APP 212 Introduction to Comparative Ethnic and Global Societies

Purpose: to help other instructors teaching the same course

Common Course ID:  APP 212
CSU Instructor Open Textbook Adoption Portrait

Abstract: Abstract: This open textbook is being utilized in a ethnic studies / comparative ethnic and global societies course for undergraduate or graduate students by Dr. Katherine Chu at California State University Dominguez Hills. The open textbook provides an accessible introduction to ethnic studies, including the history of the field, key concepts such as racial formation and intersectionality, and chapters on Africana, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and Chicanx/Latinx studies. In this course, the text is supplemented with module videos, guided module planners, library readings, films, and discussion/reflection prompts that help students connect historical foundations to contemporary questions of diaspora, media, solidarity, and social justice. The main motivation to adopt an open textbook was to remove cost barriers while still giving students a rigorous, customizable, and current core text aligned with CSU ethnic studies goals. Most students access the open textbook online through Canvas links and the CSUDH Library on laptops or desktop computers; some students also use mobile devices for reading on the go.

Course Title and Number - APP 212: Introduction to Comparative Ethnic and Global Societies

Brief Description of course highlights:  APP 212 is a 3-unit undergraduate course that explores the historical, social, cultural, and political contexts of three ethnic/global communities in the United States: Africana, Asian-Pacific, and Chicano/Latino communities. The course emphasizes migration and diaspora histories, contemporary issues, and the relationships between these communities and dominant U.S. institutions. It uses an interdisciplinary and comparative approach drawing from history, ethnic studies, sociology, global studies, diaspora studies, and critical race studies, with an emphasis on social justice and cross-cultural understanding. The course is delivered fully online and asynchronously through Canvas and is organized into 12 learning modules plus introductory, midterm, and concluding assessment modules.  Course catalog description/link: https://catalog.csudh.edu/courses/app/app.pdf..  APP 212.  Introduction to Comparative Ethnic and Global Societies. (3 Units)  Explores the lived experiences of the three Ethnic/Global communities in the United States and their place of origin. Examines the socio-cultural dynamics in Africana, Asian-Pacific and Chicano/Latino communities. Offered Fall, Spring

Student population: This course serves undergraduate students, especially students in Asian-Pacific Studies and related humanities and social science pathways, as well as students taking the course for general education, major/minor requirements, or elective credit. Because APP 212 is an introductory lower-division course, there are no assumed prerequisites in ethnic studies theory. Students typically enter with varied preparation in history, race/ethnicity studies, and global studies, so the OER helps create a common conceptual foundation. The online asynchronous structure also supports working students, first-generation students, transfer students, and commuters who need flexible access to course materials.

Learning or student outcomes: 
1. Explain the historical and contemporary experiences of Africana, Asian-Pacific, and Chicano/Latino communities in both U.S. and global contexts.
2. Compare diaspora histories and socio-cultural dynamics across communities.
3. Analyze media and cultural productions as sites of identity and resistance.
4. Critically engage with concepts of race, ethnicity, intersectionality, and transnationalism.
5. Develop cross-cultural understanding and solidarity-oriented perspectives on social justice.

Syllabus and/or Sample assignment from the course or the adoption:  Available materials can include the syllabus, module planners, module reflections, unit quizzes, and the multi-part Critical Reflection in Essay & Video Presentation (CREVP). In this course, the OER is integrated into weekly module readings and reinforced through module videos, reflection writing, and comparative analysis assignments. 

Textbook or OER: Intro to Ethnic Studies (LibreTexts / ASCCC OERI, primary OER used in APP 212)

Brief Description:  Introduction to Ethnic Studies is an openly available introductory text designed for ethnic studies courses. It introduces the field of ethnic studies as an interdisciplinary area centered on the histories, cultures, and knowledge production of Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color. Its structure works well for APP 212 because it includes foundational chapters on the discipline, race and racial formation, intersectionality, and the racial wealth gap, followed by chapters on Africana studies, Asian American and Pacific Islander studies, Chicanx/Latinx studies, incarceration/state violence, and social movements/resistance. 

Pedagogically, the text supports accessible entry into core concepts while also inviting critical analysis. In this course it is paired with instructor-created module videos, curated library readings, films/documentaries, and weekly prompts so students can move from conceptual foundations to comparative and transnational applications.

