Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2025 - GA 211 D100

Asian Migrations Across the Globe (3)

Class Number: 3906

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Wed, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    15 units.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

An interdisciplinary course that focuses on Asian migrant experiences, community formation, cultural expression, and political struggles in locations across the world, including in Canada and the United States as well as Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Oceania. Breadth-Humanities.

COURSE DETAILS:

Stories of migration, ancient, historical, and contemporary, exist across cultures and across the globe. In this course, we will analyse stories of Asian displacements and migrations and the contexts of imperialism, colonialism, and war out of which they emerge. What are the tensions, kinships, and modes of solidarity that are activated through Asian diasporic life-making and community-building?

To examine this question, we will turn to scholarship and creative works by and about Asian diasporas from around the world. Drawing on scholarship, we will use our critical thinking and cultural analysis skills to discuss films, television shows, music videos, podcasts, and literature by Asian diasporic artists like Mo Amer, Moshtari Hilal, Yuki Kihara, Ed Lee, Faran Moradi, Mira Nair, and Vaan Nguyen. 

Grading

  • Participation 15%
  • Reflection Papers (750 words) X 3 45%
  • Proposal: Final Project 10%
  • Final project (2000-word essay or creative) 30%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Ed Lee’s The Laundryman’s Boy will be available for purchase through the SFU bookstore. All other course texts will be either available through Canvas or shown in class.


REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.