Professor Park is very a knowledgeable and inspiring lecturer, and the content of this class is fascinating. However, this class has a huge amount of dense reading (up to ~120 pages/week). Your grade will mainly be based on three essays on select readings, and grading heavily varies by TA, so a C paper to one TA may be an A paper to another.

I swear, it feels like he's doing everything in his power to make you drop his class. He's passionate, but it's overshadowed by his dedication to intimidating students. John acts like his lessons are tougher than rocket science. Instead of motivating students to learn, he seems to do the opposite, creating a discouraging environment for students.

Park is extremely passionate and does so much to make sure his students are supported, including tons of office hours (online and in-person) and a field trip for honors students. This class is TOUGH though: too much weekly reading and exams are graded harshly. Would not recommend as an easy GE, but I learned a lot from him and his class.

Professor Park was one of the best professors that I have encountered. He is such an inspirational immigration scholar who gives "dad advice." The class is reading-heavy (and frankly, I have thought about dropping this class), but I could not be more grateful for taking this class in my first year of college. I will surely take his class again.

Professor Park is passionate about the topic but the readings are extremely lengthy for a lower division course, averaging around 150 pages a week. Your grade is made up of 3 essays and you have to be an excellent writer because he is a tough grader. He says he is going to fail 15% of the class so be weary of that. Finally, ask for help.

This professor is decent; he is nice and knowledgeable about the subject, but the class itself was frankly not that interesting. He didn't bring new things to the table that often. Additionally, its insane how much reading is in this class; around like 150 pages a week. Often times, the reading would be repetitive and without much substance.

Professor Park is very passionate about his lectures and keeps class entertaining and makes you want to come to lecture. Grade is made up of 3 essay exams, they are easy, just make sure to do your readings or go to office hours. He really cares for his students, take this class!

Professor Park is definitely passionate about the subject but unless you are really interested in the topic, I would not recommend it. It is a challenging class for a first year so be weary of that, but if you put in the work and go to office hours, you can definitely succeed. There are a lot of readings, and I mean a lot, so keep that in mind.

Professor Parks class was definitely difficult. Your grade is dependent on 3 essays which you need to read in order to get a good grade. Writing notes for lectures is smart but not necessarily mandatory to succeed. As long as you include the notes and readings in your essays he is a fair grader. But, you cant bs because he wrote the book.

Prof Park was an amazing lecturer and kept students interested as he discussed complex topic of immigration. Essays were pretty straightforward but definitely require a good amount of effort to get A's. Sections were ok, not very notable. Definitely recommend this class, especially to freshman!

Professor Park was a great professor! He is very passionate about his class and gives honest feedback about your essays to help you do better. There are A LOT of readings each week and reading them is essential (my downfall) if you want to write a great essay. Overall, great class, not an easy GE so don't take it unless willing to put in the work.

Professor park was the best prof I had this quarter, his lectures are great and always made class so engaging. He is very passionate about what he teaches and is genuinely so funny. I recommended his class to all my friends. 3 essay exams is what your grade will be made up of which is a downside but as long as you ask for help you'll be good!

Prof Park is clearly super passionate about his work. His lectures were extensive but the info was very useful for exams. He had 3 exams, all essays, and would give us about 2 weeks to complete them on our own. The readings weren't necessary if you took thorough lecture notes. You have to work for your grade but Prof is engaging & super funny. 5/5

prof park is amazing!! his lectures are so informational and go so well with his book/readings he posts! im in his honors section and he is so great, hell even review your essay before you submit it. he is super flexible and accommodating! i highly recommend prof park!!

Prof Park is clearly passionate about what he teaches. He writes and lectures casually and is very caring, yet has a dry sense of humor. He also gives you chocolates and dad advice. Lots of reading, but hes willing to answer questions and help you out. Super cool dude, loved the class

Took ASAM2 during summer and Prof Park is one of the most enthusiastic professors I've ever met. He REALLY cares about his students and tries his best to accommodate to every student's needs. BUT, there are TONS of readings that you MUST do every week in order to at least receive a C in the course. 4 weekly quizzes & 2 essays! Challenging but fun!

The best professor at UCSB, hands down.

Took this course in Fall 2020. Prof. Park makes u buy his book. Surprised by how this class isnt a writing course. 3 essays in total, each 5-7 pages. There were also weekly quizzes. Prof. spoke too much during lectures and went off-topic. Instructions and rubrics are not clear. TAs are trained to be tough graders. Not a smart choice to fulfill GE.

Took online in Fall. Accused students of cheating since weekly quizzes (multiple choice) didn't reflect how bad ppl did in the midterm (essays)... doesn't make sense since they are totally different. Stalks how much time you spend on GS & makes his judgement on your work ethic on that. Passionate teacher, but not favorable in an online setting.

I've never met a professor with so little empathy for students, especially during a pandemic and around life-altering manners like loss of a family member. He carries a rude tone in email communication and if you decide to be transparent about how you feel in regards to his actions, he shows even less empathy. The TAs make the class bearable.

Professor Park is one of the best professors I've had so far in college! He's super accessible and communicative. This class is not an easy A, but if you work for it, it's definitely doable. Involves lots of reading, and grading is mainly based on exam essays and weekly quizzes. Would also definitely recommend the honors section :)

Professor Park is an amazing and passionate teacher, but I wouldn't recommend this class to anyone who struggles with history classes and essays. The content is interesting despite the heavy reading (around 100-150 pgs per week). Reading isn't mandatory for most TAs, but make sure to work REALLY hard on the essays because they make up your grade.

Took this class remotely during COVID. The lectures are posted to Gauchospace and you have to attend your section. The material itself is interesting, and he is passionate about it. The weekly quizzes are a breeze, but you have to work hard on the Midterm and Final to get an A. If you focus on the lectures, youll be fine. He tends to ramble FYI

(Taken during COVID quarter) Very nice guy, cares about his students (gives fatherly advice, it was super sweet). Weekly quizzes were very easy. Had plenty of time for two midterm essays, one final essay. Tends to ramble during lectures. Attendance for section was decided by each TA.