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Columbia APAHM

Columbia AAA

NYU Asian/Pacific/American Institute

NYU LGBTQ Office

NYU Bookstore

Cabot

Dark Shadows (Universal Pictures)

Fusia

IW Group, Inc.

NYU Center of Multicultural Education

Programs

Waa!

McDonald’s

NBC4 New York

Samsung Life Insurance in America

Terracotta Warriors, Discovery Times

Square

Tea Kettle

Chase

SPECIAL THANKS

ILLUSTRATION BY

GRAPHIC DESIGN BY

PROGRAM DESIGN BY

PROGRAM TEAM

Myoung Marquez

Elaine Fludgate

Jaeil Cho

Kevin Huang

Susan “$-Money” Li

Angela Chiang

Julia Koo

Susan Li

Brennan Lowe

Muneeba Talukder

Mary Tang

Wen Hao Wang

Leesh Zeng

Yan Zhang

Christopher Zou

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Dear Conference Attendees,

Welcome to the 6th Annual New York City Asian American Student Conference (NYCAASC).

Thank you for your support. Whether through attending our conference, volunteering, or simply

liking us on Facebook, you have made a choice towards strengthening the Asian American com-

munity. Every year we are amazed at the support we receive from attendees, organizations, and

sponsors. When we stand together, the change we desire becomes that much more attainable.

In six years, NYCAASC has grown and changed immensely. We have had a continual increase in

attendance culminating in over 600 registrants in 2011. Originally a collaborative effort between

New York University and Columbia University, we have expanded to include Hunter College, Ba-

ruch College, Fordham University, School of Visual Arts, and Brooklyn College. We have seen the

rise of social media transform the way we spread our message. What has not changed, however,

is our commitment to providing a free forum for students to discuss topics pertinent to them. Our

speakers, all extremely influential in their respective fields, have included blogger Phil Yu, comedi-

an Jen Kwok, director Christine Choy, and many others.

The theme for this year‟s NYCAASC is INK: Imagine and Rethink. As Asian Americans continue

to emerge beyond stereotypical roles, we invite you to re-claim authorship of your own represen-

tations. The experiences of Asian Americans have often been essentialized--portrayed through

dichotomies of model minority and yellow peril. However, through new media we have begun to

complicate and challenge these stereotypes. YouTube, blogs and Twitter have become platforms

for Asian Americans to respond to, deconstruct, redefine, and to critique conventional stereotypes

as well as a space to produce images that account for a diverse set of experiences. It is more im-

portant than ever for us to think critically, complicate stereotypes, and dare to dream to create a

narrative for ourselves.

To put it simply, this year we would like to highlight the importance of choice. By building on the

achievements of past generations, our presence as Asian Americans has never been so far-

reaching. Never before have so many doors been open (cliche?). Theater, film, [insert jobs] have

become as prevalent as the traditional roles of doctors and lawyers. But it is more than just your

choice of occupation that can create positive changes. From political affiliations to music and tele-

vision shows, your support is essential to the continuing progress of Asian Americans. By voting

for politicians that inspire you, tuning into the music that affects you, and watching the television

shows with rising Asian American stars you can create small ripples in the institutionalized fabric

of society (yeah...)

We hope that by the end of this conference you will be given the tools to think critically about is-

sues you have found a passion for. However, to let it all fade away as soon as you exit this build-

ing would be a shame. Vote in the next election, attend other conferences, support Asian Ameri-

can artists, become involved in the issues you care about. So what are you waiting for? It‟s time to

start INKing your own story.

Sincerely,

2012 New York City Asian American Student Conference Directors

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Mission Statement

The New York City Asian American Student Conference (NYCAASC) is an annual gathering dedicated to promoting awareness of Asian Pacific American issues and history among youth. Based in New York City and planned by college students, NYCAASC offers a broad range of engaging workshops and panels that address is-sues pertinent to Asian Pacific Americans on local, national, and global scales. This conference strives to:

• SUPPORT an accessible space to convene student leaders, community activists and professionals in the Greater New York City Metropolitan area to engage in mean-ingful dialogue

• INSPIRE informed discussions of social, political, economic and historical issues rel-evant to Asian Pacific Americans

• CHALLENGE attendees to share their diverse experiences with open minds

• EMPOWER attendees to actively re-think notions of identity, community and social responsibility

BUILD, ORGANIZE, and TRANSFORM broader movements for social and political change

History

The New York City Asian American Student Conference (NYCAASC) is now entering its fifth successful year since the first collaboration between New York University and Columbia University. The driving idea behind its inception was to establish an ongoing dialogue that addressed the different social issues faced by Asian Americans and to celebrate the rich, diverse heritages that fabricate the unique Asian American culture. The first conference was themed Break the Silence: Discover, Inspire, Empower. The keynote speaker was Carmen van Kerckhove, the founder of the diversity training group New Demographic and a contributor to the blog Racialicious. Since the confer-ence‟s inaugural year, the committee has grown to include students from different schools in the New York area, including Hunter College, Baruch College, Fordham University, the School of Visual Arts, and Brooklyn College.

