asians collaborating together conference 2016 program

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ACE Asian Coalitionfor Equality

justice. equality. activism.

fb.com/asiancoalitionforequality

April 16, 2016 | 10 AM - 4 PM

April 16, 2016 | 10 AM - 4 PM

ITINERARY

9:30AM - 10:00AM

10:00AM - 10:30AM

10:35AM - 12:05PM

REGISTRATION

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: PHIL YU

WORKSHOPS: LEADERSHIP

12:10PM - 1:05PM LUNCH AND PERFORMANCES

ROOM 206: MARISSA VICHAYAPAI

MISSION STATEMENT

Asian Coalition for Equality works to engage self-iden-tified Asians and Asian Americans through conversa-tions and events centering on our daily truths.

Find out more at fb.com/asiancoalitionforequality

Donate at bit.ly/Donate2ACEUW

Email [email protected]

ROOM 207: TONY VO

ROOM 208: VICTORIA JU & CATHY PHAM

ROOM 306: MONICA NG

CHRISTIAN KANG

SAYAW

KHSA

1:05PM - 2:05PM PANEL: REPRESENTATION IN POLITICS,MEDIA, AND EDUCATION

MICHAEL ITTI

JADE JUSTAD

GAIL NOMURA

2:10PM - 3:40PM WORKSHOPS: SELF-EMPOWERMENT

3:45PM - 4:05PM CLOSING SPEAKER: SENATOR PRAMILA

JAYAPAL

ROOM 206: VICTORIA JU & CATHY PHAM

ROOM 207: BAO-TRAM DO

ROOM 208: TEY THACH & DOMONIQUE MEEKS

ROOM 306: TON NGUYEN

ROOM 308: ANIDA YOUE ALI

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Asians Collaborating Together Conference is to provide attendees the opportunity and space to learn, reflect, and act upon Asian and Asian American identity, leadership, and community involvement.

ACE Asian Coalitionfor Equality

ROOM 308: JENA YANG

WASHINGTON STATE SENATOR, 37TH LEGISTLATIVE DISTRICT

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

PHIL YUBLOGGER, FOUNDER OF “ANGRYASIAN MAN”

Phil Yu is the founder and editor of the popular Asian American news/cul-ture blog Angry Asian Man. He is also co-host of the YouTube talk show Angry Asian America on ISAtv, and host of Sound and Fury: The Angry Asian Podcast. Building a steady, loyal readership since 2001, Angry Asian Man has been called "a daily must-read for the media-savvy, socially conscious, pop-cultured Asian American." Mixing humor with criticism, Phil's commentary has been featured and quoted in the Washington Post, New York Times, National Public Radio, CNN, Wall Street Journal, BuzzFeed and more.

PRAMILA JAYAPALWASHINGTON STATE SENATOR,

37TH LEGISTLATIVE DISTRICT

Pramila is a Washington State Senator, representing the 37th Legislative District, one of the most racially and economically diverse districts in Wash-ington State. She is the founder and former Executive Director of OneAmerica, Washington stateʼs largest immigrant advocacy organization. She also served as the chair of We Belong Together, a national campaign to bring a strong gender analysis and advocacy to the issue of immigration. In addition to her work as an advocate, she is an author of a book and a contributor to numerous publications, including The Nation and Reuters. She lives in Seattle with her son and husband, and has another grown stepson who lives in Colorado.

JADE JUSTAD

PANELISTS

MICHAEL ITTI

GAIL NOMURA

Michael Itti was appointed by Governor Jay Inslee as Executive Director of the Washington State Commis-sion on Asian Pacific American Affairs in 2013. He serves as a small agency cabinet member and advises the Governor, state agencies, the Legislature, and other decision-makers on policies and programs that may impact Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Washington State. Michael also serves on the boards of the Seattle Chinatown International District Preser-vation and Development Authority and Asian Pacific Islander Americans for Civic Empowerment Votes. He earned a Bachelorʼs in Business Administration from the George Washington University.

