Course Listings

This interdisciplinary course introduces the history and culture of Asian American communities in California, especially those in San Francisco and Los Angeles. We pay particular attention to the political and social forces that have shaped the development of Chinatowns and other ethnic enclaves (Little Tokyo, Koreatown, etc.), which have often been imagined as self-contained, alien spaces. We consider the contradictory nature of these spaces: as loci of segregation, sites of cultural hybridity, projections of Orientalist fantasies, and centers of community. We trace how historical events, cultural practices, politics, economics, public health, and urban planning have shaped these spaces and their inhabitants' experiences and identities. We also address the cultural meanings inscribed on these spaces by analyzing their portrayal in literature, film, and other media. Finally, we consider how larger trends like gentrification and commercialization are shaping California's Chinatowns and other ethnic enclaves in new ways. This course includes a week-long immersion experience in San Francisco and Los Angeles during Spring Break. ASI-112-02=HIS-260-01

An immersion component following this class is planned for travel to Peru, May 13 -- May 24, 2024 (dates subject to change), and will involve travel to urban, mountain, and rainforest areas. Grades for this course will be recorded as "incompletes" until after the immersion trip. Enrollment in the course is limited, competitive, and by application through the instructor; contact Prof. Eric Wetzel (wetzele@wabash.edu) if interested. This course counts toward the Global Health minor or the Biology minor; , it does NOT count toward the major in Biology. Students must be fully vaccinated to participate in this course/trip; costs for passports, visas, and vaccinations are the responsibility of the student. BIO-177-01=GHL-177-01

How do war literature and film engage questions of what it means to live a meaningful life in the face of personal and political violence? The course will explore representations of war and genocide in world literatures and film. We will discuss the rise of fascism in Europe, the pre-WW II anti-Semitic rhetoric in the media, and the atrocities of the Holocaust itself from an interdisciplinary point of view, combining history, political science, and literature. We will also look at the refugee crises in contemporary Europe and the U.S. through the eyes of the refugees themselves as well as reporters and human rights activists. In May, we will travel to Poland (Warsaw, Treblinka, Krakow, Auschwitz) to explore ethical dimensions of artistic appropriation of the Holocaust, following Theodore Adorno's statement that "to write poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric." We will also explore the ethics of the so-called "concentration camp tourism" and contemporary narratives of genocide. In Warsaw, we will go to the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, the Ghetto Heroes Monument, and the No?yk Synagogue, among other sites. In Kraków, we will stay near Kazimierz, a traditionally Jewish neighborhood, visit the Old Synagogue, a former Krakow ghetto area in Podgórze district, the Ghetto Heroes Square, and Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory. Next, we will take a bus to Auschwitz-Birkenau and spend a whole day in the two concentration camps. The projected trip dates are May 4-11. Therefore, Seniors are not eligible to enroll. To apply for enrollment in the course, students will fill out a form available from the Center Hall office. Email Dawn Hoffman at hoffmand@wabash.edu to request the form. ENG-270-01=HIS-230-01

An immersion component following this class is planned for travel to Peru, May 13 -- May 24, 2024 (dates subject to change), and will involve travel to urban, mountain, and rainforest areas. Grades for this course will be recorded as "incompletes" until after the immersion trip. Enrollment in the course is limited, competitive, and by application through the instructor; contact Prof. Eric Wetzel (wetzele@wabash.edu) if interested. This course counts toward the Global Health minor or the Biology minor; , it does NOT count toward the major in Biology. Students must be fully vaccinated to participate in this course/trip; costs for passports, visas, and vaccinations are the responsibility of the student. GHL-177-01=BIO-177-01

How do war literature and film engage questions of what it means to live a meaningful life in the face of personal and political violence? The course will explore representations of war and genocide in world literatures and film. We will discuss the rise of fascism in Europe, the pre-WW II anti-Semitic rhetoric in the media, and the atrocities of the Holocaust itself from an interdisciplinary point of view, combining history, political science, and literature. We will also look at the refugee crises in contemporary Europe and the U.S. through the eyes of the refugees themselves as well as reporters and human rights activists. In May, we will travel to Poland (Warsaw, Treblinka, Krakow, Auschwitz) to explore ethical dimensions of artistic appropriation of the Holocaust, following Theodore Adorno's statement that "to write poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric." We will also explore the ethics of the so-called "concentration camp tourism" and contemporary narratives of genocide. In Warsaw, we will go to the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, the Ghetto Heroes Monument, and the No?yk Synagogue, among other sites. In Kraków, we will stay near Kazimierz, a traditionally Jewish neighborhood, visit the Old Synagogue, a former Krakow ghetto area in Podgórze district, the Ghetto Heroes Square, and Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory. Next, we will take a bus to Auschwitz-Birkenau and spend a whole day in the two concentration camps. The projected trip dates are May 4-11. Therefore, Seniors are not eligible to enroll. To apply for enrollment in the course, students will fill out a form available from the Center Hall office. Email Dawn Hoffman at hoffmand@wabash.edu to request the form. HIS-230-01=ENG-270-01

This interdisciplinary course introduces the history and culture of Asian American communities in California, especially those in San Francisco and Los Angeles. We pay particular attention to the political and social forces that have shaped the development of Chinatowns and other ethnic enclaves (Little Tokyo, Koreatown, etc.), which have often been imagined as self-contained, alien spaces. We consider the contradictory nature of these spaces: as loci of segregation, sites of cultural hybridity, projections of Orientalist fantasies, and centers of community. We trace how historical events, cultural practices, politics, economics, public health, and urban planning have shaped these spaces and their inhabitants' experiences and identities. We also address the cultural meanings inscribed on these spaces by analyzing their portrayal in literature, film, and other media. Finally, we consider how larger trends like gentrification and commercialization are shaping California's Chinatowns and other ethnic enclaves in new ways. This course includes a week-long immersion experience in San Francisco and Los Angeles during Spring Break. HIS-260-01=ASI-112-02

Walking the Camino de Santiago, a centuries-old pilgrims route across northern Spain, end in Santiago de Compostela, will give Wabash students an immersive Spanish language learning experience and exposure to 1000 years of history, literature, spirituality, musical traditions, art, and exposure to diverse cultures and traditions. Over the centuries, the Camino has drawn religious pilgrims, adventurers, tourists, rogues, musicians, and artists. Students will participate firsthand in the convergence of Spanish language learning and community while walking a portion of the Camino de Santiago in the last half of May, 2024 (we'll leave after Wabash Commencement). Rooted in cultural studies and pilgrimage studies, this course will involve field work along the Camino de Santiago as students interact with locals and fellow pilgrims to examine course issues. Since we'll walk 100 miles of the Camino, students should be prepared to walk approximately 15 miles a day on both paved and dirt trails.