Pacific Century: Chinese-American Relations 1898-2008

In this course we will examine Chinese-American relations from the Boxer Uprising through the Beijing Olympics. We will explore the multi-dimensional nature of the bond between these two nations, looking at socio-economic, political, and cultural elements of their "special relationship." Course themes will include westward empire and the scramble for territory in China; the formation and mutation of American orientalism; and ways in which Chinese politicians and intellectuals have strategically mobilized with and against the expansion of U.S. power in the Pacific. Texts will include scholarly monographs, Hollywood films, and writings by figures such as Soong May-ling, Mao Zedong, and W.E.B DuBois.