FOLK 009 401 Writing Seminar in Folklore and Folklife: The Indian American Experience

F. Khan
Lecture: Tues/Thurs 3:00 - 4:30
Fulfills the College writing requirement
Contact: fariha@sas.upenn.edu

Cross-listed with ASAM-009, SARS-009

Every immigrant group has its own history, customs, beliefs and values, making each unique while simultaneously a part of the "melting pot" or "salad bowl" of American society. But, how do people define themselves and their ethnicities when they live in a diasporic context? Taking the burgeoning Indian American population as our model, this course will explore the lives that immigrants from India have lived and are living in America. We will examine the identities which the second generation, born and/or raised in America, is developing. Through seminar discussions, we will consider topics such as marriage, religion, generational conflicts, and gender as each issue is affected or transformed by migration. We will also probe representations of ethnicity in film, the media, and short fiction. Because Folklore serves as the course methodology and encourages an interactive relationship between a person and his/her environment, a response journal and frequent writing assignments will incorporate folkloristic theory and fieldwork methods including participation/observation and interviewing skills. Each assignment, conference and revision will emphasize research, analysis and documentation of the changing lifestyles of ethnic families.

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