Minor in Pacific Asian Studies

College of Liberal & Creative Arts

Dean: Dr. Ifeoma Kiddoe Nwankwo

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.

Lecturers

Chang, Dupen, Kuo, Liou, Matsumoto, Mick, Muranaka, Yamaguchi

Pacific Asian Studies Minor — 21–24 units

A minimum of 6 upper-division units are required to complete the minor.

All coursework 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 (6-7 units)

Group I — History, Social Sciences, Health, and Business

Select 3–4 units from the following:

Course List

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 360	Ancient Chinese Civilization	3
HIST 361	Imperial China	3
HIST 362	History of Modern China	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:

Course List

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	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		2
PHIL 511	Chinese Philosophy and Religion	3

Category B: Japan/Korea Studies (3-4 units)

Select 3–4 units from the following:

Course List

Code	Title	Units
HIST 365
HUM 375	Biography of a City: United States Cities	3
HUM 526		3
HUM 527		3
IBUS 596	Doing Business in Japan	3
I R/PLSI 329		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		3
JAPN 401	Topics in Japanese Culture	3
JAPN 510	Modern Japanese Literature	3
JAPN 590		3
KIN 142		1
KIN 242		1
TH A/DANC 408	Performance in Asia and the Asian Diaspora	3

Category C: SE Asia/Regional/Comparative Studies (3-4 units)

Select 3–4 units from the following list of courses:

Course List

Code	Title	Units
ANTH 315	Regional Ethnography	3
ARTH/HUM 205	Asian Art History	3
HIST 364	Sex and Gender in East Asia	3
HIST 376	History of Southeast Asia	3
I R 326		4
IBUS 594		3
MUS 531		3
PLSI/I R 411	East Asian Politics	4
PLSI 418	Political Transitions in East & Southeast Asia	4
PLSI 419	Comparative Political Economy	4

Electives (9 units)

Select 9 units from at least two of the above 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.