8.19.2010

locating asian pacific america today


Just wanted to show some love for the interns for Leadership in Action program at Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP), who recently launched the website for the Locating Asian Pacific America Today project.

Participants in Little Tokyo, Cambodia Town and Historic Filipinotown were asked, "What does your Asian Pacific Islander identity mean to you?" and provided with cardstock, crayons, markers and others materials to answer the question creatively:
The goal of the LAPA Project is to challenge and re-define the APA identity by utilizing art as a creative medium for selfidentification. The project was based on a vision to further the growth and progress of Asian Pacific America, and to
understand its current role as a major racial group in the United States; to understand the heterogeneity and complexity of the APA community; and to empower the community members by representing their personal narratives as Asian Pacific Americans.

"The variety of responses is reflective of the diverse nature of the APA community and the artists themselves," said Kati Lebioda, a 2010 LIA intern. The artwork ignites compelling discussion on topics such as immigration, religion, cultural assimilation, and racial stereotypes, all presented from each individual's unique viewpoint.
You can take a look at the completed project here: Locating APA Today. You are even encouraged to contribute your own visual interpretations of what API identity means to you. And for more information about the project, go to the LEAP website here.

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