Sociology

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Asian American Educational Experiences and the Malleable Persistence of Orientalism
(2016) Owyang, Kelsey; McKeever, Matthew
In this thesis, I examine contemporary stereotyping of Asian American students through the lens of the persistent and malleable legacy of Orientalism (Said 1978). I argue that Orientalism has evolved from a discourse of racial inequality facilitated by European conquest of Western Asia to a set of stereotyped attitudes and practices that relegate even American-born Asians to a lower social status than whites. Using interviews with twelve Asian American college students at three California universities, I examine the emergence and influence of Orientalist, anti-Asian stereotypes from two main sources: social interactions on campus and institutional treatment of Asian Americans within the university environment. I find that out-of-classroom educational experiences exert a significant influence on Asian American student identities and are key locations for the maintenance of Orientalist attitudes and practices.