The resurgence of COVID-related anti-Asian hate might remind many Asian Americans and their anti-racist allies of the Japanese internment camp during World War II, the Asian Exclusion Act of 1924, lynchings against Asian Americans in the early 20th century, and so on. According to a Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism report, “anti-Asian hate crimes surge 149%, while overall hate crime drops 7% in 2020.” Yet, large percentages of Americans are unaware of the increased attacks against Asian Americans–over 11,500 hate incidents reported as of March 2022. Anti-Asian hate in the United States is closely related to U.S.–Asia relations. Since the formation of the Pacific Quadron of the U.S. Navy in 1812, the Asia Pacific has been geopolitically significant to the U.S. In the globalized world, the Pacific Ocean does not separate Asia from the U.S. but connects the two worlds. If so, the study of Asian Americans and Asian Diaspora in the U.S. may show historically complex relations between the U.S. and Asia which challenges U.S.-based researchers and educators of Asian Studies to critically reflect on what we do in academia.

ASIANetwork Exchange is planning to publish a special issue, “Engaging Asian American Studies in Asian Studies,“ edited by Kin Cheung (Moravian University) and K. Christine Pae (Denison University). This call for papers and creative work seeks contributions to critically engage with (but is not limited to) the following:

1. Pedagogy:

a. How should educators incorporate Asian American Studies in Asian Studies in the classroom? How does Asian American Studies help students understand the topics of Asian Studies from a new perspective?

b. Does the identity or positionality of the instructor (e.g., whether they are AAPI or not) of Asian Studies courses impact the classroom in ways that may differ from that of courses in other fields of study (e.g. political affiliation of instructors in Political Science, gender or sexual orientation of instructors in Women’s, Sexuality, and Gender Studies, religious affiliation of instructors in Religious Studies, etc.)?

2. History:

a. How does Asian American studies show America’s global history?

b. What historical events (i.e., social movements, war, etc.) would critically inform the formation of Asian Studies in the U.S., Asian
American Studies, and/or Asian diaspora studies?

3. Intersectionality Analysis:

a. How can scholars and educators adopt the intersectionality approach (e.g., the intersectionality of race, gender, sexuality, class,
disability, etc.) to Asian American Studies? How would this analysis show diversity and differences among Asians/Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders?

b. How would intersectionality analysis revitalize our respective disciplines (i.e., anthropology, literature, religion, sociology,
etc.)?

4. Religion:

a. How does religion cross transpacific space?

b. How does Asian American Studies critically examine the import and export of so-called “Asian” religious traditions? How does religion look from a transpacific perspective (i.e., Dalit Christianity in India)?

Submissions that explicitly address the author’s positionality and reflect upon their lived experiences (e.g. autoethnographic
work) are highly encouraged.

Contributors should submit a title and abstract (200 words) to Kin Cheung (cheungk@moravian.edu) by September 30, 2022. Manuscripts can range between 3000-6000 words, inclusive of notes and references. The tentative production schedule is to receive manuscripts by early 2023 for publication in 2024.