HIS 378-01 - U.S. - East Asian Relations

4 credits (Spring)

Civilizations do not clash; empires do. This seminar explores the history of U.S.-East Asian relations from the nineteenth century to the present day, beginning with the U.S. entrance into Asia as a colonial power and end with the legacy of the Cold War. It juxtapose the perspectives, interests, and arguments of U.S. and East Asian actors to understand this social, political and cultural history. This seminar investigates the global dimension of U.S.-Asian interactions: how did transnational and international forces between U.S. and Asian societies and governments shape key dynamics of the global twentieth century? Why was there unprecedented support for U.S. overseas expansion in this period? And how did U.S. and Asian migrants, lobbyists, NGOs and other private actors develop a sustained impact on global politics?

Prerequisite: HIS 100 and any 200-level history course.
Instructor: Luo