Papers by Tonya Braddox
This dissertation establishes a space to explore Black-Asian tropes in African American literatur... more This dissertation establishes a space to explore Black-Asian tropes in African American literature written since the 1980s. I examine African American literary works that feature Black-Asian relations, encounters, and alliances. I argue that a distinct kind of discourse is occurring when African American literature feature Black-Asian tropes; it is a discussion that decenters and has the potential to disrupt common debates of Black-White readings of American literature, in general. I start my analysis with the 1980s because I am interested in AfroAsian motifs in Contemporary African American literature. In 1984, Velina Hasu Houston's drama, American Dreams, was performed on a off-Broadway stage by the Negro Ensemble Company, and featured an African American-Japanese couple coming home to the husband's non-receptive relatives in Harlem, New York. In 1988, Octavia Butler's Adulthood Rites was published and depicted a Black-Chinese half-human, half-alien being trying to understand his alterity. In 1993, Ishmael Reed's Japanese By Spring was published and illustrated how an African American college professor attempts to politically align himself with a Japanese college president in the hopes of obtaining tenure at a predominantly White college. In the 2000s, Jacqueline A. Sue's Cornbread and Dim Sum: A Heart Glow Romance (2004) and Angela Weaver's No Ordinary Love (2009) featured romantic relationships between African American women and Chinese men. The core of my analysis is to interpret the shared experiences between African Americans and two Asian American groups, Japanese and Chinese. Each author's literary imagination seeks to call into existence a Black-Asian presence. History, law, and some social science help explain the relationships represented in each text. In each chapter, I discuss forgotten histories, such as the impact of Japanese and Chinese emigrants on the American labor force of the 1800s; the relocation of American soldiers to Kansas due to segregation laws in other parts of the United States during the 1950s; African American supporters of the Pro-Japan movements in the 1930s; and the effect of American racial laws on interracial couples prior to the US Supreme Court ruling on Loving vs. Virginia of 1967. These historical references are included in literature across genres, including drama, science fiction, satire, and romance, and cover topics on colorism, multiethnic identity, and interracial relationships. Furthermore, in this study, I attempt to address a popular cultural term, Blasian, that encapsulates contemporary experiences of African and Asian Americans in the United States. By the end of the dissertation, I define and discuss what Blasian Narratives are and create a literary and cultural niche for exploring more Blasian experiences.
UMI, ProQuest ® Dissertations & Theses. The world's most comprehensive collection of dis... more UMI, ProQuest ® Dissertations & Theses. The world's most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses. Learn more... ProQuest, Collective identity formation and cultural trauma in black feminist drama: "In the Blood" and "Funnyhouse of a Negro". ...
Course Syllabi by Tonya Braddox
This 14-week course is a writing-intensive and discussion-based course with a focus on surveying ... more This 14-week course is a writing-intensive and discussion-based course with a focus on surveying the works of women in theater and film. In this course, we will examine narratives by women playwrights and screenwriters from the 1980s to the present; examine the styles and techniques used by women authors; and identify and explore themes that are often featured in plays and films written by women writers. During the semester, students should expect to investigate the complexities and intersectionality of race, ethnicity, class, and gender, respectively. The assigned reading and writing assignments will help students develop further their own critical thinking and help refine their writing skills.
This is a seven-week online course designed to focus on literature published and films released d... more This is a seven-week online course designed to focus on literature published and films released during the late 20th to early 21st centuries. During the semester, students will read literary works, journal articles, and watch films featuring cross-cultural experiences and blended cultures situating them within historical and social contexts, beginning with the 1950s and ending with the present. Students will read journal articles discussing identity politics, cross-cultural exchanges, and the multicultural debate since the institution of Hip Hop as a cultural movement in the United States of America. More importantly, students will explore the contentions that existed between two ethnic groups and the cross-cultural embracements of their cultures.
This 14-week course is a writing-intensive course with a focus on developing close reading techni... more This 14-week course is a writing-intensive course with a focus on developing close reading techniques. In Literary Studies, reading comprehension and analytical skills are important to developing critical thinking that is needed for any career or profession you are pursuing. Reading as a discipline requires much practice and each student should aspire to become more attuned to both the historical and social context of literary works. We will close read literary texts and films.
This is a six-week online course designed to introduce students to women authors of the late 20th... more This is a six-week online course designed to introduce students to women authors of the late 20th to early 21st centuries of various ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds. We will examine the styles and techniques used by women authors to tell their stories. We will also identify and explore themes that are often featured in poetry, drama, and fictional novels written by women writers. During the semester, we will investigate the complexities and intersectionality of race, ethnicity, class, and culture in American society. The required reading and writing assignments will help you develop your own critical thinking and writing.
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Papers by Tonya Braddox
Course Syllabi by Tonya Braddox