ILLEGAL: The Chinese Immigrants of Angel Island

05/25/21 • 59 min

Asian American / Asian Research Institute (AAARI) - The City University of New York (CUNY)

Skyler Chin will present on Illegal, a poetry-rap-rock musical based on his grandfathers immigration documents from when he was detained on Angel Island in 1923. The lyrics are inspired by poetry carved into the walls by Chinese Angel Island detainees. Chin wrote Illegal to give voice to Asian Americans like his grandfather whose stories had been left out of history, and to convey the fighting spirit of the people who began to define what it takes to become American.

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Anti-Asian Violence Town Hall (Part Two)

During the second part of our Town Hall, we will continue the conversation about the history of anti-Asian racism and violence, how the model minority myth is inextricably tied to anti-Asian racism, and discuss intersectionality and the wider range of issues faced by the Asian American Community that have been magnified during the pandemic. We will share resources to protect our communities and provide opportunities to build solidarity with the larger LaGuardia community.

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The War Still Within: Poems of the Korean Diaspora

Poet Tanya Ko Hong will read from her latest book of poems, The War Still Within: Poems of the Korean Diaspora (Kyso Flash, 2019). Dedicated to all the women everywhere who have lost their names, this book celebrates the courage of women to speak their truth and acknowledges the suffering of those who never could. Part historical imagining of Japans so-called comfort women during World War II, part personal claiming of her own experiences with immigration and motherhood, and part exploration of identity across two languages, The War Still Within weaves together two cultures and gives voice to generations of Korean and Korean-American women. The book is a recent recipient of the 10th Ko Wons Literary Award.