, and all of these would be appropriate for our majors. For specific suggestions,
please consult our Faculty Advisors in the Department.
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All EAP students automatically earn UC credit for the work they complete abroad. However, the application of credit to major requirements is subject to the discretion of the department and approval of the college. Students are advised to email course descriptions to our Undergraduate Advisor and keep relevant faculty and staff fully apprised of their plan of study throughout the entire time they are abroad.
Keep in mind that at least 20 units of upper-division major coursework (or
12 upper-division minor units) must be completed in residence at UCSB along with other residence requirements. Consult an advisor in the College of Letters & Science for more information.
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Begin by identifying your goals for study abroad and then consult the EAP web pages (http://eap.ucop.edu/) to identify appropriate EAP programs. To find programs which offer particular disciplines or to search courses taken by EAP students over the last 5 years by subject, keyword and/or location, explore the resources found under Program and Course Search. Navigate to host universities’ web sites on the available links to learn more about the schools and their departments.
Come by the EAP office at 2431 South Hall. Peer advisors who have recently returned from studying abroad as well as staff advisors are eager to answer your questions. Go see your Undergraduate Advisor in the department office and make an appointment to speak with an advisor in the College of Letters & Science. Additionally, you’ll want to meet with an advisor in the College of Letters & Science to discuss general education, residence and other requirements.
All of these campus resources can point you in the right direction, and all of us
have a keen interest in making your experience abroad as easy and enjoyable
as possible. So, go abroad!
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If you go abroad your junior year, you should strongly consider doing a senior
honors thesis based on the coursework and intellectual interests you developed
abroad. This provides an ideal way of integrating time abroad with the completion of the Asian American Studies major.
Returnees must submit a Petition for Degree Requirements in order to receive department major and/or General Education credit for work completed abroad.
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