Where is the “Heart” of Asian America?:
Troubling “American” Identity and Exceptionalism in an
Age of Globalization and Imperialism
Chicago specifically and the Midwest generally function as
the symbolic “Heartland” of “America,” a culturally
homogenous space relative to the main cosmopolitan sites of
Asian America on the coasts. The “Chicago School” of
sociology has played a large role in shaping the discourse
and research on immigration, race, and urban development.
Immigrants to this part of the country gradually have
assimilated, become “American,” settled into the rhythms of
an industrial and capitalist economy, and exhibited
“proper,” normative and idealized notions of citizenship:
nationalistic, “wholesome,” “corn-fed,” solid “American.”
Their ability to do so speaks to the supposed unique
character of the U.S. But this is only one face of the
Midwest. African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and
Asian Americans have played, both historically and
currently, an essential role in building up the area while
also serving as the discursive “other.” Even European
Americans complicate the notion of uniform Whiteness with
sustained enclave settings based on historic and continued
migration flows. Still, the “Heartland” serves as an
organizing trope in framing the U.S., both internally and
abroad. In this age of globalizations and new imperialisms,
precisely how does this trope play out? How does Asian
American Studies both reinforce and resist, both accept and
complicate the framing of the Midwest as the “center” of
the United States? This conference seeks to trouble the
Midwest as a key space of a homogenous “America.” How does
geography shape the experiences and study of Asian America?
What are the new politics in the heart of Asian America?
How have pan-Asian American movements fared in the
Heartland relative to other spaces? What types of
inter-racial, intra-ethnic and inter-ethnic coalitions have
formed? What implications has the homeland security
apparatus had on Arab American and South Asian American
relationships with the state? How does the “Heartland”
serve as a device in analysis focused on the coasts? Asian
American Studies is rooted in challenges to many of the
assumptions of the nation, but typically these resistances
have been seen as concentrated on the East and West Coasts
and not where they supposedly have the most resonance, in
the “Heartland.” Yet, the Midwest has given birth to
powerful forces of counter-consciousness and interrogated
an uncomplicated framing of the idea of a “true America”
and essential core of the nation. Here, in the heartland of
America, we ask “What is the ‘Heart’ of Asian America?”,
how does geography shape and “What is the uniquely
Midwestern approach of doing Asian American Studies?”
We encourage submissions that deepen our understanding of
the transformative capabilities of a region too often seen
as guarding “American-ness.” A range of issues provide
complicating potential. The list below is in no way meant
to be definitive; we hope you will add to its suggestions:
1. While Asian American studies in recent years have become
more focused on the city, we should not forget the idea and
physicality of the rural both as a site of normalizing
practices as well as a node for community construction
apart from the urban.
2. How do population size and geography impact the growth
of counter-consciousness movements. For instance, did the
smaller size paradoxically lead to easier coalescing, as
in, for example, when Chicago Filipino American postal
workers organized in the 1920's or in the '70s when
Filipino American created the first Filipino American
community center in the U.S. - the Rizal Center.
3. How have residential enclaves grown, disappeared, and
altered in response to city demographics and politics, and
what role do they play for communities with greater or
lesser urban density?
4. What lies at the heart of vibrant Asian American
commercial and residential enclaves: districts in Chicago
such as Devon Street Little India, Lawrence/Bryn Mawr
Koreatowns, Uptown's Argyle enclave, South Side Chinatown,
and towns like Glendale Heights (near Chicago where the
first Filipino American mayor was elected), Skokie,
Naperville, University City (MO), or Madison Heights (MI)?
5. How have Asian Americans negotiated the road to
political empowerment? There have been interesting
campaigns and success stories of Asian Americans elected in
regions with very few Asian American registered voters,
including State Senator Moua from St. Paul, MN who is the
first Hmong American elected official and Swati Dandekar,
an Indian American from Des Moines, IA.
6. How have community-based organizations contributed both
to community empowerment and to research and teaching in
Asian American Studies? How can we in the academy develop
stronger relationships with CBO's and non-profits to
advance the field and the on-the-ground realities of Asian
American communities? How do we link our students to urban,
rural, and less visible communities in all regions to
minimize the "myopia" in our field? How are organizations
focusing on gender, sexual, and class issues creating
alliances and moving forward in the age of increased
reliance on government and foundation money?
7. What are new trends in ethnic businesses, and how are
newer concentrations in the labor market responding to
local, national, and international forces (e.g.,
ethnic-dominated occupational niches include Pakistanis
owning over 2/3rds of Dunkin Donuts)? What are the new
trends in labor organizing, especially in ethnic niches
(e.g. Filipina nurses on strike, forming a new union at
Cook County Stroger Hospital)?
8. What, if any, are popular culture representations of
Asian Americans that have particular salience, and how are
representations shaped not only by national and
transnational but also by local forces?
9. How are hate crimes in urban and rural areas symbolic of
new or continued trends within Asian America?
10. Can we discern new phenomena in family and religious
life? For instance, among the populations demanding our
attention are Korean adoptees in Minnesota; Hmongs in small
town Wisconsin or urban enclaves in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
How are Hmong Americans students faring in schools across
small towns in the Midwest where they now represent 20% of
the population?
11. How are LBGT communities and allies responding to the
growing institutionalized restrictions ushered in by the
conservative political Right, well represented in the
“Heartland?”
Complete panel submissions (with a minimum of 3 papers and
a maximum of 4) will be given priority, but individual
paper submissions will also be considered. Submissions of
individual papers must identify the main disciplinary
linkage or contribution offered by selecting on the key
sub-themes listed above that the paper addresses or
elaborates upon. We invite submissions for workshops and
posters as well.
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: OCTOBER 31, 2007.
Please click here to review paper
submission guidelines and to submit paper.