The theme for the second conference was Redefine, in which attendees explored the evolution of the Asian American community and were asked to redefine what it means to be Asian American. The third conference was themed ACT: Empowering Our Gen-eration. This conference focused on mobilizing individuals and communities to chal-lenge and transform injustices faced by Asian Americans. The fourth annual NYCAASC was titled Change in Motion and explored the movement and changes in Asian America, examining the past to inform the present and change the future. Each subsequent conference has increasingly drawn more participants from diverse groups, with our most recent conference in 2010 bringing in more than 600 regis-trants. We hope to maintain this trend of expansion as we continue to represent the ever-growing, ever-changing Asian American community.

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Workshops

Elaine W Truong (Barnard „14)

Ilana Zucker-Scharff ( Barnard

„14)

Rachel Hong (Baruch „12)

Wen Bo Xie (Baruch

Chiyeung Lau (Fordham „14)

Maple Wu (Hunter „13)

Muneeba Talukder (Hunter „12)

Wen Hao Wang (Hunter „12)

Christopher Zou (NYU „13)

David Cheng (NYU „13)

Leesh Zeng (NYU „12)

Olivia Hu (NYU „15)

Brennan Lowe (NYU „14)

Fundraising

Hannah Yan (Barnard 14)

Jamie Yu (Barnard 14)

Ting Jiang (Hunter

Mary Tang (NYU „13)

Stephanie Chin (NYU „14)

Wai Yang (NYU „15)

Yan Zhang (NYU „13)

Kevin Teng (NYU „13)

Events

Ivy Teng Lei (Baruch 12)

Sandy Yang (Fordham „

Aaron Gao (NYU

Julie Zhang (NYU

Yiru Li (NYU „14)

Publicity

Johnathan Chen (NYU „15)

Julia Liu (NYU

Kevin Huang (NYU „13)

Wennie Chin (NYU „14)

Julia Koo (Barnard „14)

Sarah (Chieh) Lee (Barnard „15)

Lily Man (Baruch „12)

Renee Cho Yeon Kim

Susan Li (Columbia „14)

Jaeil Cho (Cornell „12)

Registration

Belle Yan (Columbia „12)

Alan Wang (NYU „13)

Carol Jew (NYU „12)

Fiona Zheng (NYU

David Cheng (Baruch „13)

Volunteers

Brendan Feng (Hunter „12)

Patrick Lee (Hunter „12)

David Liao (Hunter

Angela Chiang (NYU „14)

Logistics

Aziz Nawrozie (NYU „13)

Stephanie Zhou (NYU

Secretary

Lisa Zhang (NYU „12)

Senior Advisers

Gillian Seok (NYU „12)

June Kao (NYU „12)

High School Liasons

Michelle Cheung, (Brooklyn

Technical HS '13)

Dilys Huang, (Brooklyn Tech-

nical HS '13)

Xiu Ling (Tina) Li (Brooklyn

Technical HS „13)

Xinting Liu (Millenium HS „13)

Pakawat Pamornsut, (Brooklyn

Technical HS '15)

Ying Yu Situ, (Stuyvesant HS

'13)

Julia Yu, (Brooklyn Technical

HS '13)

Kevin Zaw (Brooklyn Technical

HS „13)

Participating Schools:

Barnard College

Baruch College

Columbia University

Cornell University

Hunter College

New York University

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9

9:30 AM

10:30 AM

11:00 AM — 12:15 PM

12:30 PM — 1:30 PM

1:30 PM — 2:00 PM

2:15 PM — 3:30 PM

3:45 PM —4:45 PM

5:00 PM —6:15 PM

6:30 PM

Registration & Breakfast

Director’s Note

Track 1

Lunch

Keynote

Track 2

Talent Show

Track 3

Closing

Kimmel Lobby, 400 series

E&L

E&L

E&L

E&L

E&L

TRACK I (11:00AM

-12:15PM)

Beyond Two Worlds: Transnational Adoptees

Chinatown Under Attack: A Look at Gentrifying Chinatowns and

Community Resistance

Coloring the White Collar: Professionalism and Resistance

DREAM ACTivism

But Where are You REALLY From?: Microaggressions- Subconscious

Biases in a „Post-Racial‟ World

Beauty, Gender, Nation- Deconstructing the Westernization of Asian

TRACK II (2:15PM-

3:30PM)

INK-ing Possibility: Agency in the Graphic Novel

How to Change the World in 140 Characters: Using Social Media

and for Social Good

What Does it Feel Like to Be a Problem?: NYPD Surveillance of

Muslim Students and Social Justice Groups

Racial Melancholia and Asian American Identity

Vote 2012: Giving Political Voice to the Growing Asian American

Community

In the Line of Duty: The Case of Private Danny Chen- Hate Crimes

and Why America should care

TRACK III (5:00PM-

6:15PM)

