In the age of satellite television, e-mail, and readily available international phone cards, transnationalism has rapidly become the norm as opposed to the exception. However, what does it really mean to "be transnational"? How do the lived experiences of transnational individuals and communities merge with (and differ from) theoretical notions of the transnational? How do the practices and concepts of diaspora, globalization, and transnationalism overlap? How does the growing number of transnational citizens and residents in this country shape "American" identity on the local, national, and global scales? In this interdisciplinary, comparative course we will analyze contemporary theories regarding the origins and impacts of transnationalism, key critiques regarding the field of transnational studies itself, and transnationalism's role in the "New" American Studies. Case studies examined in this course include China, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, India, Mexico and the Philippines.