Jade Justad is an award-winning filmmaker based in Seattle. Her previous short films, Three Actresses Walk Into a Bathroom… and The Ex-Lunch were official selections at over a dozen festivals nationwide and garnered eight awards/special mentions. In addition to her narrative projects, she works in industrial/com-mercial video production as a director and producer for clients such as Xbox and Microsoft. Jade graduat-ed from Boston University with a BFA in Drama. She also studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. Back home in the gorgeous, supportive and inspiring nest of Seattle she began writing and directing her own material. She hasnʼt been able to stop since.

Gail Nomura is Associate Professor of American Ethnic Studies at the University of Washington. Her research and teaching focus on Asian American history. Her recent publications include Contested Terrain: Local Japanese on the Yakama Indian Reservation, 1906-1942 (forthcoming), Nikkei in the Pacific North-west, Japanese Americans and Japanese Canadians in the Twentieth Century (co-edited with Louis Fiset) and Asian/Pacific Islander American Women, A Historical Anthology (co-edited with Shirley Hune). She is a past president of the Association for Asian American Studies and served as director of the Asian/Pacific American Studies Program at the University of Michi-gan and at Washington State University.

UNDOCUMENTED, ROOM 206 WITH MARISSA VICHAYAPAI

In Washington State, Asians and Pacific Islanders (API) make up 26% of the undocumented community, yet APIs have the lowest application rates to federal programs that offer protection and access to resources. Facing their own unique challenges, the underserved undocumented API community fights to gain visibility and access to vital resources. Fearless Asians for Immigration Reform (FAIR!), a campaign of 21 Progress, has reached over 20,000 members in the API community through advocacy trainings, cultural ambassadors, social media campaigns, and grassroots activism. Discover from FAIR!'s Organizing Director how you can use your voice and energy become a transformational ally to undocumented APIs in a fun and interesting workshop.

Marissa Vichayapai created WA state's first Undocumented Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Advocacy and Outreach group, Fearless Asian for Immigration Reform or FAIR!, a campaign that has been leading the undocu-API justice move-ment in Washington. In addition to her immigrant justice work, Marissa is also the Programs Director of 21 Progress, a social justice non-profit, is on the board of the National Asian Pacific Womenʼs Forum – Seattle Chapter, and the Asian Community Leadership Foundation.

Marissa is a first generation Thai American, daughter of immigrants, activist, third-wave feminist, progressive liberal, and travel lover. She is passionate about youth leadership, activism, immigrant justice, and racial equity work. With a background in social psychology research, non-profit management, youth mentor-ship, and an MSW degree, Marissa uses her talents and passion to drive her work.

Workshop description

Speaker biography

he advocated for students as the Asian Student Commission Director, founded/re-formed the Asian Coalition for Equality organization, and was a Student Ambassa-dor for the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity where he successfully advocated for a Southeast Asian Recruitment and Outreach Counselor. Previously, Tony worked at South Seattle College as the Club Center Coordinator doing leadership development and helping students develop their own clubs and programs. During the same time, he served as the Legislative Coordinator for the Southeast Asian Education Coalition where he managed a group of student interns, empowering them to advocate for education causes lending support for the passage of House Bill 1541, Closing the Educational Opportunity Gap. Currently, Tony is working in his hometown as the White Center Promise Director for the White Center Community Development Association. Tony enjoys gardening, watching reality TV, travelling, and eating his favorite Vietnamese dish, Banh Xeo.

WORKSHOPS: LEADERSHIP

10:35AM - 12:05PM

TELLING YOUR STORY: ORGANIZING 101, ROOM 207 WITH TONY VO

What is community organizing? What are the components needed when thinking about organizing an event, a protest, a fundraiser, or form a group? This workshop will briefly go over examples of successful Asian American organizing and delve into how to collectively work across all lines (i.e. race, ethnicity, gender, ability, etc.) to build greater movements. In this workshop you'll be able to share your own narrative and transform one story or all of it it into an action plan.