The Uploaded Generation: Asian American Entertainers & YouTube

Changing the Culinary Landscape: Asian Americans in the Food

Industry

Walk, Talk, and Slam Your Way Through Queering Space

An Emerging Idol: Linsanity / Jeremy Lin: What Linsanity Reveals

about Race and Beyond 28

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Wendy Xu

Wendy Xu is a small girl of Chinese descent who lives and works in

New York City. She has currently finished her undergrad degree of a

psych major and a creative writing minor at NYU and is now facing

Real Adult Life Consequences. By day she‟s your average office girl,

by night a lazy bum who rolls around drinking tea. Somehow she finds

time to draw in between. Her inspirations include Hayao Miyazaki,

Tamora Pierce, Gene Yang, Gurihiru, Glen Keane, Avatar, the Last

Airbender (NOT THE HORRIBLE M NIGHT SHYAMALAN MOVIE OF

COURSE), Craig Thompson, Zadie Smith, her roommates, and of

Wen Hao Wang

Wen Hao Wang eats food while watching food--except when watching

The Walking Dead. When watching these shows he such questions

as: how are racial ideologies being reproduced? As an outlet for his

interests, Wen Hao takes part in organizations like the Coalition for

the Revitalization of Asian American Studies at Hunter College

(CRAASH) and NYCAASC. He also writes for his school‟s newspaper

The Envoy, and has written for The Hunts Point Express, a communi-

ty newspaper in the South Bronx and The Bridge, an online arts and

culture magazine for Hunter. He is a senior double majoring in Media

Studies with a concentration in Journalism and English - Creative

Writing.

YanliniDream Lankan Blood, Manchester Born, Texas bred and Brooklyn steeped,

YaliniDream is a Queer facilitator, activist , and performance art-

ist. She conjures spirit through her unique blend of poetry, theater,

song, and dance-- reshaping reality and seeking peace through jus-

tice in the lands of earth, psyche, soul, and dream. In addition she has

worked with survivors of violence from multiple communities including

South Asian Domestic Workers in New York City. She was a long term

volunteer with the Audre Lorde Project's SOS (Safe Outside the System)

Collective in Brooklyn working to address homophobic and transphobic

violence against people of color. YaliniDream is also a trained aerial danc-

er in corde lisse who loves to fly-- challenging notions of the seemingly

impossible.

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Sondra Morishima

Sondra Morishima is the Legislative Aide for California State Assem-

blymember Warren T. Furutani. Sondra currently serves on the board

of the Asian Pacific Islander Capitol Association (APICA), a non-

partisan, non-profit organization comprised of legislative staffers, lob-

byists, advocates and other Asian Pacific Islander (API) professionals

in the Capitol community. She is also co-chair for the Sacramento

chapter of the National Asian Pacific American Women‟s Forum

(NAPAWF), the only national, multi-issue API women's organization in

the country dedicated to building a movement to advance social jus-

tice and human rights for API women and girls.

Tarry Hum

Tarry Hum is an Associate Professor of Urban Studies at CUNY‟s

Queens College and Graduate Center. Her research focuses on the

socioeconomic processes and outcomes of immigrant incorporation in

urban labor markets, related dynamics of immigrant settlement and

neighborhood change, and the consequences for urban inequality,

race and ethnic relations, political representation, urban planning,

community definitions and economic development. Hum received a

Masters in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technol-

ogy, and a PhD in Urban Planning from UCLA‟s School of Public Poli-

Shinhee Han

Shinhee Han, Ph.D. has been providing counseling and outreach pro-

grams to college and graduate students for the past twenty four years

at the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, Barnard Col-

lege, Columbia University and Newschool University. She writes and

teaches about Asian American mental health at the Center for Race

and Ethnicity at Columbia University. In addition, she has a private

practice in New York City and is a founding member of the Asian

Women Giving Circle, funding Asian American women artists integrat-

ing social equality and justice to their work.

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9:30 AM

10:30 AM

11:00 AM — 12:15 PM

12:30 PM — 1:30 PM

1:30 PM — 2:00 PM

2:15 PM — 3:30 PM

3:45 PM —4:45 PM

5:00 PM —6:15 PM

6:30 PM

Registration & Breakfast

Director’s Note

Track 1

Lunch

Keynote

Track 2

Talent Show

Track 3

Closing

Kimmel Lobby, 400 series

E&L

E&L

E&L

E&L

E&L

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Beyond Two Worlds: Transnational Adoptees

Speakers: Elizabeth Raleigh, Pauline Park, Kristen Pak, Lee Johnson* (pending)

Room:

Transnational adoptees are often both inherently belonging to and excluded from two spheres of the

world. On one hand, they benefit from being raised in environments that are often socioeconomical-

ly affluent compared to their native ones, while at the same time are given opportunities to become

aware of and engaged in any ethnic or cultural identities they wish to partake in. However, on the

other hand, adoptees are physically and innately displaced from their heritages and inherent identi-

ties, while also marked as “different” or “separate” from the backgrounds they are brought up

in. The result is a unique crisis in the negotiation of the self. This workshop aims to explore the fac-

tors influencing transnational adoptees, and particularly Asian adoptees in America, in their search

for their beings. What is there for adoptees to claim as their own? How do adoptees negotiate com-

plex notions of nation, self and Asian identity?

