Canonical versus “me” studies: a Shakespearean moonlights as an Asian Americanist

Abstract

ABSTRACTSome philosophers and sociologists have recently criticized scholars who engage in so-called “me studies” – members of oppressed groups who study their own oppression. Such “me” studies, according to these critics, are self-serving, susceptible to biases, and generally bad at taking criticism from outsiders, many of whom may be afraid to speak up for fear of appearing to be unsympathetic racists or bigots. By examining standpoint epistemology in various disciplines, by reflecting on my own experience of being trained as a Shakespearean and studying Asian American literature, and by reviewing the history of Asian American scholarship in the United States, I defend “me studies” as a way to move towards the goal of inclusion and global social justice.