Hate crimes targeting Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) individuals have risen by over 1,900% in the last year, and the March 16, 2021 killings in Atlanta amplify the need to forcefully speak out against this violence and injustice.
The Department of Communication Studies at the University of Iowa wants to acknowledge the racial trauma that members of our community have experienced during the recent wave of anti-Asian violence, and we stand with you during a time when our AAPI friends and neighbors are being attacked and killed in America. This violence dates back to the 1800s and continued through the previous century into the present moment, when many Asian Americans have experienced Covid-related racism fueled by xenophobia. White silence is white violence, and as a community we cannot avert our eyes from the racism of all kinds that continues to be perpetrated in this country.
We also want to bring your attention to an April 21 Moderated Conversation with Cathy Park Hong, the author of Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning, who has been a leading voice in speaking out about anti-Asian racism, violence, and other injustices.
Information about this event is below:
The Asian Pacific American Cultural Center is pleased to announce we will host a virtual keynote with best-selling author and alumna of the UI Writer’s Workshop, Professor Cathy Park Hong. She will engage in a moderated conversation focused on her book, Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning (2020). This keynote will take place on zoom, and the registration link can be found below. We invite all members of the community and hope you can join us for this very special opportunity!
Prior to the event, we will be hosting two reading roundtables. During these roundtables, we will be reading and discussing 3 passages from chapter 1. All are welcome, regardless of having read or not read the text. The information is below.
Pan Asian Council Reading Roundtable
Thursday, March 25 12-1 p.m. CST
https://www.facebook.com/events/454757969073190
UI Libraries Reading Roundtable
Thursday, April 8 12:30-1:30 p.m. CST
https://www.facebook.com/events/1987194391423072
Moderated Conversation with Cathy Park Hong
Wednesday, April 21 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. CST
https://www.facebook.com/events/2773763422841373
Closed captioning and ASL will be available
Sponsors: Pan Asian Council, Graduate College, Obermann Center, Magid Center for Undergraduate Writing, UI Libraries, College of Education, College of Engineering, Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Tippie College of Business, UI Center for Advancement
Cathy Park Hong’s book of creative nonfiction, Minor Feelings, has been named one of the best books of the year by Jennifer Szalai, The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, Time, New Statesman, BuzzFeed, Esquire, The New York Public Library, and Book Riot. Cathy Park Hong fearlessly and provocatively blends memoir, cultural criticism, and history to expose fresh truths about racialized consciousness in America. Part memoir and part cultural criticism, this collection is vulnerable, humorous, and provocative—and its relentless and riveting pursuit of vital questions around family and friendship, art and politics, identity and individuality, will change the way you think about our world.
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Prisma Ruacho in advance at 319-467-1660.