We hope you and your loved-ones are safe and comfortable. As you may know, all in-person programs that the Asian Culture Center and collaborators have planned for the 2020 AAPI Heritage month have been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While COVID-19 has caused a massive disruption in our daily lives, both personally and professionally, we are going to do our best to prevent the virus from interrupting our mission to inform, educate, and advocate for you and the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.
As part of IU's tradition of honoring the history, culture, and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) as well as recognizing the issues affecting the AAPI community and in the diaspora, we would like to invite you to join us virtually by participating in the following programs.
Thank you and we look forward to connecting with you.
AAPI Pop Culture, Arts, and History:
Remembering our Beginnings Description: In observance of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, this video features reflections and stories from Asian American students at IU.
Spotify Playlist: Asian American and Pacific Islander Musicians We're celebrating different AAPI musicians each week throughout AAPIHM! Our very own ACCers, Kelly Fan and Anna Mach, are curating playlists and compiling information about these artists and we hope that you give them a listen and support these amazing talents! This week we'd like to showcase artists of the pop genre so feel free to give them a listen here:
“Classical Covid” by IU Alumnae Liwen Weng (MM ‘13) and Tracey Jen (BFA ‘15) IU alumnae Liwen Weng (MM Piano Performance '13) and Tracey Jen (BFA Painting '15) have recently created a video response to COVID-19: "We hope that music and art can be therapeutic to people during these difficult times." Liwen Weng is an Indianapolis-based musician and piano instructor, originally from Taiwan. After graduating from IU, she went on to receive her DMA in Piano Performance and Literature from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Tracey Jen is a Taiwanese-American artist, curator, and art instructor, currently based in West Lafayette. After IU, she went on to receive her MFA in Curatorial Practice from Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore.
Asian American Studies Creativity Showcase Winner: Karen Cheng Our web designer, Karen Cheng, submitted a video documenting her first week of online classes as a first-year student at Indiana University Bloomington. Besides talking about studying and classes, the video also offers tips for self-care/routines, clips of my day-to-day life, and brief historical notes. The aim of this video is to provide an entertaining break during these chaotic times while also informing quarantined viewers on helpful lifestyle habits.
Asian American Studies Creativity Showcase Winner: Kevin Phan Our student assistant, Kevin Phan, submitted a video titled Surveillance to address the competition's theme "Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders + COVID-19."
Asian American Studies Department Creativity Showcase Winner: Tiffany Xie Our student assistant, Tiffany Xie, submitted a poem titled Fish and Basketball to address the competition's theme "Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders + COVID-19." Read the poem here.
Wild Grass covered by Anna Mach
Threnody for the Victims of the Tohuku Earthquake 3.11covered by Anna Mach
Japanese American WWII Incarceration and Indiana University: History Briefing by the IUB Center for Veteran and Military Students On Feb. 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, authorizing the internment of tens of thousands of American citizens of Japanese ancestry. Sharing in the hysteria, the IU Board of Trustees voted on May 9, 1942 to bar the admission of Japanese American students to IU. In this video history briefing, John Summerlot, Director of the Center for Veteran and Military Students at IU Bloomington, talks with IU Alumnus Eric Langowski and explores how Japanese-American veterans played a role in breaking that ban.
Past Events:
COVID-19 Exposed” Webinar Recording On April 8, the Asian Culture Center and the School of Public Health’s Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion hosted the webinar, “COVID-19 EXPOSED: How the Coronavirus Outbreak Reveals Racism and Xenophobia.” If you were unable to attend, you can view the recording here:
Many thanks to our panelists: Dr. Rodrigo Armijos, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Cedric Harris, Director of Bias Response, Division of Student Affairs, Aurora Le, Academic Specialist, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, and Dr. Lesa Major, Associate Professor, The Media School. Special thanks to Ochmaa Escue, Director, OVPDEMA Overseas Studies and Scholarships Program, for providing technical assistance. Virtual Netflix Party Date: Every Saturday of April, starting from April 4th Venue: Netflix Party (instruction) Join us in our virtual Netflix Party! In celebration of IU Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, ACC will be hosting a series of movies of AAPI actors, actresses and directors that are currently showing on Netflix. We will be using Netflix’s new feature of Netflix Party (instruction), where viewers are able to watch and chat synchronously. To receive an invitation link to Netflix Party or for any questions, please email Daniel Park at danypark@iu.edu. An active Netflix subscription is required in order to join. Movie schedules: May 2nd - The Half of It by Alice Wu
ACC Lunch Hour Conversations Zoom Meeting Hosted by IU Asian Culture Center Date: Wednesday, April 29, 2020 Time: 12 to 1 pm Please register here. What’s on your mind? Please join us for an informal conversation about keeping safe and maintaining mental and emotional wellness. How are you coping during this pandemic? What kind of food, movie, podcast, music, or book brings comfort and peace to you during these challenging times? Come grab your lunch or a cup of tea and share your thoughts and questions with our friends from Counseling and Psychological Services, Dr. Wei-Chen (Wilson) Hsiao and Daisy Anspach. Before COVID-19, Wilson and Daisy maintained regular counseling hours at the ACC. We miss seeing them and we’re glad that they have agreed to be joining us virtually. The virtual streaming forum will use Zoom, a participatory video chat platform. Similar to an in-person event, participants have the opportunity to ask a panelist questions by using the Q&A function. The forum will be recorded and available on-demand after the event. Follow these simple suggested steps to have the best virtual experience:
Join 10 minutes before the event starts via the link above to allow for time to get set up
If you are new to Zoom, download the zoom app when you first start or join your first Zoom meeting
Wait for the host to join the meeting
If you should experience any technical difficulties or have any technical questions, please email us at acc@indiana.edu.
Viewing of “PBS Presents: Asian Americans” Premieres May 11 and 12 Nationwide. Please check local station for the schedule. PBS Description: Asian Americans is a five-hour film series that will chronicle the contributions, and challenges of Asian Americans, the fastest-growing ethnic group in America. Personal histories and new academic research will cast a fresh lens on U.S. history and the role Asian Americans have played in it. Professor Ellen Wu, History Dept., and Director of Asian American Studies is a contributor to this documentary.
Resources on responding to COVID-19 related racism and xenophobia The Asian Culture Center, with the assistance of other units, has compiled a list of resources for students, faculty, staff, and community members page. This page provides links to report bias incidents and hate crimes, ways to respond and stand against racism, and additional readings. More resources for IU students, faculty, and staff We are sharing a list of resources that other organizations located on and off campus have compiled in addressing support for food, shelter, financial and well-being needs for faculty, staff, and students. This page also includes articles about community-engaged classes and programming, virtual volunteer opportunities, and regional resources. Update on COVID-19 Please visit coronavirus.iu.edu for up-to-date information, but also feel free to contact us acc@indiana.edu. The doors to the IU Asian Culture Center may be closed, but we are more than happy to assist, chat, and engage with you in a remote fashion.
The Arts and Humanities Council has been proud to work with the Asian Culture Center on programs that celebrate the rich cultures of Asia and Asian America and that promote IU Bloomington as a diverse global campus. The Asian Culture Center has been an invaluable partner for us in our efforts to make the arts and humanities accessible to all IU students and to advance the arts and humanities as critical components of IU student success and community development.
Ed Comentale, Associate Vice Provost for Arts and Humanities
Asian Culture Center resources and social media channels
