Gallery Project:
Showcase of AAPI Figures
AAST394 Growing Up Asian American: The Asian Immigrant Family and The Second Generation
Instructor: Dr. Yeram Cheong, Spring 2021
About the Project
For this semester-long project, students selected an Asian American figure (e.g., civil leader, community organizer, artist, actress/actor, musician, athlete, poet, academic scholar, etc.) who has made a significant contribution to promoting the wellness of the Asian American and/or Asian immigrant communities in the United States. Students researched about this individual, connected the information and stories to a theme/topic covered in this course, and crafted a “poster” (or other form of a visual aid, such as an infographic, video, or 3D interactive gallery) to present virtually to the class. The purpose of this project was to introduce their Asian American figure to fellow peers and share their findings by incorporating theories, concepts, terminologies they had learned in this course.
"The Fight Continues: Yuri Kochiyama"
By Leena Singh
Description
For my poster, I did something along the lines of a collage. I initially came across a floral theme idea simply on accident and liked the aesthetic. As I began, however, I realized there was symbolism in using a traditionally feminine theme - in many ways, Kochiyama faced the dual pressures of racism and sexism: intersectionality. She defied the traditional feminine norms in being activist - a working woman, and heavily involved with the press - and she defied external pressures attempting to breed anti-Blackness in the AAPI community. Threading a feminine theme throughout my presentation about Kochiyama - a woman who defied nearly every stereotype she faced - came to symbolize for me simply a redefining social norms. Social norms around femininity, minorities/the role of a minority, and the AAPI community as a whole. Each page/collage has a different tie - the first background information (Kochiyama's story), then her contributions to the AAPI community, and lastly ties to our class. I concluded with a picture of a small Asian American girl carrying some of the same flowers throughout the collages - they symbolize, for me, the flowers Kochiyama seeded, flowers for the future, and flowers of hope.
"Breaking Boundaries, One Role at a Time: Steven Yeun"
By Ronnie Kim
Description
A look into the personal and active life of Korean-American actor, Steven Yeun. Breaking stereotypes and vocalizing his own experiences growing up, he empowers the Asian-American community to be unapologetically themselves through his roles in film, TV, and even kpop music videos. He presents himself as a successful, confident, and versatile individual; a role model that bridges the gap between traditional Americana and authentic Asian cultures.
"Timothy Chantarangsu: Representation on the Internet and Media"
By Angelo Cuna
Description:
My poster is about Timothy Chantarangsu. He is one of the OG's of YouTube making comedy sketches and vlogs since 2005. He has worked his way up to becoming an internet and television personality. Tim has done lots of work repping for the Asian American community in the media and flipping the stereotypes. Some of his popular work includes starring on MTV's Wild n' Out, Send Foodz, and his YouTube channel. My presentation is on Canva and is straightforward on how to navigate: simply scroll through the slides in order.
"Arden Cho Fights for Asian Americans"
By Allison Seo
Description
This poster outlines how Arden Cho has helped and continues to help the Asian American community through her representation on mainstream shows and social media platforms. Through representation, fighting stereotypes, and speaking out, Arden helps us stand up against racism both in the media and in our daily lives.
"कल्पना. Kalpana. Dream. Imagination: a presentation on Kalpana Chawla"
By Sareet Nayak
Description
This infographic highlights Kalpana Chawla’s contribution to the Asian American (Indian American), Women, and STEM/Space Community, with specific emphasis on how she shattered the “Bamboo Ceiling” and promoted biculturalism.
“Mitski: Asian American Representation through Music"
By Andrea Vasquez
Description
The poster highlights Mitski, an indie rock artist, and how she uses music as a tool to give representation to the Asian-American experience. Although she creates in a predominately white dominated genre, she uses her unique sound and lyrics to create a space for voices of Asians/Asian-Americans and those who feel like "outsiders". In the poster, there are a couple of pages with album covers that you can click on to play a preview of songs. I chose these songs because the lyrics describe the Asian-American experience and/or depict the process of self-love. Unfortunately, I was only able to fit one set of lyrics onto the pages of poster with the album covers, but I can explain why I chose the songs during my presentation.
"Q-uest to Diversity Hollywood - Maggie Q"
By Marissa Choy
Description
This poster is about Maggie Q, an actress, who is not shy in sharing her experiences of prejudice in Hollywood. First, I cover her background. On the next page, I present her acting career and her achievements of being an Asian American receiving leading roles in the early 2000s when there were significantly less Asians being casted in main roles. Next, I highlight how racism against Asians in Hollywood impacted Maggie Q and how she wants to prove that Asians are worthy of receiving big roles in films and TV shows. Her contributions to the AAPI community include providing different representation of Asians on screen, since the repetitive portrayal of Asian stereotypes negatively affects how people view Asian Americans. Finally, I included a speech she gave at the Unforgettable Gala, which sums up her feelings of being an Asian actress.
"George Takei - Actor and Activist"
By Yiqiu Liu
Description
My "poster" is a 3D museum exhibit. There are guidepoints that you can click through to see the exhibit in the order I intended. The entrance shows a brief glimpse of who George Takei is (education, background). The first room first shows his experience in internment camps as a child, his books, and his role in Star Trek and other films. It connects George Takei's experiences with yellow peril, undocumented immigrants, and race-related trauma. The second room leads into his identity as a gay Asian American, his awards, and contribution to the AAPI community. That room connects George's activism to breaking stereotypes and bringing visibility to the Asian American LGBTQ community. The end of the tour is the gardens where I selected some of George Takei's social media posts that show multiple elements of his identity and contribution to the AAPI community. I interpreted the first post (connection to microaggressions) and intended the rest of the posts to be reflected on by the reader. Please note that doors have to be open for viewers to walk inside to certain parts.
"Unsong Hero: Larry Itliong”
By Manny Lesgaspi
Description
This poster covers the life and activism of labor organizer Larry Itliong. The first page discussed Itliong's involvement in starting the Delano Grape Strike from 1965-1970. It covers his role within these strikes, and how he was overshadowed by fellow organizer Cesar Chavez. The second page features parallels in Itliong's experiences and class themes, such as the Model Minority Myth and Yellow Peril. The last page features articles and scholarly articles about the Delano Grape Strike and subsequent West Coast labor movements.