Chinese Diaspora in Southeast Asia: Cultural Histories and Migrating Indentities

This seminar explores the cultural, economic, social, political and religious history of Chinese in Southeast Asia.   Our central emphasis is the modern era (19th to 2oth century). Through primary texts in translation - including travelogues, novels, memoirs, newspapers and cinema - we will develop our skills in source analysis as we examine changing patterns in, perceptions of, and persecution of, Chinese residents in colonial and postcolonial Southeast Asia. Students have the opportunity to specialize in an era, community and country of choice in a final research project. Our focus countries are Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand.