WSU Asian American Pacific Islander Brown Bag Series Begins Sept. 2

PULLMAN, Wash. — A year-long Asian American Pacific Islander Educational Brown Bag
Series, with six lunchtime sessions, begins Sept. 2 at Washington State University.
The series is titled “Asian American: More Than Rice, Kung-Fu and Math Wizards.” Each
session runs from noon-1 p.m. in the AAPI Student Center, located in Room 104 of the WSU
Multicultural Center near Daggy Hall. Everyone is welcome to bring their own lunch, said Esther
Choy, AAPI counselor.
“The sessions are designed to educate the WSU and Pullman community regarding the
culture, history, religion, politics, literature or any relevant issues of AAPI communities. Anyone
who works with an AAPI individual/population or is simply interested in learning and
understanding AAPI is welcome to attend,” she said. “Due to limited space, arrive early to
assure a place to sit.”
Co-sponsoring the sessions, set for the first Thursdays in selected months, are the AAPI
Student Center and Employment Development and Training, part of WSU’s Human Resource
Services. WSU faculty members will present all sessions.
Sessions include:
— Sept. 2, “Asian American History: A Glimpse of the Past.” Roger Chan will summarize and
highlight the major Asian American historical events and lead a discussion on the impacts of
these events on present-day lives.
— Oct. 7, “Myth or Reality: Are Asian Americans the Model Minority?” Linda Trinh Vo will
explore the questions: How did the model minority label become associated with Asian
Americans? Is it a positive or a negative stereotype? How does it affect our lives? What impact
does it have on race relations?
— Nov. 4, “The Women’s Movement in the Philippines: Implications for Asian Americans.”
Delia Aguilar will discuss impressions about the Philippine women’s movement based on her
recent visit to the country.
— Feb. 3, “Lotus Blossoms, Dragon Ladies, and Renegade Sisters: Contemporary Images of
Asian American Women in Film.” Marian Sciachitano will focus on stereotypes of Asian
American women in popular and independent films ranging from “Kama Sutra,” “Priscilla: Queen
of the Desert,” to “Double Happiness,” “Bhaji on the Beach” and “Shopping for Fangs.”
— March 2, “Asian American Literature: the Great Unsung Writers.” Sung Ohm will present a
sample of Asian American literature, writers and their literary contributions.
— April 6, “Asian Diaspora and Internal Colonialism.” Epifanio “E” San Juan will share the
recent Asian immigrant trends and their effects on community development and race relations.
For more information, contact Esther Choy, AAPI Student Center, 509/335-1986.
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