EXPRESS YOURSELF!, ROOM 208 WITH VICTORIA JU AND CATHY PHAM

We want to challenge the next generation of AAPI to break the mold in all types of professions and recognize why following your dreams is worth the risk. The AAPI community has been stereotyped into many professions, but passed over from other professions, such as the arts and entertainment industry. The workshop will include local artists guest speaking about their experience and why they have chosen to do what they do now.

Victoria Ju is the Associate Director for the local Seattle chapter of Kollaboration, a global platform to discover, empower and connect the next generation of artists and leaders to mainstream media prominence and change culture. She has been with Kollaboration Seattle since its first year in 2010, starting as a volunteer. Through the years, she has worked with various local API community organizations and UW student groups. Outside of Kollaboration, she is involved in the local Seattle Chinese community, especially in the arts and US-Chinese government organizations, and part of the organizing team for Seattle Asian American Film Festival.

Cathy Pham is the Production Director for Kollaboration Seattle. She started as a volunteer in Kollaboration Seattle at its first show in October 2010. She is a gradu-ate student enrolled at City University of Seattle earning her Masterʼs in Business Administration focusing on Project Management. She earned her Bachelorʼs degree in Business at Central Washington University. In her spare time, she participates in ACRSʼ Walk For Rice committee, the API Heritage committee, volunteers and attend local community events. Her team at Kollaboration Seattle, will be participating in the Free the Childrenʼs WEface Day in Seattle on April 20th, 2016 at Key Arena.


Speaker biography

Tony Vo is a second generation, LGBTQ Vietnamese American who grew up in High Point and White Center, Washington. He graduated from the University of Washing-ton with a double degree in American Ethnic Studies and Public Health. At the UW

Speaker biography

TRANSFORMING OUR STORY INTO ACTION, ROOM 306 WITH MONICA NG

Closing the opportunity gap, fighting for a livable wage, advocating for healthcare access, cleaning our environment, and protecting our constitutional rights all have one thing in common-- our stories. Our narrative is critical to advocate for the issues that matter most to our communities. Centering our narrative and sharing our voice and humanity is what moves us closer to a more just, more fair, and more free society. This interactive workshop will center our Asian American history in the United States, unpack the ways that stories are a powerful tool for advocacy, and discuss how we can create action.

Monica Ng is a second generation Cantonese American. She grounds her work using radical, anti-racist, anti-oppressive, and third-wave feminism principles. As a Co-Revival Founder of the Asian Coalition for Equality at the University of Washing-ton, she began her commitment to racial and social justice for communities of color, and predominantly organizes in the Seattle Asian American community. Currently, she works at Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS) and the Asian Pacific Islander Coalition of Washington State (APIC- WA) as the Civic Engagement Program Manager, devoting her professional time to organizing and empowering the statewide community of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.


Speaker biography

PATHWAYS TO PUBLIC SERVICE, ROOM 308 WITH JENA YANG

Did you know that only 5.4% of the federal workforce is of Asian American Pacific Islander descent and they represent a mere 4.4% of the Senior Executive Service (SES)? While the ethnic makeup of our nation is diversifying, AAPI leadership and representation in the federal government is lacking. In order to increase the AAPI voice in all levels of the federal government, it is critical to raise awareness around federal job and internship opportunities, and provide career and leadership devel-opment for AAPI students. This workshop will provide information on federal agencies and opportunities, tools to help you build your career pathways, and network opportunities with federal agencies in the Region X: Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, Idaho).

