Commodifying Otherness: Asian American Literature in the Multicultural Milieu = Commodifying Otherness: Asian American Literature in the Multicultural Milieu

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The 1990s, dubbed by some as the “Asian American Literary Renaissance,” marked a significant turning point in the development of Asian American literature, as more writers of asian descent began to break silence in record numbers. The qualitative and quantitative strides made in the once marginalized realm of Asian American literature has been frequently attributed to the predominant socio-cultural paradigm of the 1990s known as ‘multiculturalism.` In light of the racial tensions that continue to plague American society today, this paper seeks to look beyond the cliques and investigate the practical reasons (e.g. dramatic surge in the Asian population in American, multicultural education in the classrooms, etc.) behind the ever rising demand for Asian American writings in the multicultural milieu. Despite its century long history, Asian American literature has only now begun to flourish in earnest. It is perhaps in its innate imperfection and incompleteness that we witness its greatest potential for growth, and it is perhaps for this reason that Asian American literature remains today a center of interest for the readership at large and a fertile ground for scholastic inquiry. However, this paper also takes a critical look at the problems that Asian American writers will have to sufficiently address in the years to come, if Asian American literature is to seek inclusion into the American literary canon.