Raising Awareness of Asian America during March

Raising Awareness of Asian America during March

About Keynote Speaker Phoebe Eng

(above) Social activist Phoebe Eng will deliver the keynote address of Asian American Awareness Month Friday, March 9, in Hooker Auditorium at 7:30 pm.

Phoebe Eng is a former international corporate attorney and a past publisher of aMagazine, a highly acclaimed national magazine for Asian Americans. She is director of The Different Mirror, a strategy group that has advised the United States State Department, the Ford Foundation, the Urban League, Fortune 500 companies, media and technology groups, and universities. Eng is also an award-winning social activist who was a member of the Ms. Foundation delegation to the 1995 U.N. World Conference on Women in Beijing. In addition, she participated in the creation of the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum and has served as an adviser for several Asian American task force

"Imagine Asian America Across All Boundaries” is the theme of this year's Asian American Awareness Month organized by Asian American Sisters in Action (AASIA) at MHC this March. Events in the packed calendar range from a lecture on identity and leadership issues by social activist Phoebe Eng, author of Warrior Lessons and cofounder of aMagazine (March 9), to a screening of the film The Women Outside: Korean Comfort Women and the U.S. Military and discussion with producer Dai Sil Kim-Gibson (March 10) to Rock'n' Roll Sushi Night (March 13). Other highlights include a lecture on domestic violence and public health issues by Rupal Bat (March 26) and a performance by the AIR Theatre Group (March 30).

“With Asian American Awareness Month we would like to raise awareness and promote visibility of Asian American issues and culture,” says Jane Jung '02, cochair of AASIA. “It should be noted that Asian American is distinct from Asian—by establishing this distinction, we are claiming a part of this country rightfully ours. Invisibility, when it comes to Asian American issues, happens all too often—so awareness-raising months like these are used to fight invisibility and allow Asian Americans to have a strong, loud presence on campus.”

As part of Asian American Awareness Month, Asian/Asian American students, alumnae, and faculty will gather on campus for Across All Boundaries: Resurrecting Our Legacy, Strengthening Our Bonds, and Molding Our Future. This second triannual Asian and Asian American alumnae conference will be held March 9–11 and is cosponsored by the Alumnae Association. In addition to attending Asian American Awareness Month events, conference attendees will have the opportunity to attend special workshops and to network. Contact organizers Jennifer Kim '02 at jmkim@mtholyoke.edu or Helena Wong '01 at hswong@mtholyoke.edu if you have questions about the conference.

Some of the students who have worked to plan Asian Awareness Month and the Asian/Asian American alumnae conference.

Check the CSJ calendar for details about these and other events. For more information about the month's activities, contact Emily Man at ewman@mtholyoke.edu or Jane Jung at jkjung@mtholyoke.edu.your generosity.