Hey, SoCal. On March 15-16, the new UC Irvine Law School is holding a symposium on APIA identity. "Reigniting Community" includes a special screening of the documentary, Vincent Who?, and discussions around the issues of education, LGBT APA rights, and more:
The common statement, "They all look the same" and the "Model Minority Myth" are misguided notions that have plagued Asian Pacific American (APA) communities in the United States, perpetuating the stereotype of APAs as a monolithic group of perpetually unwelcome foreigners. Far from a homogenous or monolithic identity, however, the label "APA" describes a diverse, complex community of individuals and families who hail from many different ethnic, cultural, and national backgrounds. Rooted in the Civil Rights Movement, the APA Movement has thus focused on finding commonalities to build a sense of community and address shared problems. Accomplishing this mission has proven challenging, given the wide range of socioeconomic, ethnic, and generational needs of the APA community.Free for students, free food for all. Visit their website for more information, including the schedule and how to register.
The APA community and APA jurisprudence, then, provide a unique lens through which to look at community collaboration and political participation. The conference seeks to explore the following four questions:
"Who identifies as APA, and what implications does the APA identity have for these individuals?"
"Is economic justice and socioeconomic achievement an APA issue, and how does it comport with commonly-held assumptions based on the model minority myth?"
"How is the APA identity complicated by the theory of intersectionality?"
"How do the struggles and successes of APA racial formation inform community collaboration and interracial coalition building more broadly?"
Registration fee: $20.
Students, faculty and staff from UC Irvine or other law schools and universities, and employees of local non-profits will have the fee waived, but you must request a discount code and register online before Wednesday, March 14 at NOON. To obtain this discount code for online registration, email your request to events@law.uci.edu from your university or non-profit email account.