Please provide a link to the resource  https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Ethnic_Studies/Introduction_to_Ethnic_Studies_%28Fischer_et_al.%29

Authors:  Kay Fischer; Mario Alberto Viveros Espinoza-Kulick; Ulysses Acevedo; Teresa Hodges; Melissa Leal; Tamara Cheshire

Student access:  Students access the OER primarily through Canvas module pages and direct links to LibreTexts and CSUDH Library resources. Because the course is fully online and asynchronous, students typically read the OER on laptops/desktops, though some also use tablets or phones for reference. Module videos, module planners, and additional readings/viewings are also delivered through Canvas.

Supplemental resources:  Supplemental resources include instructor-created module videos, module planners, Canvas announcements, guided note-taking expectations, library-access readings, documentary/film viewings, weekly discussion/reflection prompts, unit quizzes, and a multi-part Critical Reflection in Essay & Video Presentation assignment. A library-licensed monograph used alongside the OER is Daniel Widener, Third Worlds Within: Multiethnic Movements and Transnational Solidarity (Duke University Press, 2024).

Provide the cost savings from that of a traditional textbook.  The primary course text is free to students, so students avoid purchasing a commercial introductory textbook for the course. Savings will vary by market/bookstore pricing, but the OER removes the cost of a required core text and ensures day-one access for all students. Standard cost equivalence for a traditional textbook at CSUDH is $50. 

License: CC BY-NC (as listed for the OER/ASCCC OERI version)

OER/Low Cost Adoption Process
Please provide an explanation or what motivated you to use this textbook or OER/Low Cost.  The main motivations were affordability, equity, and fit. An open textbook ensures that every student has immediate access to the core reading from the first day of class, which is especially important in an online asynchronous course serving students with varied schedules and financial situations. The text also aligns well with the course goals because it covers foundational ethnic studies concepts and communities while remaining flexible enough to pair with comparative, transnational, and media-focused materials.

How did you find and select the open textbook for this course?  The textbook was selected because it closely matched the course learning outcomes and provided broad coverage of core ethnic studies topics in an accessible format. The LibreTexts / ASCCC OERI text was especially useful because it is openly available, current, modular, and easy to integrate into Canvas alongside library readings, films, and instructor-created materials. It is also well suited to adaptation for the specific comparative focus of APP 212.

Sharing Best Practices:  For faculty just getting started with OER or low-cost options, begin by identifying the learning outcomes that your main text must support. Then look for an OER that gives you a strong core structure, even if you plan to supplement it heavily. In online courses, it helps to organize all materials clearly in the LMS so students understand how the OER, videos, and assignments connect. It is also useful to think beyond cost savings alone: OER works best when it improves access, aligns with your pedagogy, and can be updated or combined with other materials as the course evolves.

Describe any challenges you experienced, and lessons learned.  One challenge is that no single OER perfectly covers every regional, comparative, or transnational emphasis of a course like APP 212, so instructor curation remains essential. Another lesson is that students benefit from explicit guidance about how to read the textbook in relation to module videos and supplementary sources; otherwise they may treat the OER as separate from the rest of the course. Clear module planners, reading guidance, and tightly aligned assignments help students use the OER more effectively.

Instructor Name - Katherine Chu
I am an Asian-Pacific Studies instructor at California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Please provide a link to your university page.
https://www.csudh.edu/asian-pacific/faculty/katherine-chu

Please describe the courses/course numbers that you teach.

APP 101, APP 201, APP 212, APP 315,
APP 333, APP 343, APP 350,
IDS 304, POL 100, POL 101, POL 341

Describe your teaching philosophy and any research interests related to your discipline or teaching.  
My teaching emphasizes accessibility, intellectual rigor, and cross-cultural understanding. I aim to help students connect historical structures of power to lived experience, media, migration, diaspora, and contemporary social justice issues. In online courses, I use a clear modular structure, guided videos, and scaffolded assignments to support students with varied academic backgrounds. My research and teaching interests include politics and international relations, global and transnational frameworks, nationalism, soft power, cultural policy, Asian and Hong Kong cinema, diaspora, and comparative approaches to race, identity, and representation.