ASIAN-AMERICAN STUDIESwell as in a specific sense, that is, in terms of
institutional norms, professional training, reward,
and patronage or other support. To approach art
as a part of society’s culture, Zolberg argues, is no
more potentially reductionist than to treat it, as
aestheticians do, as an activity that only restricted
groups with special interests and knowledge can
hope to comprehend. Literature in the field is
growing at a rapid rate as intellectual barriers
between humanistic and social science approaches
to the study of art begin to crumble.
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———, and Charbo, Joni M. (eds.) 1997 Outsider Art.
New York: Cambridge University Press.GLADYS ENGEL LANGASIAN-AMERICAN STUDIES
The term Asian American is used in the United
States by federal, state, and local governments to
designate people of Asian descent, including Pa-
cific Islanders (residents from the Pacific islands
that are under U. S. jurisdiction, such as Guam,
American Somoa, and the Marshall Islands). Al-
though historically relevant and geographically
appropriate, inclusion of the Pacific islands in the
generic term Asian American stemmed from ad-
ministrative convenience for the federal govern-
ment rather than from race or ethnic identifications.Reflecting deep-seated prejudices against peo-
ple of color, in 1917 the Congress of the United
States created the Asiatic Barred Zone, which
stretched from Japan in the east to India in the
west. People from within the zone were banned
from immigration. The geographic concept was
incorporated into the Immigration Act of 1924
(Oriental Exclusion Act), a law that had a pro-
found impact on the demographic structure of
Asian-American communities as well as on U.S.
foreign policy. Although it is generally assumed
that the term Asian American has a racial basis,