columbia university

Transcription

columbia university

welcome from OMA and ODI
Dear ECAASU Friends,
On behalf of Columbia University and Barnard College, welcome to the 36th annual East Coast Asian
American Student Union Conference!
We are extremely honored to host a conference that facilitates a powerful space for self-exploration
and awareness, cultural celebration, coalition building, critical reflection of social and campus issues,
and student activism. We are excited that you will be able to experience this in a city and campus that
echoes the spirit of ECAASU. We are in a community that is deeply informed and shaped by the rich
and complex histories of immigrant communities and intersecting identities, is a site of important
movements of community organizing, and is a space where we continue to fight for rights, justice, and
dignity of all people.
Throughout ECAASU, you will be able to critically engage in dialogues, connect through shared experiences, educate each other with new perspectives, and build meaningful relationships. We hope you
will take full advantage of the wide scope of offerings throughout the weekend.
We also want to congratulate this year’s ECAASU Conference Board on working to organize an amazing line up of workshops, forums, and performances. The time, passion, and heart that they all have
put into the planning of this conference have created a program that we are sure will be enlightening
and inspiring.
Thank you for joining us, and enjoy the conference!
Sincerely,
Melinda A. Aquino
Pamela Phayme
Erica Williams
Associate DeanDirector Assistant Director
Office of Multicultural Affairs
Office of Diversity Initiatives
Office of Multicultural Affairs
Columbia UniversityBarnard CollegeColumbia University
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introduction
ECAASU
The East Coast Asian American Student Union (ECAASU) is a national, 501(c)(3) nonprofit intercollegiate AsianPacific American advocacy organization that aims to inspire, educate, and empower those interested in Asian
American & Pacific Islander American issues. After 36 conferences and 36 years of uninterrupted growth, ECAASU
is the oldest and largest APA student organization in the nation and the ECAASU conference is one of the most
preeminent collegiate student conferences in the world. Welcome to the 36th annual ECAASU Conference.
OUR MISSION
STRENGTHEN Asian American student organizations through intercollegiate communication to serve the educational and social needs of Asian American students.
ADVANCE the social equality of minorities by eliminating prejudice and discrimination, defending human and
civil rights, and combating racism and hate crimes through activities permissible under section 501(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code.
ENCOURAGE Asian Americans to participate in the political and electoral process through nonpartisan voter education/registration and “get out the vote” drives.
PROMOTE community-building and understanding among Asian Americans with different nationalities and
people of color.
WITHIN, ACROSS, BEYOND
Within. At the 2013 Conference, we want to take a step back and examine the state of the Asian Pacific American
(APA) community. We want to encourage reflection on what it means to be APA, expose the multidimensional
nature of the APA experience, and inspire our peers to act upon what they feel, think and experience as members
of the APA community.
Across. There exists strength in numbers. This conference aims to increase dialogue between individuals of different cultural identities, from different geographical locations and with different experiences. We hope to build
connections and form coalitions across perceived boundaries.
Beyond. The APA identity is one that is constantly being recreated and we are the generation to build it. We want
individuals to reflect on what they can do for their community and encourage the APA community to explore
ideas and opportunities beyond the traditional and established. We hope our attendees will think critically and
leave knowing they speak with the intention of being heard.
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
Named one of the best colleges for Asian Pacific Americans (APA) by APA for Progress in 2009, Columbia University is a place where APA students are actively engaged in advocating on behalf of APA on campus and in the surrounding communities. Over the last few years, APA students at Columbia have been extremely busy working on
a variety of issues, such expanding the University’s Ethnic Studies Program, advocating against unfair labor laws
and planning various cultural events. With over 15 Asian-interest student organizations on campus representing various cultural identities and political interests, APA students at Columbia have a strong influence on daily
student life. In addition, given Columbia’s location in New York City, students have access to more resources and
opportunities than the usual collegiate experience. Large ethnic enclaves such as Jackson Heights, NYC Chinatown, Little Manila, Koreatown and Flushing Queens are all within an hour’s commute from Columbia University’s
116th campus.
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table of contents
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Schedule
Campus Map
Getting around NYC
Hungry?
Social Events
The Fun After
Opportunities Fair
