WORKSHOP SESSION 1: 11:15AM - 12:15PM
KING LU: Big Eyes, Big Vision, Big Screen: Asian Presence within the Film Industry
King Lu is a sophomore at Duke University and incredibly passionate about exploring social issues. Asian representation and presence within the film industry is incredibly important to him. King first became more aware of his identity as an Asian male in America after attending the Common Ground retreat in the Fall of 2011 as a first-semester freshman. Since then, he has served as a marketing director and as a co-president with the Center for Race Relations. Afterwards, King returned to Common Ground as a facilitator and continues to question, challenge, and act on all things regarding race and identity.
King's workshop will tackle the stereotypical and one-dimensional portrayals of Asians in cinema, explore the reputation and influence of various Asian filmmakers and actors, and present some necessary steps to creating a more empowered Asian presence within the film industry today. Far too many films both in the past and even now show Asian characters who speak poor English, act crazy and eccentric, and appear unrealistically nerdy. Too often, famous Asian actors are given "token Asian roles" in American films and are cast largely in part because of their race and how that will benefit the film financially. While the few Asian filmmakers who have gained popularity within the States are incredibly talented and rightfully omnipresent as the go-to "Asian-filmmakers" in the minds of the people, their identities often become limiting and niche to similar aspiring artists. The workshop will end with a couple of steps to help combat and solve this problem of Asian representation and presence within the American film industry.
ANGELA JU & JUSTIN HUANG: Ain't Nobody Got Time fo' Dat: A Workshop on Giving a F*ck
Angela Ju is a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill studying PR & English. She has served as president of UNC's Asian Students Association and, prior to that, coordinated the spring 2011 Journey Into Asia cultural show. She is also a sister of alpha Kappa Delta Phi and helped plan the inaugural youREACH Conference in fall 2011. Angela is also a founding member of ALIST Magazine , a quarterly publication sponsored by NAAAP dedicated to highlighting Asian American success and leadership, and currently serves as managing editor for ALIST Digital.
Justin is a senior Quantitative Biology and Math major at UNC-Chapel Hill. Justin served as the president of UNC Asian Students Association in 2010 and is currently teaching a course titled "Asian Americans: The Meta-Narrative of the model Minority." In addition to serving as the Director of Development at REACH, Justin is also currently serving as the co-chair of UNC Student Government Executive Branch's Diversity and Multicultural Affairs Committee. Justin is also a Community Manager at UNC and a brother of Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity. Follow his actions @huangger on Twitter.
"So you say you care about Asian American issues... but do you really? What are the incentives to care about Asian American issues? We will examine the relationship between how certain incentives -- like course credit, personal finances, etc. -- influence how much we care about the Asian American movement and its effects on our daily lives."
JIMMY GUO: Wei Qi: The Game of the Ages
Jimmy Guo is currently a junior at Duke University majoring in computer science and minoring in finance and biology. Born in Oregon and having moved to Fuzhou, China to live for two years with his grandparents, he returned to the Bay Area, California at the age of four and has lived there ever since. While struggling with his cultural identity, he began to develop a strong passion for the ancient Chinese board game of Wei Qi. Ultimately, his experiences with the game helped him navigate the difficult area between two cultures and develop a strong sense of identity.
"The game of Wei Qi, known as Go in Japanese and Baduk in Korean, is timeless. With anecdotes dating the game’s origins in China back to around 548 B.C., there are claims that the game was invented as early as 2306 B.C.. The rules of the game, which remain largely in their original form, are simple: Two players, one playing as black and the other as white, take turns placing stones on a wooden board. The player who fences off the most territory at the game's conclusion wins. However, Wei Qi's significance far outreaches the confines of the wooden board. It is a way of life, both literally for Wei Qi professionals and figuratively in the proverbs that reference it. It has been and continues to be a vehicle for nationalism, a defining cultural symbol in many Asian countries, and a way of life, both literally and metaphorically--and despite being relatively unknown in the West, it has helped shape my identity as an Asian American."
