← Departments

ASIANAM

Asian American Studies

Get a feel for the department. Find your next class.

Explore prerequisite map →

Browse all Asian American Studies courses →

The department at a glance

All recorded grades
average GPA
A / AB grades
letter grades

How grades break down

Grades over time

Red: department · Gray: UW–Madison

About these statistics

GPA and percentages are weighted by recorded letter grades. UW comparisons use the same terms. Cross-listed courses count once within this department and once across UW; department totals should not be added together. Grade counts are not unique students. Offering counts reflect captured records, not a complete historical schedule.

Fall 2026

Recorded this term
courses with offerings
instructors recorded

Grades have not been recorded for this term. Historical results remain in the overview above.

Find your next class

13 courses

Historical grades cover up to five years through the selected term. Grade sorting prioritizes courses with at least 100 letter grades.

Introduction to comparative ethnic studies examining race, ethnicity, and indigeneity in the US.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Christy Clark-Pujara, Timothy YU: Workload includes readings and essays that some found easy to understand and grade. One reviewer noted completing only textbook readings for an A, while another mentioned three essays and a final exam.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

AFRO ASIAN IMPROV: FROM HIP HOP TO MARTIAL ARTS FUSION studies intersections of Asian American and African American dance and martial arts through practice and theory.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Students should expect significant weekly work, including rehearsals and writing, with strict attendance policies affecting grades.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2024 · limited sample

Introduction to the historical, sociological, anthropological, political, and cultural study of Americans of Asian ancestry.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Students report high difficulty due to a large, poorly guided group project and weekly graded lecture notes. Workload includes excessive readings and videos, with harsh grading on exams and assignments despite unclear criteria.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

Explores fantasy and race in Asian American fiction, graphic novels, anime, and art, examining political meaning and cultural anxieties.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Students report heavy exam weighting where small mistakes significantly impact grades, alongside requirements to memorize essays and purchase specific course materials.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2023–Fall 2025

Explores how Hmong participation in the Secret War in Laos shaped their experiences in the U.S. and their social, cultural, and political self-definition.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews for Professor Xiong describe the workload as minimal, consisting of weekly discussion prep and manageable projects without exams.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2025

ASIANAM 240 examines specific themes in Asian American life and culture, including comparative analyses of communities and histories of specific Asian groups in the U.S.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Students must memorize extensive word banks and names for exams, though tests often allow copying from provided slides. Reaction papers are considered easy, and readings are optional if students attend lectures.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

EATING ASIAN AMERICA examines Asian American food cultures to explore politics, identities, and histories.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2023–Spring 2026

ASIANAM 540 explores various themes in Asian American Studies, covering topics such as activism, policy, history, and social issues.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Historical reviews of Jan Miyasaki: Grading relies on two exams and four reaction papers.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Fall 2025

ASIAN AMERICANS AND MEDIA examines Asian American representations in American media through historical, analytical, and critical approaches.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

One historical review suggests the course accommodates students taking it for an ethnic studies requirement.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2025

ASIAN AMERICAN MOVEMENT teaches techniques of exercises and movement forms derived from Asian cultures in the US.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Students must complete required reading, video-watching, and practice outside of class. Homework is often done after lectures, and points may be deducted for small details.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

A variable-topic course in Asian American Literature emphasizing critical thinking, historical awareness, and multicultural participation.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

The reading workload appears manageable, as one reviewer noted they could have skipped reading without penalty, though lectures provide necessary context.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Fall 2025

Examines the impact of colonialism, war, and capitalism on Asian immigration to the U.S. and how racial, gendered, and class formations structured these movements.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

The course demands substantial weekly reading, described as dense or repetitive. Assessments vary by term, including exams with advance study guides, papers, and weekly homework.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2025

Sociological analysis of historical and recent ethnic/racial conflict and movements in the U.S., focusing on relations between major racial and ethnic groups.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Students face a heavy workload characterized by a large number of assignments and writing tasks.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

Across course levels

Recorded this term

No released grades for this term.

Recorded offerings over time

Offering snapshots currently cover Fall 2026. Earlier grade records do not provide a complete offering history.