Minor in Pacific Asian Studies
College of Liberal & Creative Arts
Interim Dean: Dr. Sophie Clavier
Pacific Asian Studies Program
Humanities Building, Room 475
Phone: (415) 338-1421
Coordinator: Wen-Chao C Li
Program Scope
Pacific Asia refers to the regions of Asia bordering the Pacific Ocean, including East and Southeast Asia. Historically, East Asia has been under strong influences of Confucianism and Mahayana Buddhism, and Southeast Asia has been under strong influences of Islam and Theravada Buddhism. Diversity is more characteristic than commonality in describing the cultures and societies of East and Southeast Asia. But East and Southeast Asia can be regarded as a meaningful unit of global studies when we consider the two regions’ commercial, cultural, and diplomatic interactions, as well as their common experiences with Western and Japanese imperialism. In the twenty-first century, an economic community that connects East and Southeast Asia has been taking shape with marked Chinese initiatives, making these two regions more closely integrated than ever. The Pacific Asian Studies Minor is designed to give students an introduction into the exuberantly rich and diverse cultures of East and Southeast Asia, their inter-regional relations, and their relations with the rest of the world. In what some are now calling the Asian century, the rising tide of immigration of people from Pacific Asia into the United States, the rapidly increasing trade and financial transfers with nations of the Pacific Rim, and the growing attention to Asian arts, literature, philosophy, medicine, environment, and human rights signal the need to study Pacific Asia in earnest. At a time when this part of the world has become increasingly important to Americans, the minor serves the need to gain a better understanding of the complex Asian scene by offering an inviting opportunity for students to develop career and life-enhancing academic experiences at the University.
The Pacific Asian Studies Minor is an interdisciplinary program designed for students seeking a more intensive and extensive knowledge and understanding of East and Southeast Asia than their major discipline would offer. The Pacific Asian Studies Minor will be useful to students interested in pursuing further study at the graduate level as well as those planning careers in education, foreign services, international organizations, overseas corporations, and banking. Participants in the Study Abroad program at San Francisco State are welcomed to join Pacific Asian Studies and bring their Asian experiences to SF State classrooms.
Pacific Asian Studies Minor
The Pacific Asian Studies Minor curriculum emphasizes versatility in terms of both the regions and the subjects of study. China is the oldest continuous civilization in the world. Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia also have their distinctive civilizations. The curriculum is designed to give students exposure to all three distinctive civilization systems. The curriculum consists of a core of 12 to 15 units, plus 9 units of electives, totaling 21 to 24 units. Not more than 9 units may be transferred from other campuses; no more than 6 units may be taken on a CR/NC basis.
Students considering the minor are advised to consult with Pacific Asian Studies faculty to create an individualized plan to take into account specific interests as well as to develop a strategy for taking courses to ensure timely completion of the minor. Students planning to take courses other than those listed in the curriculum are required to get prior approval of the program director.
Professor
Sanjoy Banerjee (1990), Professor in International Relations. Ph.D. Yale University.
T. Adam Burke (2001), Professor in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism. Ph.D. University of California, Santa Cruz; L.Ac. American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Yukihiro Goto (1990), Professor in Theatre Arts. Ph.D. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
Sujian Guo (2002), Professor in Political Science. Ph.D. University of Tennessee.
Andrew K. Hanami (1990), Professor in International Relations, Emeritus. Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley.
Pi-Ching Hsu (1994), Professor in History. Ph.D. University of Minnesota.
Santhi Kavuri-Bauer (2003), Professor in Art. Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles.
Matthew Lee (2001), Professor in Kinesiology. Ph.D. Louisiana State University.
Chris Wen-Chao Li (2000), Professor in Modern Languages and Literatures. M.Phil., D.Phil. Oxford University.
Midori Yamamoto McKeon (1990), Professor in Modern Languages and Literatures. Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley.
Masahiko Minami (1997), Professor in Modern Languages and Literatures. Ed.D. Harvard University.
Hafez Modirzadeh (1998), Professor in Music. Ph.D. Wesleyan University.
Mary E. Scott (1990), Professor in Humanities. Ph.D. Princeton University.
Roblyn Simeon (1996), Professor in International Business. Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley.
Justin Tiwald (2006), Professor in Philosophy. Ph.D. University of Chicago.
Associate Professor
Makiko Asano (2001), Associate Professor in Modern Languages and Literatures. Ph.D. Harvard University.
Jean-Marc F. Blanchard (2003), Associate Professor in International Relations. Ph.D. University of Pennsylvania.
Jessica Elkind (2008), Associate Professor in History. Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles.
