Negotiating Gender: New Perspectives on Asian American Literary Studies

This proposed collection of essays intends to tackle a fundamental issue in Asian American literary studies—the gender gap, i.e. a fission roughly along gender lines in Asian American thinking and articulation about ethnic identity. Ever since the early 1970s, Asian American feminists and nationalists have been engaged in a heated exchange on the roles of gender, race, and culture in the formation of an Asian American identity, with gender being the defining element. While the debate has invigorated Asian American critical discourse, the prolonged warring atmosphere has also divided Asian American community.

In recent years, scholars such as King-Kok Cheung, Sau-ling Wong, and Jinqi Ling have sought to move beyond gender opposition in Asian American thinking and practice. This move is in line with critical developments in recent gender and race theories, masculinity studies, and queer studies.
While we are aware of the pitfalls of "essentialized ethnicity" in Judith Butlers and bell hooks sense, we are also eager for the possibility of negotiations toward a "coalitional politics." We would like to see essays that explore new perspectives on Asian American self-definition and identity in the spirit of gender reconciliation rather than gender opposition.

Potential contributors are invited to submit completed essays as Word attachments by June 30, 2005 to both Professor Wenxin Li (wli79@yahoo.com) and Professor Chingyen Sawatsky (csawatsky@siena.edu). Queries and questions are welcome. Selected essays may also form an MLA special session in December.