Research Log 1: Evaluating Potential Primary Sources

how you could access it in order to read/watch/listen to it closely

• Buy the book on Amazon, or find an online PDF 

the genre or medium

• Domestic Fiction, Novel 

the identity of the creator

• Asian American writer, 48 years old (born 1976). This means that he, himself, is a first generation immigrant too and that his parents were part of the post-65 Asian American immigrant population

the primary source’s basic history and historical context, including intended audience and mode of circulation

• Charles Yu dealt with misrepresentation of Asian Americans in Hollywood, so this story presents the situation of an Asian American man who is trying to make it as an actor in Hollywood, emphasizing the racial stereotypes that he faces. The protagonist is described to be a background character who doesn’t have a storyline, so the story delves into his perspective. This book is described as being a coming-of-age story, and is reflective of Charles Yu’s own experiences. Since this book has been used in UC Berkeley curriculum, it can be inferred that the intended audience is young Asian Americans who are facing their own conflicts with the success frame. 

the primary source’s possible connection to the Worldbuilding theme

• Because this book is about Asian American representation, it demonstrates Worldbuilding by showing how Asian Americans build a world for themselves that defies stereotypes. 

what specifically about each primary source you would like to understand or reveal, especially about how the primary source came to make meaning in particular contexts and how the genre, medium, or form of the primary source shapes its meaning (potential humanistic research questions)

• I would like to explore how this book reflects Post-65 Asian America, and contributes to the idea of B-stories being used to convey A stories. I would also like to explore how the story defies the idea of the success frame and model minority. I plan on using rhetorical analysis to understand how Charles Yu conveys his ideas 

the primary source’s basic history and historical context, including intended audience and mode of circulation

• I would say that there is not necessarily an intended audience for this piece. The mode of circulation is through online galleries and art displays. Some of his artwork is even displayed in modern art museums that focus on representing Black history. The premise of this artwork is drawing attention to the historical representation of Black people in painting since it brings up the questions of who exactly is being whited out and therefore sacrificed in the painting. 

the primary source’s possible connection to the Worldbuilding theme

• The primary source connects to the worldbuilding theme because it is concerned with how Black artists represent themselves and fight against the guidelines of what modern art is. They are building a worl for themselves in which their art is recognized as modern art and a world in which their lost perspective in the past is recognized. 

• what specifically about each primary source you would like to understand or reveal, especially about how the primary source came to make meaning in particular contexts and how the genre, medium, or form of the primary source shapes its meaning (potential humanistic research questions)

• If I were to work with this primary source, I would explore how the white gaze is being removed in favor of the black gaze by Titus Kaphar. I would also explore how Black artists established themselves and fought against what has historically been convieved as art. I would also discuss how the various alterations that Kaphar made to the painting, the primary source, shows the idea of an uncovering of perspectives. 

• the methods of interpretation could you productively employ to understand or reveal something about each primary source (rhetorical analysis, art historical analysis, historical analysis, film analysis, other?)

• I would primarily use art historical analysis to do this.