HECTOR JAVIER, JAMES WONG, CYNDY YU-ROBINSON: Asian American by Choice: Overcoming Bamboo Ceilings
Cyndy Yu-Robinson is a working mom who struggles daily to balance a public affairs career, fitness, family, and community service. Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Laos, Thailand, and Singapore, Cyndy is a second generation Asian American. She had a Tiger Dad and an entrepreneurial Mom, attended Stanford University and UCSD. She currently serves as Chief Marketing Officer for NAAAP National and has been through half a dozen leadership programs including Leadership Triangle. Cyndy lives in Raleigh with her five kids (two she gave birth to, one she married, and two furry ones - dogs - she adopted). Her five time national karate championship record has already been surpassed by her daughter, who is going for #9 this year.
James Wong is a nationally recognized speaker, instructor, digital marketing and communications strategist and passionate social entrepreneur. Emerging technologies, and the effects of adoption within physical and digital communities, have been a strong focus throughout his career. At age 12, James managed three online communities, supporting over 1,000 NC technology enthusiasts – eventually leading to the management of online communities supporting over 600,000 users worldwide. From 2007-2012, James served as the Marketing Communications Manager for the iContact Corporation (a division of the Vocus Corporation), an industry leading email marketing services provider, and pioneered digital strategies which spearheaded iContact into the social media marketing industry. Today, James is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Empowered Ideas, a nationally recognized marketing communications firm for small businesses and nonprofits. His passion for diversity in leadership and community outreach has led to special recognition by the Society of New Communications Research (SNCR), North Carolina Army National Guard, the National Black MBA Association (NBMBA), and by Asian Focus of North Carolina. In addition, James currently serves as the President of the RTP Chapter of the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP) and as the Marketing Chair for the Triangle Association of Black Journalists (TABJ). He has also served as the President of the Triangle Interactive Marketing Association (TIMA) in 2012.
"The National Association of Asian American Professionals is North America's premiere nonprofit membership-based organization for developing and cultivating Asian American leadership, through career skills development, community service, professional networking, and strategic partnerships with organizations such as APIA Vote, Toastmasters International, the Project Management Institute, and many others.
We are mostly "Asian by birth, American by circumstance, but Asian American by choice." We don't sit back and accept what birth or circumstance would limit us to, but we take action to use the best of what we have to give value to our workplaces, families and communities.
We shall form a panel of experienced professionals and nonprofit community leaders who will share firsthand experiences, best practices and lessons learned, and practical insights on how our backgrounds as Asian Americans illumine the way we handle our career management challenges and strategies, and how our involvement in the community and in after-work service activities enhances our careers and personal lives, and vice versa.
We provide concrete examples from the field, from high-touch local projects to national and international initiatives."
SELINA KIM & OWM: North Korea: Human Rights Activism Abroad and in the US
Duke VNK: Our organizations are dedicated to raising awareness on issues related to N. Korea and N. Korean refugees. We also raise awareness about the human rights and humanitarian crisis in North Korea through the use of media and grassroots support. We accomplish this by holding documentary screenings, inviting guest lecturers, and engaging in projects where we work with N. Korean refugees currently residing in S. Korea. For those who have fled their country because of this crisis – refugees – we aid in sheltering them, advocating for them to governments all over the world, helping them resettle in countries that will accept them, and ultimately empowering them to live new lives.
SHEETAL HEGDE: The Colorblind Heart: Interracial Relationships
Sheetal Hegde is a sophomore at Duke University studying Neuroscience. She is a sister of Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority and also serves as a tutor for children in Durham. Sheetal is currently serving as the Director of Publicity and Public Relations on Duke's Inter-Greek Council Executive Board.
"A panel of Asian Americans in or affected by interracial relationships and their outcomes will give an account of their experiences. The panel discussion will be preceded by a presentation about the history of interracial relationships in the United States, the symbolism of race and love, and the cultural implications of their intertwinement."
