Earlier this academic year, CC launched its year-long series, “Forever Foreign: Asian America, Global Asia, and the Problem of Anti-Asian Racism,” to address the ongoing, racist violence the Asian and Asian American diasporas in the United States face. Anti-Asian violence is not new. During the pandemic, the increase of news coverage of anti-Asian violence, such as the assaults on the elderly and the Atlanta shooting on March 16th, 2021, brought more awareness to the types of traumas an Asian person could experience.
The purpose of the “Forever Foreign” series is, as Professor Yogesh Chandrani states, to invite the CC community to “unsettle popular understandings of Asia and Asian diaspora communities” by bringing awareness to the many different histories, narratives, and experiences that make up Asia and Asian America (“CC Launches”). For a more in-depth insight into the “Forever Foreign” series, please refer to the article, “CC Launches Year-Long Series Addressing Anti-Asian Racism,” on CC’s website. Here is the link to the full article.
Previously in block 4, Professor Jason Weaver and Professor John Williams moderated the screening for “Somewhere Between.” “Somewhere Between” is a documentary by Linda Goldstein Knowlton. Following the lives of four Chinese adoptees living in the United States, their stories reflect issues of adoption, race, gender, culture, identity, and belonging. Transnational adoption was prominent in different parts of Asia as a result of U.S. military and humanitarian interventions. In particular, South Korea was one of the earliest countries to experience a high rate of adoptions. In the 90s, China became the leading country to give up children for international adoption – especially with the One Child Policy. The process of questioning one’s identity is unique to the individual, and this film was chosen to reflect some of these diverse experiences. Most importantly, thistopic is a reminder that transnational adoptees are also part of the Asian American diaspora.
Another event was a lecture by Professor Amrita Basu from Amherst College. Basu’s presentation. “Lecture: Gendering Populism and Recognizing its Varied Affective Appeals” discusses gendered forms of populism, and how populist leaders use emotions to appeal to people. Professor Basu compares the leadership styles of Donald Trump and Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, while being mindful of their national, racial, and religious differences. For example, Trump’s childishness and awkward prose makes him less threatening and more approachable, especially to those who feel demeaned by Ivy-league politicians; Modi’s goal to improve conditions for women and people in the lower-caste promotes possibilities for people to access the upper-caste (Basu). Overall, Professor Basu’s lectures taps into the gendered performances of populist leaders and how their success is influenced by affective appeals.
There are two events happening over block 5:
Monday, Jan. 31, 2022, 3-4:30 p.m. (MST) via Zoom
“From Silos to Solidarities: Post 9/11 and Beyond” with Deepa Iyer
Deepa Iyer is a South Asian human rights lawyer, activist, racial justice advocate, strategist, and writer. Her areas of expertise include the post-9/11 America experiences of South Asian, Muslim, Arab, and Sikh immigrants, immigration and civil rights policies, and racial equity and solidarity practices.
Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, 5 p.m. (MST) via Zoom
“Islam is a Foreign Country: Race, Religion, and U.S. Empire” with Professor Zareena Grewal
Professor Zareena Grewal teaches American Studies and Ethnic Studies at Yale University. Grewal’s research focuses on race, gender, religion, nationalism, and transnationalism across Muslim communities in the U.S. and in the post-colonial Middle East and South Asia.
Author: Min Pan