Jena Yang is one and half generation Korean American and achieved her Bache-lorʼs and Masterʻs in Social Work with the concentration in community-centered integrative practice and prevention at University of Washington. She received the Certificate in Intergroup Dialogue Facilitation and continued to facilitate dialogues around social identities, personal understanding of power, privilege and oppression, and alliance building. Seeing the lack of culturally appropriate preventative services for youth of color determined her goals to be an advocate for them, and led her to achieve Associate Prevention Professional. She was drawn to South Seattle College as the Program Assistant for Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution to provide a welcoming and culturally inclusive


Speaker biography

environment dedicated to supporting studentsʼ academic success, specifically addressing the needs of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) students. Jenaʼs passion led her to work with multi-cultural community organizations where she earned a reputation for building collaboration as a workgroup member for National Asian Pacific American Womenʼs Forum- Seattle Chapter. As the E3! Ambassador for White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI), she supports WHIAAPI Regional Network-Region X, and works with South Seattle College and AAPI community organizations to improve the quality of life and opportunity for AAPI students by increasing the awareness of the issues in the AAPI community (education, mental health, pathways to public service, and immigration) through her events and workshops.

WORKSHOPS: SELF-EMPOWERMENT

1:05PM - 2:05PM

YOUTUBE: RISE AND FALL AS AN ALTERNATIVE PLATFORM FOR AAPI ARTISTS, ROOM 206WITH VICTORIA JU AND CATHY PHAM

In the early days of YouTube, many Asian American artists and personalities gain high popularity on the platform, which helps jumpstart many of their artist careers. However, the limelight didnʼt last for long. The workshop will look into the rise and fall of YouTube as an alternative platform for aspiring AAPI artists and entertainers and itsʼ bridge to mainstream media.

Victoria Ju is the Associate Director for the local Seattle chapter of Kollaboration, a global platform to discover, empower and connect the next generation of artists and leaders to mainstream media prominence and change culture. She has been with Kollaboration Seattle since its first year in 2010, starting as a volunteer. Through the years, she has worked with various local API community organizations and UW student groups. Outside of Kollaboration, she is involved in the local Seattle Chinese community, especially in the arts and US-Chinese government organizations, and part of the organizing team for Seattle Asian American Film Festival.

Cathy Pham is the Production Director for Kollaboration Seattle. She started as a volunteer in Kollaboration Seattle at its first show in October 2010. She is a gradu-ate student enrolled at City University of Seattle earning her Masterʼs in Business Administration focusing on Project Management. She earned her Bachelorʼs degree in Business at Central Washington University. In her spare time, she participates in ACRSʼ Walk For Rice committee, the API Heritage committee, volunteers and attend local community events. Her team at Kollaboration Seattle, will be participating in the Free the Childrenʼs WEface Day in Seattle on April 20th, 2016 at Key Arena.


Speaker biography

ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN VOTERS OR NOT? WHY YOUR VOICE SHOULD MATTER!, ROOM 207WITH BAO-TRAM DO

The 2016 Presidential Election is in the full swing and proves to be another water-shed moment in American history. More than EVER, the full participation of well-in-formed voters will determine the future of this country, and with it, global implica-tions. By 2050, the majority of US populations will be communities of colors (US Census). Thus, AAPIs and communities of colors must engage and participate at all levels of democracy so that their issues can be heard and needs met in shaping the future of this nation. If you care and want to explore how engage and impact the AAPI's communities in this year's election, then this workshop is for you. In this workshop, we will explore perceptions, voting habits, and creative pathways to engage our communities in a more consistent and healthy civic discourse.


Bao-Tram (BT) Do is the President of the APACEvotes board of directors. Professional-ly, BT works at the Seattle Foundation as a Community Programs Associate. BT became active in promoting civic engagement as a student at Whitman College, organizing voter registration campaigns at community health clinics in South King County and on campus at Whitman. She wrote her thesis on how nonprofit organiza-tions engage immigrant, refugees, and communities of color in the electoral process. A proud resident of the Rainier Valley, BT enjoys working at coffee shops in Colum-bia City and walks around Seward Park.

Speaker biography

ALLYSHIP, ROOM 208 WITH TEY THACH AND DOMONIQUE MEEKS

What does allyship look like for the Asian/Asian American community? In light of the current political landscape of police shootings, how do we navigate society in an anti-oppressive way to support our peers. In this workshop, we will explore this topic through the framework of the three pillars of white supremacy and heteropatri-archy. The workshop will also provide a look at the history and connectedness of the Asian American and Black civil rights movement.