Chinatown Under Attack: A Look at Gentrifying Chinatowns and Community Resistance

Speakers: Bethany Li, Alice Feng, ManSee Kong, Esther Wang, Tarry Hum*

Room:

Lower income communities of Chinatown are being squeezed out of their homes and forced to fight

against gamesmanship and subversive tactics of so-called “affordable” real estate developments. In

essence, the nature of this conflict is altering the makeup of this historically and culturally traditional

neighborhood. This workshop will look at the constantly evolving struggle between entrenched resi-

dents of New York City‟s Chinatown and the housing economy surrounding them. Is there a need or

obligation to maintain the deep roots of Chinatown when considering its residents, or are building

owners and landlords not responsible for anything but their own welfare? Are residents fair game in

the jungle of the housing market, or should special considerations be taken into account in their long

-standing cases? And what, then, should the role of college students be? Are we mere spectators in

this ongoing battle, or is there a larger and more immediate impact on us and therefore room for us

to join the fray?

Coloring the White Collar: Professionalism and Resistance

Speaker: Sondra Morishima

Room:

Whether you're in a Goldman Sachs elevator or meeting with a politician, everyday interactions at work are

influenced by a set of accepted social beliefs under the umbrella of "professionalism". This workshop will

examine the structures of workplace culture and how professionalism, like any other "-ism", shapes the way

we view ourselves and our work. What about corporate culture have we normalized? How does it define

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Sabrina Fong

Sabrina Fong is the Civic Participation Fellow at the MinKwon Center

for Community Action. She helps with various civic engagement pro-

jects at the MinKwon Center, which believes that low-income, immi-

grant, and Asian American community members should not be disen-

franchised, but instead should be empowered, informed, and active in

holding our elected officials accountable. She recently graduated

from the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter, where she studied Po-

litical Science and Asian American Studies.

Shawn Lee

Shawn spearheads all of the movement and fundraising campaigns

for The Supply. Through social media and engaging with global sup-

porters, Shawn is responsible for getting people to not only know

about the issue but also to enact change.

Pauline Park

Pauline Park is chair of the New York Association for Gender Rights

Advocacy (NYAGRA), a statewide transgender advocacy organization

that she co-founded in 1998, and president of the board of directors of

Queens Pride House, which she co-founded in 1997. Park did her

B.A. in philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, her M.Sc. in

European Studies at the London School of Economics and her Ph.D. in

political science at the University of Illinois at Urbana. She was the first

student at any University of Illinois campus to win a Fulbright Fellowship

for France.

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Mae Lee Mae Lee is the executive director of the Chinese Progressive Associ-

ation (CPA), a community based organization in Chinatown/Lower

East Side. CPA's current programs are the Chinatown Political Em-

powerment Project, English and Citizenship Classes, Immigrant

Rights Project, Shared Stories youth program, Starting Line Youth

Peer Mentoring Program, Chinatown Environmental Health and Jus-

tice Project. Mae has been involved in leading CPA's work in voter

registration and redistricting. She is also a board member of the New

York Immigration Coalition (a statewide coalition of immigrant rights

groups).

ManSee Kong

Prior to filmmaking, she was an organizer and videographer with

CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities, and as a media educator

with Global Action Project, Third World Newsreel, and Manhattan

Neighborhood Network. Born in NYC and raised in the most diverse

county in the country (Queens!), she is currently a Video Production

Fellow at Democracy Now!, developing a feature-length documentary,

and working on her MFA thesis film at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts

Graduate Film Program.

Kheedim Oh Kheedim Oh is the founder of Mama O's Premium Kimchi. He started

Mama O's Premium Kimchi in 2008 after suffering a serious kimchi

craving. He found the commercially available kimchi not up to this

standards. After asking his mother to teach him how to make it and

many trips back and forth on the Chinatown bus to Maryland, Mama

O's Premium Kimchi was born. Originally starting out of his kitchen,

Mama O's Premium Kimchi can now be found at foodie meccas such

as Zabar's and Murray's Cheese as well as the North East Whole

Foods.

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our idea of success? And how do we as Asian and Pacific Islander Americans position ourselves in this

framework? From this understanding we will identify the very real impacts of professional culture on the

work we produce, and explore ways to deconstruct this established system.

DREAM ACTivism

Speakers: Emily Park, Fatima Shama, Katherine Chua, Camden Lee*

Room:

The New York State DREAM ACT (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) would allow un-

documented students who meet in-state tuition requirements in New York to access state financial aid for

higher education. Though the current version of the DREAM ACT was not included in NY‟s 2013 election

budget, the issues and tangible benefits for immigrants in America are as strong and relevant as ever. This

workshop will explore the roots of the DREAM ACT movement at the local, state, and national levels and

how students have played a major role in the Act‟s successful passage in California, Texas, and New Mexi-

co. What‟s the next step for the New York version? How are Asian Americans situated both within the Act

itself and within the larger scope of U.S. immigration policy? Are advancements in the causes of these un-

derrepresented people but a dream, or can we as a progressive voice act on their behalf to make this

DREAM a reality?

