Shawn Higgins, PhD

Assistant Professor

CLASS - Writing & Literature

shawn.higgins@nmt.edu
575 - 835 - 5455
Fitch 212

Shawn Higgins researches about race, culture, and citizenship in American literature through lenses such as food, language, and sound. His dissertation, "Literary Soundscapes: Nationalism and U.S. Literature, 1890-1940," focused on writers such as W.E.B. Du Bois, Israel Zangwill, Irving Berlin, and Américo Paredes. He previously taught at universities in Japan and is an immersive student of the language. He is from Ontario, California.

Research Areas

American literature

Ethnic studies

Cultural studies

American English language learning

Degrees

PhD, English, University of Connecticut, 2016
Dissertation: "Literary Soundscapes: Nationalism and U.S. Literature, 1890-1940."

MA, American Studies, Columbia University, 2011.

BA, English, minor in Asian Studies, University of California, Riverside, 2009.

AA/AS, General Education, Riverside Community College, 2007.

Certificate, TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), University of California, Riverside Extension, 2006.

Publications

“Popular Songwriting.” African American Culture: From Dashikis to Yoruba. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press (Under Contract).

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised: Protest Music After Fukushima (2015) by Noriko Manabe. MUSICultures: Journal of the Canadian Society for Traditional Music (Forthcoming).

Treaty Shirts: 2034 – A Familiar Treatise on the White Earth Nation (2016) by Gerald Vizenor. American Indian Quarterly (Forthcoming).

“Interview Series: Oliver Wang, Legions of Boom.” IASPM-US. International Association for the Study of Popular Music. October 2017. (Forthcoming).

“Voluntary Movement, Forced Migration, and Family Stories.” Fred T. Korematsu Institute 2018 Calendar. San Francisco: The Fred T. Korematsu Institute, 2017. (Forthcoming).

Higgins, Shawn M., Laima Haider, and Esther Hurh. “Resistance Among Incarcerated Japanese Americans during World War II.” Teachers Guide. San Francisco: The Fred T. Korematsu Institute, 2017. (Forthcoming).

“Assimilation.” The SAGE Encyclopedia of Music and Culture. Ed. Janet Sturman. Los Angeles: Sage, 2017. (Forthcoming).

“Japan.” At the Table: Food and Family around the World. Ed. Ken Albala. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2016. 183-190.

“Culinary Diplomacy.” Food Issues. Ed. Ken Albala. Los Angeles: Sage, 2015. 328-330.

Filipinos Represent: DJs, Racial Authenticity, and the Hip-hop Nation (2013) by Antonio T. Tiongson Jr.Journal of Asian American Studies 18.2 (2015): 224-226.

Higgins, Shawn M. and Cathy J. Schlund-Vials. “Cultural Immersion/Language Programs.” Asian American Society. Ed. Mary Yu Danico. Los Angeles: Sage, 2014. 262-264.

“Pittsburgh Enka: Jero, Cultural Nationalism, and Japanese Music.” Humanities Review 10.1 (2012): 111-126.

Courses Taught

ENGL 111 - College Writing: Exposition

ENGL 341 - Technical Writing

ENGL 112: College Writing: Argument & Analysis

ENGL/HUMA 189: Japanese Culture & Literature

ENGL/HUMA 389: Food Studies: Eating America

Awards

Other Activities at NMT

Faculty Development Committee

Japanese Language Club Advisor

Culinary Diplomacy Club Advisor