Tey Thach is the Student Leadership Advisor and part of the Leadership team at the Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center. She started as a Graduate Student Assistant at the center and now has become a full time staff member! She is a Florida native, hailing from the land of Mickey Mouse and Harry Potter, Orlando! She received her undergraduate degree from the University of South Florida (go Bulls!) in Social Science Education and taught high school economics and history for two years, before moving across the country (literally) to the great state of Washington to obtain her Masterʼs in Social Work Administration and Policy at the University of Washington. During her time as a student at the UW, she was part of the following organizations: Social Work Immigration Alliance, United Colors of Social Workers, and Social Work Asian Pacific Islander. She is passionate about working alongside marginalized populations, community organizing, human rights and social justice issues, and education as a way to increase civic engagement.

Domonique Meeks is a second year Masters of Science Information Managementgraduate student. He works part time as the Student Development Coordinator hereat Samuel Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center. His previous experiences include working at the Department of Global Health, teaching in Japan, and the Seattle City Attorneyʼs Office. He is a Central Washington University alum where he studied Criminal Justice and Sociology. While at Central he was highly involved with and dedicated to many clubs/organizations. Domonique has a strong interest in technol-ogy access. He is a self-trained photographer and videographer who uses storytell-ing as a way to fight for social justice. He is an enthusiastic individual that loves history, politics, and social media. Domonique loves to travel and gladly shares his photographs, videos, and journals. His goal is to see the world and believes each individual should take advantage of opportunities to explore and travel while documenting their stories.


Speaker biography

I AM ____________, ROOM 306 WITH TON NGUYEN

Who are you? Does it get hard sometimes to distinguish between being American and being Asian, Muslim, Hispanic, etc.? Come to this workshop and hear how you can integrate and mesh culture with leadership. This workshop is interactive and requires participation. Come ready to have fun!


Speaker biographyTon Nguyen is a 2013 graduate of the University of Washington with a Bachelorʼs in Biology. He was raised in a family of 8 siblings with 2 parents and came to America when he was 6 years old. His environment always dictated that he became a doctor, but during his junior year of college, he fell in love with community work. He is currently a Program Coordinator for Housing Hope, a non-profit agency serving homeless families in Snohomish County. He also serves as the President of the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement in Everett, WA. He often times wonder what food would say to each other if they could talk.

LEGACY OF NOW, ROOM 308 WITH ANIDA YOEU ALI

In what ways does the act of returning “home” function as an important point of encounter or departure for those of us growing up between cultures, identities, and histories? How do difference, dislocation and displacement play a vital role when your parentsʼ generation has undergone war and trauma? What are the ways in which intergenerational trauma leave residual effects on our bodies, in our memo-ries, and within our collective understanding? This workshop explores the role of autobiographical performance, writing, and storytelling as critical tools to trans-forming pain, loss, and regret into a creative arsenal for rebirth and re-imagination. Rooted in the facilitatorʼs performance art praxis and research work in Southeast Asia/Asian American contemporary art, this workshop asks all participants to be prepared to write, move and share in ways that contribute to collective healing.

Anida Yoeu Ali is an artist, scholar and global agitator. Ali is the 2015 winner of the Sovereign Asian Art Prize and currently the 2015-2016 McGill Visiting Assistant Professor in International Studies at Trinity College. Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach to artmaking, her installation and performance works investigate the artistic, spiritual and political collisions of a hybrid transnational identity. Aliʼs pioneering work with the critically acclaimed group “I Was Born With Two Tongues” (1998-2003) is archived with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program. She has received grants from the Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, the National Endowment of the Arts, and the Illinois Arts Council. She earned her BFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and an MFA from School of the Art Institute Chicago. She is a collaborative partner with Studio Revolt, a trans-no-madic artist run media lab. The Studioʼs controversial works on deportation have caused White House Interns to be fired. The Studioʼs award winning documentary “CAMBODIAN SON” was recently broadcast nationally with PBS and continues to tour to schools, community centers and prisons. In the Fall of 2016, Ali will be the


