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The turn in Asian American studies to questions of Indigeneity and settler colonialism is of recent vintage considering that in the 1910s, Thind and Ozawa both grappled with their vexed relation to the figure of the native. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building upon recent work in Asian and Asian American studies, this essay explores dissonance, rather than disinterestedness, and its function and form for literary studies in our present time. It is inspired not only by my rereading of Matthew Arnold's essay but also the convergence of key events over the course of the last few years, ranging from recent attention to Asian and Asian American cultural production to anti-Asian hate crimes. As an Asian Americanist, I research and teach in a field whose very emergence was tied to activist claims for institutional and disciplinary space. I therefore find it profoundly difficult to imagine our endeavors in American literary studies as "disinterested." I am less invested in making the case whether or not the study of Asian American literature "matters"; rather, here I explore why Asian American literary studies—a method that seeks out and dwells in dissonance and urgency rather than disinterestedness and patience—might be a model worth continuing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the intergenerational and intercultural conflicts facing immigrant families. The article notes that social workers are often in need of a measure to assess this phenomenon, and, to that effect, the authors examine the Immigrant Families (ICIF) Scale. The scale can measure the perspective of the parent or the child, while also highlighting the intergenerational relationships. The researchers examine the impact of the ICIF scale on Southeast Asian American refugee families, as well as Southeast Asian American college students with refugee parents.

The author talks of his experiences teaching an Asian American history survey class for undergraduates at the University of Michigan. The teacher begins his classes with a discussion of the academic scene in the late 1960s. It was this period that sparked the beginning of Asian American studies under pressure by students and activists of the time. The author refuses to have his class on the list of recommended courses that would help students meet their "race and ethnicity" requirement as this would increase his class size with students "forced" to be there as opposed to those with an honest interest in the subject.

Presents literary criticism which focuses on the controversy surrounding the Association for Asian American Studies' decision to award its 1998 fiction prize to Lois-Ann Yamanaka's book "Blu's Hanging." At issue was Yamanaka's depiction of the book's libidinous villain which has been criticized and triggers publicity and attention in the field of Asian American literature. The literature conveys the relationship between consumption and melancholia which demonstrates political subversives. Moreover, critics argue that the book illustrates an idealized and demonized narrative of Asian Americans.

Presents literary criticism which investigates the effectivity of Asian American Studies among the schools and towards racial differences in the U.S. It has been contended that the Studies must be altered so that through shared interpersonal strategies, people may communicate their thoughts and feelings efficiently. This can be made possible through the practice of admitting radical heterogeneity through communication. On the other hand, negotiation between racial groups in the society secures the relationship of justice.

The author offers a response to Jonathan Freedman's essay "Do American and Ethnic Studies Have a Jewish Problem; or, When Is an Ethnic Not an Ethnic, and What Should We Do About It?" in the issue. The author discusses Jewish American studies in terms of transnationalism, diaspora, and U.S. citizenship. The author compares the marginalization of Jewish studies to Asian American studies by claiming that both groups are considered too white. The author discusses the U.S. Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, Arizona's 2010 ban on ethnic studies in public schools, and the Tea Party conservative political movement.