Microaggressions: But Where are You REALLY From?

Speakers: David Zhou, Phil Yu

Room:

Race. It's a complex subject -- especially with questions like “Where are you really from”? floating around in

our everyday discourse. Despite the "post-racial" age we're supposedly living in, the contradictions found in

these everyday remarks indicate to many of us that we're definitely not past race, and that issues of power

and privilege related to race are still relevant. Everyday, subtle, covert forms of racism, or micro-

aggressions, permeate our everyday interactions to the point where they've become naturalized -- giving the

illusion of a society that's so accepting that it feels comfortable enough to make light of racial differences.

Microaggressions are subtle and often slip in and out of conversations quietly, in everyday encounters, oc-

cupying both public and private spheres comfortably. How does an individual negotiate a form of racism that

is hard to even articulate? What does this normalization of these subtle forms of racism say about the Amer-

ican psyche at large? How do microaggressions operate on different levels and across intersections of race,

gender, sexuality, class etc.? Come discuss these questions and more with the founders of the Mi-

croaggressions Project in this workshop.

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Beauty, Gender, Nation — Deconstructing the Whitening Cream

Speakers: Kelly Tsai

Room:

Double-eyelid surgery is commonplace in several East Asian countries. Circle lenses are readily

available for any woman who wishes to not only enlarge the size of her eyes, but also change its col-

or from a bland brown to a striking blue. Eyelid tape is often regarded as just another makeup tool,

just another way to enhance beauty. These terms appear frequently in Asian beauty blogs, Asian

beauty magazines, and conversations amongst Asian women. These terms, combined with more

common characteristics like “light complexion” and “thin body,” help paint a portrait of Asian beauty

standards. Even though it is clear that Western women and Asian women have different physical

characteristics, the beauty standard that is upheld for both races is strikingly similar. But is that what

beauty is? Is it different from race to race? From person to person?

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Kane Diep

Kane Diep is a film director, his feature documentary titled Uploaded:

The Asian American Movement explores the ways in which young

Asian Americans have utilized new media platforms to increase visi-

bility in music, comedy, dance, and film. Kane has also showcased

his shot works at the San Diego Asian Film Festival, Mnet‟s Short No-

tice and PBS Shorts Showcase television programs. Kane‟s past ex-

perience include managing a modern music and performance venue

called The Loft where he produced a sold out series titled Luminance

consisting of 8 concerts in 2 years featuring a total of 31 artists.

Kelly Tsai

Spoken word artist Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai has been featured in over 450

performances worldwide at venues including the Nuyorican Poets

Cafe, the House of Blues, the Apollo Theater, Kennedy Center, Lin-

coln Center, and three seasons of the award-winning “Russell Sim-

mons Presents HBO Def Poetry.” The author of Inside Outside Out-

side Inside(2004), Thought Crimes (2005), No Sugar Please (2008),

and the CD‟s Infinity Breaks(2007) and Further She Wrote (2010),

Tsai has shared stages with Mos Def, KRS-One, Sonia Sanchez, Tal-

ib Kweli, Erykah Badu, Amiri Baraka, Harry Belafonte, and many

more. (from Yellowgurl.com)

Kevin Parker

State Senator Kevin S. Parker is committed to restoring the overall

quality of life for the constituents of the 21st Senatorial District in

Brooklyn. A lifelong Brooklyn resident, Senator Parker has been a

Flatbush resident for more than 31 years. Having been nurtured,

schooled and employed in the district, Senator Parker is intimately

familiar with the needs of this ethnically diverse community that con-

sists of 311,000 constituents in several communities which in-

clude: Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood, Ditmas Park, Kensington

and Borough Park.

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James Hong

James Hong is the Civic Participation Coordinator at MinKwon Center

for Community Action in Flushing, New York. In his current position,

he leads voting-related outreach, advocacy and education efforts for

the MinKwon Center, and has spent much of the last year focused on

the issue of redistricting and its profound effect on the voting rights

and political empowerment of the APA community in New York.

James is currently coordinating New York‟s first APA coalition on re-

districting, the Asian American Community Coalition on Redistricting

and Democracy (ACCORD), which now involves 13 organizations

across New York State seeking better districts for the APA communi-

ty.

Jordan Alam

Jordan Alam is a current Barnard College junior studying English and

Psychology. She is currently researching Asian American women and

their attitudes towards psychological services here on campus

through the Active Minds Foundation and will be overseas this sum-

mer in Bangladesh to research perspectives on mental illness there.

On campus, she participates in Well Woman and Asian American Alli-

ance and is interested in social justice as it intersects with wellness

and psychology.

Julie Zhan

Julie Zhan is an actor, dancer, and producer. This jack-of-all-trades,

intact with a business and engineering background, aims to inspire

and empower through the arts. She has worked with Jon M. Chu‟s

The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers (The LXD) on projects for Glee,

So You Think You Can Dance, and internationally. Most recently, UP-

LOADED, the feature film she produced has been highlighted in the

New York Times, toured Princeton University, and is currently in the

film festival circuit, along with several short films she has starred in.