Speaker biography

Artist-in-Residence at the University of Washington Bothell where she will teach courses in Performance, Global & Diaspora Studies, and Activism. Ali graduated from the UIUC School of Art and Design (Class of 1996). She acknowledges her time at UIUC as her formative years in which she came into activism, community, identity politics and the power of the arts to create social change. She spent more of her time with student activism than schoolwork due to her commitment to see the establishment of Asian American Studies and an Asian American Cultural Center. During her four years on the UIUC Campus, her leader-ship was found within MONSOON fine arts journal, The Asian American Artists Collective, Asiantation, MAASU, Asian Pacific American Coalition, Muslim Student Association and SHAKTI: Asian Womenʼs Support Group. These “extracurricular” activities combined with her academic studies contributed significantly to her world-view and continued passion in the arts.

THANK YOU TO OUR ACTION PARTNERS THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SPONSORS

THANK YOU TO THE WING LUKE MUSEUM

FOR RAFFLE SPONSORSHIP

THANK YOU TO LAUREN WELDY AND THE ASUW

OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS FOR GRAPHIC

DESIGN ASSISTANCE

AND THANK YOU TO OUR PERFORMERS:• CHRISTIAN KANG

• FILIPINO AMERICAN STUDENT ASSOCIATION

SAYAW

• KHMER STUDENT ASSOCIATION

PURPLE ACTION PARTNER (DONATED $50+)

SILVER ACTION PARTNER (DONATED $250+)

GOLD ACTION PARTNER (DONATED $300+)

PLATINUM ACTION PARTNER (DONATED $500+)

Linda AndoMichelle Le

Organization of Chinese AmericansTony Vo

ASUW Asian Student Commission Japanese American Citizens League

Asian Counseling and Referral ServicesOffice of Minority Affairs and Diversity - University of Washington

21 Progress

Associated Students of the University of WashingtonSamuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center

The Associated Students of the University of Washington is the democratic voice of students that engages the campus community through programming, services and advocacy. The ASUW strives to enrich student life and develop future leaders. ASUW is composed of 25 units, including entities, enterprises, commissions, programs, and committees. Operating with a budget of approximately one million dollars, 72 employees and over 500 volunteers work to serve students and improve student life. Learn more at http://www.asuw.org/.

Founded upon student activism and empowerment, The Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center (ECC) has a wealth of resources and opportunities available to students including student advising, organizational development, personal growth, and referrals to different departments and programs. The Center represents a “home away from home” to many of their ECC students. The ECC continues to be a place where students can find familiar faces similar to themselves, staff that care about their academic and personal well-being, and where students can meet, interact, hang out, and build community. The ECC is also a place where one can learn leadership development skills, share and understand different cultural perspectives, and become future leaders of tomorrow. Learn more at http://depts.washington.edu/ecc/.

SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE SAMUEL E. KELLY

ETHNIC CULTURAL CENTER!

SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE ASSOCIATED

STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF

WASHINGTON! SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE KELLY

ETHNIC CULTURAL CENTER

Dating back as far as 1917, students of color have continuously challenged the University of Washington to provide underrepresented and minority students an equal social and educational opportunity. The Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center (ECC) has a wealth of resources and opportunities available to students including student advising, organizational develop-ment, personal growth, and referrals to different departments and programs. The Center represents a “home away from home” to many of their ECC students. They have been a place where students can find familiar faces similar to themselves, staff that care about their academic and person-al well-being, and where students can meet, interact, hang out, and build community. The ECC is also a place where one can learn leadership devel-opment skills, share and understand different cultural perspectives, and become future leaders of tomorrow.

NOTES

asians collaborating together conference 2016 program

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