Course Meeting Times
Lectures: 1 session / week, 3 hours / session
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for this course.
Course Description
Millions of South Asians have left their home in the Indian subcontinent since the nineteenth century and settled in America, Europe, Africa, the Caribbean and the Middle East. They are considered a “model minority” in some countries and “unwanted strangers” in others. This course studies how and why this came to be. Through literature, memoirs, films, and historical writing, students will follow Indian migrants as they discovered the world beyond India. This course is a global history of South Asians which introduces students to the cultural, social, economic, and political experiences of immigrants who travelled across the world.
Required Readings
Ghosh, Amitav. Sea of Poppies: A Novel. Picador, 2009. ISBN: 9780312428594. [Preview with Google Books]
Kimani, Peter. Dance of the Jakaranda. Akashic Books, 2017. ISBN: 9781617754968. [Preview with Google Books]
Hamid, Mohsin. The Reluctant Fundamentalist. Harvest Books, 2008. ISBN: 9780156034029. [Preview with Google Books]
Additional readings can be found in the Readings and Videos section.
Grading
| ACTIVITIES | PERCENTAGES |
|---|---|
| Attendance and active class participation, including reading quizzes | 10% |
| Analysis papers (4) | 15% |
| Paper presentation and peer commentary | 15% |
| Research paper | 30% |
| Final revised paper | 30% |
For additional information on the activities in the table above, see the Assignments section.