What you get from taking this course:

  • Access to reputable historical, journalistic and scholarly sources (no fake news here!)

  • Knowledge from an expert (she literally wrote the book on the topic!) who is also a highly-regarded community leader with long-time activist and organizing experience

  • A judgement-free space to discuss current struggles and devise strategies to address them

  • Connection with like-minded folks who are committed to social and ecological justice

Course curriculum

This is part 1 of a 2-part course that can go towards the Applied Ethnic Studies certificate. Lectures will begin on July 17th 2025. There will be optional opportunities for in-person lectures and discussions, experiential learning, and/or land-based learning. To earn the Applied Ethnic Studies certificate, part 2 of this course plus 3 additional courses will need to be completed.

    1. Welcome

    2. Recording of Lecture 1

    3. Grounding Exercise from The Embodiment Institute

    4. Welcome to the Asian American Activism Course!

      FREE PREVIEW

    5. What's in this module?

    6. "Introduction: Building an Archive of Asian American Organizing Praxis" by Dr. Diane C. Fujino & Dr. Robyn Rodriguez

    7. Slide Deck on "Introduction: Building an Archive of Asian American Activist Praxis"

    8. Book Talk: "Contemporary Asian American Activism: Building Movements for Liberation" by Dr. Diane C. Fujino & Dr. Robyn M. Rodriguez

      FREE PREVIEW

    9. "Model Minority Mutiny" by Soya Jung

    10. "Unmasking Yellow Peril" by 18 Million Rising

    11. "The Legibility of Asian American Activism Studies," by Dr. Diane C. Fujino & Dr. Robyn M. Rodriguez.

    12. Webinar: Unite to Fight (How To Run a Campaign) with Raymond Castillo

    13. Webinar: "Political Education and Radical Pedagogy" hosted by UCLA Asian American Studies Center

    14. Political Education in a Time of Rebellion

    15. "On Movement Praxis in the Era of Trumpism" by Alex Tom

    16. Module Assessment #1 - Required for students aiming to earn the Applied Ethnic Studies Certificate

    1. What's in this module?

    2. Presentation: "Nuanced Understandings of Immigration History" by Dr. Rodriguez

    3. Website: A Different Asian American Timeline (Required)

    4. Website: History of Angel Island Immigration Station (Optional)

    5. Asian American History - Suggested Readings List

    6. Module Assessment #2 - Required for students aiming to earn the Applied Ethnic Studies Certificate

    1. Zoom Links for Lecture

    2. Recording of Lecture 2

    3. “Breathe, Ground, and Resource, Revisited," by Resmaa Menakem

    4. What's in this module?

    5. "Politics and Social Movements: An Overview," Presentation by Dr. Rodriguez

    6. "The Rise of the Asian American Movement," Presentation by Dr. Rodriguez

    7. Excerpt from "Serve the People: Making Asian America in the Long Sixties" by Karen Ishizuka

    8. Book Talk by Karen Ishizuka

    9. The Asian American Movement - Suggested Readings List

    10. Module Assessment #3 - Required for students aiming to earn the Applied Ethnic Studies Certificate

    1. What's in this module?

    2. Zoom Links for Lecture

    3. "'Pete Wilson Trying to See Us All Broke': Asian American Cross-Racial Student Activism in 1990s CA" by Robyn M. Rodriguez, with Wayne Jopanda

    4. From the archives: Asian American Political Alliance General Statement, 1968

    5. PACE [Philippine American Collegiate Endeavor] Statement

    6. "PACE, A Critical Link in Filipino American History" by Juanita Tamayo Lott

    7. "On Strike! San Francisco State College Strike, 1968-1969: The Role of Asian American Students," by Karen Umemoto

    8. "San Francisco's International Hotel Mobilizing the Filipino American Community in the Anti-Eviction Movement" by Estella Habal. Read Pages 14, 23-32, 55–57, 59–63.

    9. Video: Reflections on Student Organizing - Dr. Robyn Rodriguez

    10. The Fight Against Gentrification in Oakland - The "Stay the Right Way" Coalition 2017-18

    11. Student Organizing - Suggested Readings List

    12. Module Assessment #4 - Required for students aiming to earn the Applied Ethnic Studies Certificate

    1. What's in this module?

    2. Zoom Links for Lecture

    3. "Dismantling the 'Undocumented Korean Box'" by Dr. Ga Young Chung

    4. Dr. Ga Young Chung discusses Korean Undocumented Youth Activism (Go to 43:43).

    5. "Out and Asian: How Undocu/DACAmented Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Youth Navigate Dual Liminality in the Immigrant Rights Movement," by Loan Thi Dao

    6. "Undocumented and Unafraid: Tam Tran, Cinthya Felix, and the Immigrant Youth Movement" by UCLA Center for Labor Research and Education 2011

    7. 'KNOw History/KNOw Self: Khmer Youth Organizing for Justice in Long Beach" by Monisha Das Gupta

    8. "Radical Deportation: Alien Tales from Lodi and San Francisco" by Sunaina Maira

    9. Deported: A Grassroots Movement Part 1 of 5 (2017)

    10. Fighting Deportation: A Refugee's Plea for Justice (2019)

    11. Module Assessment #5 - Required for students aiming to earn the Applied Ethnic Studies Certificate

    1. What's in this module?

    2. Zoom Links for Lecture

    3. Lecture on "Internationalism"

    4. "Interracialism, Internationalism, and Intersections of Gender and Race" by Daryl Joji Maeda

    5. Asian American Solidarity with Palestine

    6. Why You Won't Learn about Palestine: Arab American Studies and the Fight for Ethnic Studies

    7. "BAYAN USA: Filipino Transnational Radical Activism in the US in the 21st Century" by Jessica Antonio

    8. Video: Niko Cababa (BAYAN) - INTERNATIONALISM

    9. Video: BAYAN USA 8 Point Program

    10. Internationalism - Suggested Readings List

    11. Module Assessment #6 - Required for students aiming to earn the Applied Ethnic Studies Certificate
  • Payment Plan
  • Real-time lectures (on-line); Jul. 17 & 31, Aug. 14 & 28, Sept. 11, 2025 4:30-6:30PM PST
  • Autographed book from author (the instuctor)

Instructor

Founder Dr. Robyn Rodriguez

Dr. Robyn Magalit Rodriguez is a highly accomplished researcher as well as a beloved educator and mentor who left her career as a university professor to establish SLE. Shortly after founding SLE, Dr. Rodriguez also founded Remagination Farm, a farm, learning center, healing & arts space. SLE and Remagination are not-for-profit social enterprises that are sibling organizations to the Amado Khaya Initiative, which honors the activist work of the late Amado Khaya Canham Rodriguez, Dr. Rodriguez's eldest son, who passed away at the age of 22 while serving indigenous communities in the Philippines. More about Dr. Rodriguez can be found on her website, drrobynrodriguez.com.

Video