/// December 2020 ///

As the year comes to an end, we each are finding ways to reflect on our year and place and space in the world. Intentionality and intersectionality have come into play in major ways throughout the year, How have we been intentional in our lives and work? Below is a list of BIPOC makers, radical thinkers, and doers who can guide and ground us, featuring recommendations by Cultural Work Volunteer Alisa Chen at alisa.chen@apano.org and APANO's Arts & Media Project (AMP) members.

Watch

The Urgency of Intersectionality– In this TEDtalk from TEDWomen 2016 Kimberle´ Crenshaw uses theory of intersectionality, she explains the overwhelming underrepresentation of violence against African-American women in activism, politics and media. “Why don’t we know these stories? Why is it that their lost lives don’t generate the same amount of media attention and communal outcry of the lost lives of their fallen brothers?” she demands. Frustrated by this situation, Crenshaw launched the #SayHerName campaign, a social media movement that seeks to shed light on forgotten women.

Kelly Lytle Hernández, Historian (2019 Macarthur Fellow)– Kelly Lytle Hernández is a historian challenging long-held beliefs about the origins, ideology, and systemic evolution of America’s modern-day incarceration and immigrant detention practices. In this short video, Hernández discusses her research and the ways that she challenges the long-held beliefs about the origins, ideology, and evolution of incarceration and immigrant detention practices in the United States.

Practice

Call for 2021 Guest Curator Proposal– Five Oaks Museum presents two major exhibitions each year that are curated by community members of all backgrounds and experience levels. The application period to submit exhibition proposals is now open! Because the museum’s building is closed due to the pandemic, the 2021 exhibitions will be entirely online and featured prominently on the museum’s website. The Guest Curator applications are reviewed by a panel of community members and awarded by a voting process.

Anakbayan Portland Mass Orientation–Anakbayan is a grassroots organization of Filipino youth organizers who conduct political education, organize, and mobilize. The Portland chapter’s next orientation will be on Friday, 12/11.

Listen

Time to Say Goodbye– A podcast about Asia, Asian America, and life during the Coronavirus pandemic, featuring Jay Caspian Kang, Tammy Kim, and Andy Liu. The most recent episode discusses the history of the Asian vote, the Reagan years in the 80s, the swing towards the Democratic party, the impact that geography has on voting patterns (for example, people who immigrate to Orange County, California or Florida will certainly trend more Republican than people who immigrate to New York City or the Bay Area because their neighbors are more GOP friendly), and how an immigrant, who generally arrives in the United States with a limited understanding of the country’s politics, develops into a voter.

DISplace Curators talk– DISplace shines light on the widely unknown connection between Hawai‘i, the Pacific Northwest, and the communities that continue to flow between these two regions. In keeping with the museum’s approach of providing a platform for culturally embedded storytelling, Guest Curators Lehuauakea (they/them) and Kanani Miyamoto (she/her) are themselves a part of this living history: both are mixed-Native Hawaiian, have family roots in Hawaiʻi and are now based in Portland, OR. Miyamoto and Lehuauakea have created a multi-faceted online exhibition that combines deep historical research with contemporary artworks and personal stories sourced directly from today’s regional communities. During this Curator's Talk on December 4, 2020 at 6 pm PST, take a virtual tour with the guest curator duo. Miyamoto and Lehuauakea will walk you through the exhibition, sharing their process and behind-the-scenes stories.

Modern Love Podcast– On this episode of the New York Times Modern Love podcast, listeners follow Andrew and Sarah and their love story that begins with coffee and ends after nine hours of journeying through four San Francisco neighborhoods. Titled Confronting Race on the First Date, we hear both sides of their experiences as Asian-Americans exploring the intersection of love and identity.

Read

The Intersectionality Wars– What does intersectionality mean and how has it changed since Kimberle´ Crenshaw first coined it? This article by Jane Coaston asks readers to think critically about the ways that the term is used. In talking with Crenshaw, Coaston reflects on ways in which the term has been welcomed, rejected, and everything in between.

The Fullest Look Yet at the Racial Inequity of Coronavirus– Racial inequality has become more apparent in the face of the pandemic. In this article (also available in Spanish) the authors explore the impact of coronavirus across racial categories.

If you have BIPOC art and culture to add to this list or additional resources, please contact Cultural Work Coordinator Roshani Thakore at roshani@apano.org or Cultural Work Volunteer Alisa Chen at alisa.chen@apano.org.