Assignment

Historically, how have claims about Asian-American suffering relied upon disavowals of Black suffering (either historical Black suffering like slavery or contemporary forms of Black suffering, of which there are many examples). Also, does this have to be the case? How might claims about Asian American suffering be made differently? What does the pattern of disavowing Black suffering say about a) the nature of Black suffering, and b) the positionality of Asian people in the U.S.?

1. Talk about Asian triangulation, inversions, Asian racialization, positionality, Asian foreignness, blackface, people of color blindness.
2. Use these terms as the “meat” of the essays. The examples should be used to empower these terms as supplements and tie them back to the thesis statement.
3. Keep the stance neutral. Don’t have to pick either one.
4. Simple, concise analysis.