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Graphic Novels & Alter-Egos: The Asian American Digest

Speakers: Larry Hama, GB Tran, Fred Chao, Wendy Xu*

Room:

Comics, as a creative medium, are exceptional in its accessibility to children and adults, as well as its

potential for presenting widely diverse themes and genres, through its political caricatures, racial

commentary and the myth of superheroes. Comics act as a cultural phenomenon that illustrate Amer-

ican fantasies of power, individual identity, and the overcoming of conventions. In this panel, Larry

Hama (G.I. Joe), GB Tran (Vietnamerica), and Fred Chao (Johnny Hiro {half asian, all hero}) will dis-

cuss the issues they address in their works and share their experiences as graphic novel creators.

What Does it Feel Like to Be a Problem?: NYPD Surveillance of Muslim Students and Social

Justice Groups

Speakers: Senator Kevin Parker, Hena Ashraf, Diala Shamas, Fouzia Najar*

Room:

Since 9/11 we have seen the civil rights of South Asian, Muslim and Sikh communities infringed upon

in the name of national security. While these communities have been subjected to increased surveil-

lance by the state, it has been recently revealed that Muslim student groups and social justice organi-

zations have been surveilled far more exclusively and egregiously than was previously acknowl-

edged. This workshop will highlight the response of New York City communities to this increased sur-

veillance. Speakers will reflect on post 9/11 Islamophobic backlash and how it has mapped Muslim

and South Asian communities in New York City as well as across the U.S. They will also address

how these communities have organized and created alliances in response to the rise of instances of

both de-facto and de-jure antagonism.

Racial Melancholia and Asian American Identity

Speakers: Shinhee Han, Jordan Alam*

Room:

This workshop will explore Asian American college students‟ psychological identity formation process

as they confront and work through the multitudes of intergenerational losses incurred through immi-

gration. Psychic space that holds our past, present, and future will be examined and discussed in an

attempt to resolve these losses through new emerging voices.

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Walk, Talk, and Slam Your Way Through Queering Space

Speakers: Yalini Dreams, Dennis Chin

Room:

LGBT organizing emerged strategically in the 1980s. In the process of claiming authorship of

such identities, however, specific groups were excluded from the conversation as a

result of race, class, and ethnicity. One of such groups included Asian Americans. Two decades

later, where does LGBTQI organizing stand? More importantly, where do self identified Asian

American lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender, and intersex see themselves in the space they

occupy? How do LGBTQI activists acknowledge and work on differences both within and outside

their communities? And lastly, how do LGBTQI communities challenge power and Culture to

make themselves visible, or invisible in society? These are some of the questions we will work on

in this workshop.

The Case of Private Danny Chen: Hate Crimes and Why America Should Care

Speakers: Councilwoman Margaret Chin, Mackenzie Yang, Vicki Shu, Wennie Chin*

Room:

A 19 year old high school graduate enlisted into the Army to serve his country. Months later, Pri-

vate Danny Chen‟s body was found dead on a guard tower in Afghanistan. The army initially dis-

missed the death as a suicide, but through many community efforts led by the Organization of

Chinese in America - New York Chapter (OCA-NY) demanding for a fair and transparent investi-

gation of his death, the army was pressured to conduct a second investigation. New evidence

surfaced, indicating Danny‟s superiors involvement in the daily physical abuse of Danny. Eight

soldiers are now facing trials for involuntary manslaughter and negligent homicide. Speakers

from the OCA-NY Board and Councilmember Margaret Chin will be speaking about the history

of his death as well as the community‟s crusade for justice.

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Fred Chao

Fred Chao is an illustrator and graphic designer. His clients have in-

cluded HarperCollins Publishers, First Second Books, Soft Skull

Books, and various Disney Magazines. He also wrote and illustrated

the graphic novel Johnny Hiro {half asian, all hero}, which was nomi-

nated for 4 Eisner Comic Industry awards and included in The Best

American Comics 2010 anthology. His comics have also appeared in

the Found: Requiem For a Paper Bagcollection. Various prints of his

can be found at the Charmingwall gallery. He lives in Brooklyn.

GB Tran GB Tran is a Brooklyn cartoonist/illustrator whose graphic memoir VI-

ETNAMERICA details his family‟s journey of survival through the Vi-

etnam War and their refugee migration to the US. VIETNAMERICA

has been featured on ABC's World News Now and selected as one of

the best graphic novels of 2011 by Library Journal, Kirkus, and

School Library Journal. It also recently earned GB a New York Foun-

dation for the Arts fellowship in nonfiction literature, a gold medal for

Sequential Art from the Society of Illustrators, and nomination in this

year‟s upcoming Eisner Comic Industry Awards. For a preview of VI-

ETNAMERICA, additional comics, and his illustration work, visit

gbtran.com.

