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Surveying Notions of Queer Asian American Community Through Literature: 1972–1998

Citation

Du, Yun Emily (2022) Surveying Notions of Queer Asian American Community Through Literature: 1972–1998. Senior thesis (Major), California Institute of Technology. doi:10.7907/43ya-7t94. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:06082022-220335559

Abstract

The history of queer Asian America has, to date, largely been studied as a history of organizations. This has lent a particular tilt to both the preservation and the study of queer Asian America: the activism of the late 20th century has been archivally and academically preserved, while records of everyday queer Asian American experiences -- of the ways individuals discovered their identities, formed communities, found loves, and filled their days -- have been more rarely preserved and written of. This thesis seeks to fill that gap by analyzing the history of queer Asian American literature. Specifically, the thesis offers a broad survey of queer Asian American writing from the 1970s through the 90s. It then uses methods of literary and historical analysis to shed light on how individuals have grappled with the question of what it means to be queer and Asian American. Ultimately, the thesis turns to the queer Asian American community and asks, "Who are 'we'?"

Item Type:Thesis (Senior thesis (Major))
Subject Keywords:queer, Asian American, literature, community, identity
Degree Grantor:California Institute of Technology
Division:Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
Humanities and Social Sciences
Major Option:Chemistry
History
Minor Option:Biology
Awards:Merck Index Award, 2022. Richard P. Schuster Memorial Prize, 2021.
Thesis Availability:Public (worldwide access)
Research Advisor(s):
  • Dykstra, Maura
Thesis Committee:
  • None, None
Defense Date:2022
Record Number:CaltechTHESIS:06082022-220335559
Persistent URL:https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:06082022-220335559
DOI:10.7907/43ya-7t94
ORCID:
AuthorORCID
Du, Yun Emily0000-0003-0634-910X
Default Usage Policy:No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided.
ID Code:14959
Collection:CaltechTHESIS
Deposited By: Yun Du
Deposited On:08 Jun 2022 23:34
Last Modified:03 Aug 2022 23:50

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