This month, the LLNE Executive Board signed onto the Asian American Law Librarians Caucus Statement on Anti-Asian Incidents. We encourage you to review the statement and refer to the valuable resources it links to. The Caucus is now hosting a series of guest speakers, live music, movie watch parties, and a book discussion throughout the month of June. We hope you find an opportunity to participate in any number of these events. Please see the schedule below.
Wednesday, June 2
12:00-1:00 PM Central
Anti-Asian Violence Amid COVID-19 Pandemic: New Episode in the Long History of Anti-Asian Violence in the United States and Educational Implications. Presentation byProf. Sohyun An
Dr. Sohyun An, Associate Professor at Kennesaw State University, researches social studies education. In the NBC News article, “Illinois House passes bill mandating Asian American history in schools,” Dr. An cautions, “if we don’t teach [Asian-American history] or teach it in a misrepresented way it can lead to violence” (April 15, 2021). Bio/presentation description and article attached.
Register for Prof. An’s presentation here
Friday, June 4
12:00-1:00 PM Central
Donut King Watch Party! (We’ll gather via Zoom, then each watch the film on our own computers, but with Google Jamboard open so that we can watch “together” and post sticky notes to communicate during the screening. Film is free on PBS.)
Genre: Documentary
Film Duration: approx. 1 hour 30 minutes (We will watch the first hour together)
Ted’s story is one of fate, love, survival, hard knocks, and redemption. It’s the rags to riches story of a refugee escaping Cambodia, arriving in America in 1975 and building an unlikely multi-million-dollar empire baking America’s favorite pastry, the donut. Ted sponsored hundreds of visas for incoming refugees and helped them get on their feet teaching them the ways of the donut business. By 1979 he was living the American Dream. But, in life, great rise can come with great falls. (https://www.donutkingmovie.com/synopsis/)
Register for Donut King watch party here
Thursday, June 10
2:00-3:00 PM Central
Asian American Studies High School Course Curriculum, Presentation by Albert Chan
Niles North (Skokie, Illinois) High School teacher Albert Chan teaches one of the only Asian American studies high school courses in the United States. He will describe his course curriculum. In the article, “TEAACH Act could make Illinois first state to mandate teaching of Asian American history in public schools,” he observes, “the lack of Asian American representation in school courses leads non-Asian students to fall back on stereotypes about their Asian and Asian American peers.” (The Daily Northwestern, April 20, 2021). Article attached.
Register for Albert Chan’s presentation here
Wednesday, June 16
2:00-3:00 PM Central
Simon Tam of The Slants, the world’s first and only all-Asian American dance rock band, will speak about his Journey to the U.S. Supreme Court, in Matal v. Tam. With live music featuring Simon and The Slants’s guitarist, Joe X. Jiang!
Simon Tam is best known as the founder and bassist of The Slants, the world’s first and only all-Asian American dance rock band. He helped expand civil liberties for minorities by winning a unanimous victory at the Supreme Court of the United States for a landmark case, Matal v. Tam, in 2017. He also leads The Slants Foundation, a nonprofit that supports arts and activism projects for underrepresented communities.
Joe X. Jiang is a filmmaker and musician who has called Portland home for nearly ten years. His movies, which range from intimate documentaries to artistic narratives, have been featured at film and art festivals around the world. He plays guitar for The Slants as well as other groups based in Portland, OR.
Register for Simon’s talk & live music here
Thursday, June 24
2:00-3:00 PM Central
Kumu Hina – Amazon Watch Party! (Requires each participant to rent the movie on Amazon for $3.99)
Official website, with trailer
Genre: Documentary
Film duration: 1 hour 17 minutes (We will watch the first hour together)
KUMU HINA is a powerful film about the struggle to maintain Pacific Islander culture and values within the Westernized society of modern day Hawaiʻi. It is told through the lens of an extraordinary Native Hawaiian who is both a proud and confident māhū, or transgender woman, and an honored and respected kumu, or teacher, cultural practitioner, and community leader.
Amazon Prime membership not required.
Register for Kumu Hina watch party here
Wednesday, June 30
2:00-3:00 PM Central
AAPI Book Discussion – Choose your favorite (or any) AAPI book and come prepared to “show and tell” us about it!
Some suggested titles are on these documents:
· Asian Pacific American Resources (pages 7-8)
· Books by/about Asian American lawyers/judges
· Books by/about Asian American politicians, civil rights activists, non-legal scholars