Hena Ashraf

Hena Ashraf is an independent filmmaker. She likes to create with

cameras and stories, and has been making films since her teenage

years. She lives in the land of Brooklyn, after stints at the University of

Michigan and London‟s East End. Hena tends to disappear into her

headphones, and also writes and photographs.

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Edward Song

Edward Song started Korilla BBQ, NYC‟s first mobile Korean BBQ

truck, alongside his friends in October 2010. With the goal of popular-

izing the delicious and naturally healthy cuisine of Korea, Eddie and

his team have set out to establish Korilla as the new face of Korean

BBQ. The tiger-striped Korilla trucks dish out flame-grilled Korean

BBQ meats (Korean style ribeye, skirt steak, chicken, pork, and tofu)

in a fast and casual burrito, “chosun” (play-on-words of chosen) bowl

or the notorious Korean taco format. Locations can be found on its

website (korillabbq.com) or Twitter (@korillabbq).

Elizabeth Raleigh

Dr. Elizabeth Raleigh is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Asian

American Studies Program at Hunter College. She teaches courses in

Asian American education, Asian adoption and Asians in America.

Raleigh received her PhD in Sociology from the University of Pennsyl-

vania and a BA from Brown University in American Civilization. Her

research interests include immigrant families and adoptive families.

Currently she is working on a project that examines transracial adop-

tion through a market lens and as a window into racial and ethnic

boundaries.

Fouzia Najar

Fouzia Najar is a Kashmiri-American from Buffalo, N.Y., and she re-

ceived a B.A. in History and Media Studies from Carleton Col-

lege. Currently, within the Integrated Media Arts M.F.A. program at

Hunter College, she is developing and producing video projects that

address law enforcement's surveillance tactics of New York's Muslim

communities.

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Changing the Culinary Landscape: Asian Americans in the Food Industry

Speakers: Wen Hao Wang (Moderator) Jason Wang, Edward Song, Kheedim Oh

Room:

Foodies rejoice! Asian Americans celebrate! Asian Americans chefs, entrepreneurs, and advo-

cates are reshaping the culinary landscape. From the food truck craze to politically-conscious food

advocacy, the attention on food gives Asian Americans the space to share their voices and person-

al stories. Learn what these taste-setters from businesses like Korilla and Xi‟an have to say about

Asian culinary authenticity, the passion behind their businesses, and how they have defied the

Asian American norm.

The Uploaded Generation: Asian American Entertainers & YouTube

Speakers: Kane Diep, Julie Zhan

Room:

Five years ago, we couldn‟t name more than 10 recognizable Asian entertainers in mainstream

America. Within a few years, groups of young Asian Americans have rapidly emerged in entertain-

ment based in new media, specifically YouTube. They are taking action into their own hands and

redefining how Asian Americans are perceived and valued in society. Kane Diep and Julie Zhan

will show exclusive footage from their documentary Uploaded to illustrate the phenomenon, and

discuss the current struggles and successes of important Asian Americans in entertainment, for

both online celebrities and industry professionals.

But Where are You REALLY From?: Microaggressions- Subconscious Biases in a ‘Post-

Racial’ World

Speakers: David Zhou

Room:

Every so often, we hear of discrimination in its most recognizable form—bullying. We tend to re-

gard bullying as the worst and most harmful way in which prejudice manifests itself

in our society. But what about the prejudice we face on a less obvious level? What about the preju-

dice we face in our day-to-day lives? Every day, somebody encounters a microaggression—an in-

direct, but harmful remark. These unfriendly comments are subtle and often slip in and out of con-

versations quietly. When examined, however, a microaggression can paint an enlightening portrait

of our society at large. Join Kevin Nadal, one of the leading researchers in microaggressions, and

David Zhou, a cofounder of the Microaggressions Project, in discussing the relevance of mi-

croaggressions that distort our perception of others and ourselves.

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Bea Guo

CU Generation

CU Taal

Beatrice Guo is an eighteen-year-old singer and artist from Westches-

ter, New York. She is currently an undergrad freshman studying Visual

Arts at Fordham University. As this is her first year performing in front

of live audiences, she is happy to participate in NYCAASC's Talent

Show for the first time!

CU Generation is a hip-hop dance group inspired by

Korean pop music (K-Pop), which has earned a global

fan base in recent years thanks to its nonsensically

catchy songs and incredibly beautiful idol groups. CU

Generation brings K-Pop to Morningside by taking cho-

reography straight from Seoul‟s hottest singles and add-

ing its own Columbia swag to them. CU Generation con-

tinues providing the student body with a mind-blowing

cultural experience andpleasurable entertainment. For

more information, please contact them at cugenera-

tion@gmail.com

CU Taal, founded in 2001, is Columbia University's South

Asian fusion dance team. Taal combines classical forms of

dance, such as bharatnatyam and kathak, with western

dance forms, ranging from modern to hip hop. In addition

to performing all over Columbia's campus, each year Taal

hosts Naach Nation, an intercollegiate charity fusion

dance show case. Join Columbia Taal as we explore the

many facets of water-- flowing beauty to its destructive vio-

lence to its unique ability to sustain life. For more infor-

mation, please contact cutaal@gmail.com

Jen Kwok is a delightful ukulele comedian who loves to entertain you!