Qian Guo (1998), Associate Professor in Geography and Environment. Ph.D. University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Lecturers
Chang, Dupen, Kuo, Liou, Matsumoto, Mick, Muranaka, Yamaguchi
Pacific Asian Studies Minor — 21–24 units
All course work used to satisfy the requirements of the minor must be completed with a minimum grade point average of 2.0.
Core (12–15 units)
Category A: China/Hong Kong/Taiwan Studies
Group I — History, Social Sciences, Health, and Business
Select 3–4 units from the following:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| GEOG 575 | Emerging China | 3 |
| HH 381 | Holistic Health: Eastern Perspectives | 3 |
| HH 383 | Chinese Perspectives in Holistic Health | 3 |
| HH 420 | Qigong Body-Mind Energetics | 3 |
| HH 530 | Eastern Nutrition and Herbs | 3 |
| HIST 569 | 3 | |
| HIST 570 | 3 | |
| HIST 571 | 3 | |
| IBUS 592 | Doing Business in Greater China | 3 |
| I R/PLSI 325 | Chinese Foreign Policy | 4 |
| PLSI/I R 404 | Politics of China | 4 |
Group II — Humanities, Arts, and Literature
Select 3 units from the following list of courses:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHIN 401 | Advanced Chinese | 3 |
| CHIN 411/I R 413/JOUR 411 | Media Chinese | 3 |
| CHIN 501 | Introduction to Classical Chinese | 3 |
| CHIN 507 | Traditional Chinese Culture | 3 |
| CHIN 521 | Chinese Modern Fiction | 3 |
| CHIN 600 | Topics in Chinese Language, Literature, and Culture in English | 3 |
| CHIN 601GW | The Poetic Tradition - GWAR | 3 |
| CHIN 602 | The Narrative Tradition | 3 |
| HUM 375 | Biography of a City: United States Cities (topic: Beijing) | 3 |
| HUM 530 | Chinese Civilization | 3 |
| HUM 531 | Images of Modern China | 3 |
| KIN 148 | Elementary Kung Fu | 1 |
| KIN 175 | Elementary Tai-Chi Chuan | 1 |
| KIN 275 | Intermediate/Advanced Tai-Chi Chuan | 2 |
| PHIL 511 | Chinese Philosophy and Religion | 3 |
Category B: Japan/Korea Studies
Select 3–4 units from the following:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 578 | 3 | |
| HUM 375 | Biography of a City: United States Cities | 3 |
| HUM 526 | Culture of Japan before 1850 | 3 |
| HUM 527 | Japan and Modernity | 3 |
| IBUS 596 | Doing Business in Japan | 3 |
| I R/PLSI 329 | U.S.-Japan Politics | 4 |
| JAPN 200 | Art of Japanese Writing and Calligraphy | 3 |
| JAPN 302 | Japanese Reading and Grammar | 3 |
| JAPN 309 | Advanced Readings in Japanese I | 3 |
| JAPN 390 | Business Japanese | 3 |
| JAPN 395 | Advanced Business Japanese: Business Writing | 3 |
| JAPN 401 | Topics in Japanese Culture (all topics) | 3 |
| JAPN 510 | Modern Japanese Literature | 3 |
| JAPN 590 | Topics in Japanese Literature | 3 |
| KIN 142 | Elementary Judo | 1 |
| KIN 145 | 1 | |
| KIN 242 | Intermediate/Advanced Judo | 1 |
| TH A 408 | Performance Styles in Asia and the Asian Diaspora | 3 |
Category C: SE Asia/Regional/Comparative Studies
Select 3–4 units from the following list of courses:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 315 | Regional Ethnography (topic course: Peoples and Cultures of East Asia) | 3 |
| ARTH/HUM 205 | Asian Art History | 3 |
| HIST 575 | 3 | |
| HIST 588 | 3 | |
| I R 326 | South and Southeast Asia Foreign Relations | 4 |
| IBUS 594 | Doing Business in Asia-Pacific Countries | 3 |
| MUS 531 | Musics of North and Southeast Asia | 3 |
| PLSI/I R 411 | East Asian Politics | 4 |
| PLSI 418GW | 4 | |
| PLSI 419 | Comparative Political Economy | 4 |
Electives (9 units)
Select three or more courses from at least two of the four sets of courses:
Foreign Language Requirement
Students with no prior knowledge of a language other than English are required to take one semester of a language course, on advisement, that is relevant to their course of study and post-graduate goals. Students who wish to be exempted from this requirement must submit a written request to the director of Pacific Asian Studies.