The Professor is really nice and clearly passionate & knowledgeable about the subject matter. However, I must be a fucking dumbass because this class has been extremely challenging. I pay attention in class, take good notes, show up & participate in discussion, but I seriously just can’t seem to get the material. If you’re looking for a fun soc class don’t take this one Bc the content is interesting but extremely dense. Arguably this class is less abt sociology and more about migration studies. If we were assessing the social conditions of migrants and or applying soc theory then maybe I would get it? But I’m lost every class and my TA has called me out for not being “substantive enough” in discussion section… so overall, it’s an interesting class, but I wouldn’t take it unless your familiar with migration studies or have an expressed interest in the study of migration. The Professor is so nice though.

This was easily my favorite class I took at UCLA. The way she structures the class makes so much sense and really makes it easy to succeed. Learned so much about a subject I previously knew nothing about. Would definitely recommend!

I would definitely recommend this class. Zhou clearly wants everyone to do well and provides lots of opportunities for extra credit. My TA (Ashelee) was nice and funny and just required a discussion post each week (graded for completion, not content), and at least one comment made in during discussion. The content is fascinating and while learning about Chinese immigration was really interesting to me, the topics explored in class can also be used to understand immigration patterns from other nations. The midterm was really leniently graded and I did much better than expected thanks to all the generous partial credit/extra credit. The oral history write-up was really easy and actually fun to do, and the final essays were straightforward. Overall, the readings were generally interesting, the material was relevant, and the grading system was great.

This was one of my favorite Soc upper divs. The topic was very interesting--it was great to zoom in one particular ethnic group & learn about their history, community, & issues. Some very interesting topics were raised--such as the "ethnoburb" phenomenon in the San Gabriel Valley, reasons why Chinese Americans fare so well in education regardless of socioeconomic status, & historical discrimination. Professor Zhou is incredibly sweet and talked a lot about her own children's experiences. The class was very easy--a fairly short interview-based paper plus a straightforward midterm & final.

I dont know why people found this class difficult?! everything you need to know for the exams and quizzes are on the slides. So basically, all you have to do is attend lecture, take good notes, and elaborate on bullet points found in her powerpoint slides. with that said, this is not an "easy A" class, especially because there are a LOT of readings. However, i found them interesting and even if you're not Chinese (which i am not) you can relate the material to almost EVERY immigrant group -- guaranteed. I found the material very interesting, so i guess that helped my experience. Grades consisted of quizzes, midterm/final (which was take home), oral history report (10 pgs, but not hard), and discussion section (so you better go). Plus, the TAs were very knowledgeable and always willing to help students. Oh and Professor Zhou is one of the BEST in the field when it comes to ethnicity/immigration/assimilation (just check out all the work she's published), so if you're interested in these topics, TAKE THIS CLASS!

if you are not chinese, stay away! the topic will bore you to death and you will not find it interesting.

I think I took M153... it's been awhile. But for sure, it was the Chinese immigration class.
I just want to say, it was an honor to be in Professor Zhou's class. She is a very well-known sociologist and I was shocked when I saw her in the front of the classroom after only reading about her research in my other soc classes. She knows a lot about her field of research and has the cutest personality. The class was very interesting for me, and no, I am not Chinese. Her exams aren't easy, but she lets you bring a 8.5 x 11 cheat sheet for the final and for the midterm. I'm warning you now, you can't just expect your cheat sheet to save you... but it's very do-able if you go to every class, pay attention, and put your notes on your cheat sheet.
the readings are going to help you, so read them! and hopefully you get the two cool TAs that I had when I was in that class (david and caitlin). They were knowledgeable and helpful in helping you prepare for exams.
don't expect this to be an EASY A...it's not. But an A is definitely an attainable goal.

I'm reading these previous reviews and I'm utterly shocked at the bad reviews Prof. Zhou got!! It makes me sad, honestly, because I felt she was one of the BEST professors I've ever had at UCLA (seriously!!)

