As the world becomes more and more interconnected through globalization, it becomes less and less viable to avoid contact with the “other” peoples of the world – namely the rich cultures of Asia that have flown well under the radar of Western minds for the last two millennia. I think that the Asian American Studies course provides one with tools for learning to respect the pluralism of cultures in our world, and to appreciate the benefit of cross-cultural study upon one’s own understanding of the world. The course was an eye opener for me as it presents counter arguments to what I accepted as a fact. It also provided understanding to the roots of Asian history in the U.S and possible historical reasons for causes of racial discrimination. By