Armed with a velvety voice and razor-sharp wit, Jen‟s unique performance

style flips stereotypes and takes a twisted spin on everyday life. In college,

Jen triple-majored in business, but traded in spreadsheets for punch lines

after being named a national finalist in NBC‟s Stand-Up for Diversity. A

prominent member of the Asian American performing community, Jen

hosts PBS‟ Asian America and the Asian-American Writer‟s Workshop‟s

Open Mic series.

Jen Kwok

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Camden Lee

Camden Lee is currently a Digital Strategist at New Partners Consult-

ing Firm, a progressive political consulting firm. At New Partners, he

focuses on online organizing, social networking, graphic design, and

online advertising. While he was in college, he was a community organiz-

er for the Maryland DREAM Youth Committee. Camden has also worked

on Asian American and Pacific Islander issues at OCA and the Asian

American Justice Center, specifically focused on immigration and youth

empowerment. Camden is a graduate from the University of Maryland with

a degree in American Studies and a minor in Asian American Studies.

Chi-Ser Tran Chi-Ser is the Voting Rights Organizer in AALDEF's Asian American

Democracy Program, which seeks to promote fairness in the electoral

process and invigorate the civic participation of Asian Americans, es-

pecially new citizens and persons not yet fluent in English. By ex-

panding access to the electoral process to Asian Americans, AALDEF

improves the quality of democracy for all Americans. Chi-Ser was in-

volved with NYCAASC since its formation in 2007 (2009 Co-Director)

and is excited to be back to witness how much it has developed. Chi-

Ser graduated from NYU with a degree in Asian/Pacific/American

Studies.

Dennis Chin

Dennis Chin is an organizer, facilitator, and communications profes-

sional living and working in NYC. In 2008, he had the honor of key-

noting the NYCAASC Conference. Dennis currently works at the Cen-

ter for Social Inclusion, a policy strategy organization that works to

dismantle structural racism. He is also on the Board of Directors for

CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities and the Steering Committee

for the Gay Asian Pacific Islander Men of New York (GAPIMNY). In

his spare time, Dennis trains in various styles of street dance.

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Adriel Luis Imagination and creativity will save the world. With this belief, Adriel

Luis imagines and creates, constantly exploring new mediums for ex-

pressing social change. A musician, writer, visual artist, and educator,

Adriel has spent the past decade pushing artistic boundaries. His spo-

ken word funk band iLL-Literacy has performed and taught at over

200 campuses nationwide. His social commentary has been pub-

lished on Change.org, Colorlines, and Hyphen Magazine. The film ad-

aptation of his poem Slip of the Tongue has been screened at over 75

film festivals worldwide and won an EMMY. As an online media strat-

egist, Adriel has worked with the United Nations, United States Stu-

dent Association, Democratic National Committee, and many more.

Alice Feng

Alice Feng is a first-year master's student in the Masters of Arts in

Liberal Studies Program at the CUNY Graduate Center. She is inter-

ested in studying the experiences and history of working-class women

in New York City's Chinatown. As an undergraduate, she was in-

volved with the effort to establish an Asian/Asian American Studies

Minor at Syracuse University.

Bethany Li Bethany Y. Li is a Staff Attorney at the Asian American Legal Defense

and Education Fund (AALDEF). Ms. Li provides legal representation

and community planning and organizing support to Asian immigrant

communities fighting against gentrification and displacement. Ms. Li

helps to coordinate the “People First! Campaign” in New York‟s Chi-

natown and Lower East Side to promote a community-based rezoning

plan to preserve and create affordable spaces for tenants, workers,

and small businesses. At the heart AALDEF‟s anti-displacement work

is the principle that every community should be able to choose what is

best for itself.

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CU Generation

John Sisante

Richard Tran

Synchronic

John Flor Sisante is a Filipino-born, Long Island raised singer-

songwriter. He plays a bunch of instruments and makes a con-

scious effort to try to do and be good, not just in music, but in life.

He is releasing a free acoustic download EP sometime this coming

Spring, and another electronica-folk EP sometime in the Summer.

To hear more music, go to foxfur.bandcamp.com and foxfur-

music.tumblr.com.

Richard Tran is a rapper who has recently moved to New

York City to pursue a career in entertainment. He has

spent the past five years performing across the United

States and internationally as well. In addition to rapping,

he also aspires to be an actor and has done background

work on shows such as NBC‟s Law & Order: SVU. He is

also a student at the NYU Wagner School of Public Ser-

vice and the renowned HB studio where he is studying

acting. Richard can be contacted at richtran.com.

Synchronic Dance Team is a newly formed dance group

with a focus on urban dance styles. Originally started in 2011

by a few incoming NYU freshmen hoping to explore

their common interests in dance, Synchronic has developed

into a collective sharing group of dedicated dancers who now

wish to exhibit their talent at various events and

performances. For more information, please contact syn-

chronicdanceteam@gmail.com.