First of all, I'm not even a Soc or Asian Am major, I'm an Econ major, and I decided to take this class cuz I'm graduating soon and I had never taken an Soc/Asian Am class before. After just a couple lectures, I was already happy that I got lucky and enrolled in an interesting class with a nice and decent professor. As someone pointed out, her lecture style definitely make the lectures go by fast (and believe me, I usually check my watch after just 30 minutes..=P). She's really funny and sweet, and throws in random personal stories of hers related to the topic, making it more interesting and relatable. True, there's a lot of readings. But honestly, I don't think I even read half of it all. I just went to every lecture and paid attention, and I felt that was more than enough for me to keep up in class. Also true, it probably does depend on your TA. I happened to have a VERY chill TA who made it very doable to get the full 25% discussion is worth (just show up to discussions and post your weekly summaries on time). I totally didn't think the quizzes were hard at all-and this is coming from someone who didn't even do half of the readings. Most was actually based on her lecture notes. And they're 5 multiple choice questions--really, how hard could that have been?? You take 4 and she drops the lowest one. She even tells you one week in advance when they are so you can prepare--(I thought that was very generous, considering some profs make them pop quizzes and all). Writing the papers wasn't a problem for me at all, and I'm an Econ major who usually DREADS papers. Some people thought there wasn't enough time for the midterm, but I honestly don't think 4 short answers and 2 essays is asking for THAT much considering you're testing on half of the course. She even gives you a one-page, double-sided cheat sheet, so that helps when you have to cite authors and whatnot. (Also, I would think profs take into consideration the amount of time given to write these essays.)

I ended up with a solid A in this class (one of my few at UCLA), and again, I'm not even a Soc major. So I think this class was not only very doable, but very enjoyable too. Prof. Zhou made my very first Soc class a LOT of fun, and I highly encourage students to take her. =)

None of these reviews are helpful!

I heard Dr. Zhou is teaching this class in the Fall, so i know all you losers are going to be reading this.

The fact is that, like all classes, there are positives and negatives. I am not sure whether I should be giving this class a negative review or positive one, but i sure know its not going to be full of praise like all the other ones on here.

Pros: Professor Zhou is a REALLY nice person. I remember the first day of class, she seemed so nice and lively. I chose to stay in this class because everyone said it would be an easy A lol... (I am seriously laughing). She is also very knowledgeble about the subject, and she has a sincere passion for Chinese Immigration.

Cons: 1) SO MUCH READING! I can't stress this enough. She doesnt have a course reader; instead, she posts all the reading on her website. The sad part is that you never really know how much you just read until the end of the quarter. By the end of the quarter, I saw how many pages i had printed out for this class, and it was literally phonebook status.
2) Quizzes. OH MAN! those quizzes are terrible! (perhaps this is a hyperbole, but i wasn't a big fan) She has a weird way of putting words together on paper, so when you take the quiz you are all confused because sometimes the answers are similar or they are tricky. Sometimes she does curve them because everyone fails, yet she claims they are "very easy."
3) Midterm. She wants you to write 2 essays in an hour and 4-5 short answer questions. What the...? Is that even possible? I still cant believe I was able to do it.
4) Topic. I dont know, this topic just wasn't for me.

Overall, I would say this class really depends on a lot of factors: your character, subject, time, TA, etc. I know a lot of people who complain about this class, but never choose to write on bruinwalk, i dont even know why. Anyway, I guess i was one of the lucky ones who actually got the A, but it took a lot of work, and pain, and suffering!! I would take this class with caution, if you must.

She's sweet and funny when she lectures. However, I don't think it's necessary to take notes from her since the powerpoint pretty much already summarizes and organizes the material you need to understand. She does not really expand on this effectively. Her take-home tests and in-class essay focuses mainly on the reading.

She grades on a curve, so even if the material is seemingly easy, obtaining an "A" grade is somewhat difficult. Basically you should just listen to your TA's discussion, because regurgitating what they want would be the best strategy. Like with many other soc classes, they do all the grading. Since the answers to the midterm questions are sometimes broad and correcting essays is not an objective science, it may depend on your TA.