Asian American / Asian Research Institute
The City University of New York
Many historians and Japanese Americans cite the loss of U.S. citizenship rights as the biggest injustice of the camps, and many believe cooperation and not resistance was the norm. Join Dr. Gary Okihiro as he outlines the nature of the oppression in that historical experience, and the resistance posed to those oppressive acts.
Beyond soccer leagues, music camps, and drama lessons, today’s youth are in an education arms race that begins in elementary school. In Hyper Education, Prof. Pawan Dhingra uncovers the growing world of high-achievement education and the after-school learning centers, spelling bees, and math competitions that it has spawned. Drawing on over 100 in-depth interviews with teachers, tutors, principals, children, and parents, Dhingra delves into the why people participate in this phenomenon and examines how schools, families, and communities play their part. Moving past “Tiger Mom” stereotypes, he addresses why Asian American and white families practice what he calls “hyper education” and whether or not it makes sense.
Mishkin Gallery at Baruch College/CUNY presents an artist talk with Ho Tzu Nyen, featuring a screening of The Critical Dictionary of Southeast Asia (cdosea.org).
In the classroom, Asian Americans, often singled out as so-called “model minorities,” are expected to be top of the class. Often they are, getting straight As and gaining admission to elite colleges and universities. But the corporate world is a different story. In her new book Stuck, Prof. Margaret M. Chin shows that there is a “bamboo ceiling” in the workplace, describing a corporate world where racial and ethnic inequalities prevent upward mobility.
Films in this year’s CUNY Shorts Showcase, part of the 43rd Asian American International Film Festival, deal with topics/genres including Chinese adoptees, mental health, gentrification, caregiving, sci-fi/horror, World War II, and father-son relationships.
Covid-19 has sparked an increase in racism against East Asians in America, whether immigrant or native born. However, racism against all groups of Asian descent has been around for much longer, with racist stereotypes and the model minority myth. Join Queens Memory and our partners for an online discussion about the current higher educational experience for Asians in America, who are facing the continuously evolving challenge of racism. We will also discuss how Asians in America can provide ally-ship and solidarity to other groups that are experiencing racial oppression.