Guide to Ceremonies
Keynote Speakers
Entertainment
Workshops
Facilitator Bios
Meet the Board
Sponsors/Donors
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6
8
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10
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31
36
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welcome from the directors
Dear Friends,
On behalf of the East Coast Asian American Student Union (ECAASU) 2013 Conference Board, it’s our pleasure to be the
first of many to welcome you to the 36th Annual ECAASU Conference at Columbia University in the City of New York!
Columbia University students first hosted the ECAASU Annual Conference in 1983 under the theme Asian Students in
Action, and most recently in 2001 under the theme Evolution! Since 1983, the Asian Pacific American (APA) community
has grown in significant ways -- in population, prominence, partnership, and more. Senator Daniel Inouye was sworn in as
President Pro Tempore in 2010. Jeremy Lin became the first Taiwanese American to play in the NBA in 2012. Asian Pacific
Americans became the fastest growing demographic in the United States. The APA experience has changed drastically over
the last few decades. However, major tragedies like the shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin and misleading reports like
“The Rise of Asian Americans” published by the Pew Research Center last summer demonstrate that there’s still a lot more
work to be done. Conscious efforts must be made to prevent instances of marginalization both within and beyond the APA
community. We must work together to create spaces that promote greater awareness of the issues we have as a collective
community and create opportunities for meaningful dialogue, collaboration, and action. This is the spirit of the ECAASU
2013 Annual Conference.
This year’s theme is Within, Across, Beyond. We urge you to reflect on your experiences and consider the state of the APA
community on your campus, in your city or state, and nationally. Through the speakers, entertainers and workshop facilitators we’ve invited, we are confident the ECAASU 2013 Annual Conference will push you to challenge your assumptions and
empower you as agents of change.
Our campus is located in one of the greatest metropolises in the world. While one weekend is certainly not enough to see
all of New York, we hope you have an opportunity to explore the city and its different neighborhoods; each has its own
unique sights, qualities, and charisma. Just a few blocks up is Harlem, home to the famous Apollo Theater and some of the
best comfort food in the city. On 53rd St. and 6th Ave., just a few blocks up from Rockefeller Center, is the famous Chicken
and Rice Halal cart. Further down is K-Town, St. Mark’s Place, and Little Italy. And that’s just Manhattan! Whatever you do
and wherever you go, keep an open mind and heart and we promise you’ll come to understand why people call this place
the greatest city in the world.
The ECAASU 2013 Conference Board, which is comprised of over 30 undergraduate students representing Columbia
College (CC), the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), Barnard College (BC) and Columbia
School of General Studies (GS) has worked tirelessly over this past year to create an ECAASU experience that that is both
memorable and empowering.
It is with great pride and pleasure that we present to you the ECAASU 2013 Annual Conference at Columbia University in
the City of New York: Within, Across, Beyond.
All the very best,
Your ECAASU 2013 Annual Conference Directors
Melanie Gao
Tina Kit
Derrick Fu
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schedule
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22ND
1:00 PM - 11:00 PM
CHECK-IN, BAGGAGE CHECK
Roone Arledge Auditorium Lobby, Lerner Hall
WALKING TOURS
4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
7:15 PM
Leaves from Roone
Arledge North Lobby,
Lerner Hall at 4
KICK-OFF MIXER
East and West Ramp
Lounges, Lerner Hall
(with food!)
BONE
MARROW DRIVE
West Ramp Lounge
Doors open for OPENING CEREMONY (Line starts at Check-In)
8:00 PM - 10:30 PM
10:30 PM - 11:30 PM
OPENING CEREMONY
Roone Arledge Auditorium and Cinema, Lerner Hall
MEET YOUR HOST!
Broadway Room, Lerner Hall
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23RD
8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
9:15 AM
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
10:45 AM - 12:00 PM
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CHECK-IN
Roone Arledge Auditorium Lobby, Lerner Hall
BREAKFAST
Roone Arledge North Lobby, Lerner Hall
Doors open for WELCOMING CEREMONY (Line starts at Check-In)
WELCOMING CEREMONY
WORKSHOPS SESSION #1
schedule
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23RD (CONT’D)
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
LUNCH
Roone Arledge North Lobby, Lerner Hall
1:15 PM - 2:30 PM
1:15 PM - 5:00 PM
2:45 PM - 4:00 PM
OPPORTUNITIES FAIR
Lerner Party Space
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
4:15 PM
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
8:00 PM - 10:00 PM
ECAASU 2014 BID PRESENTATIONS
4:05 PM - 4:50 PM, Satow Room
Doors open for CLOSING CEREMONY (Line starts at Check-In)
CLOSING CEREMONY
ASIAN AMERICAN AFFINITY FORUM
Party Space, Lerner Hall (registered individuals only)
FRIENDS OF ECAASU GALA
BOND @ BANN
10:00 PM - 4:00 AM
350 West 50th Street
10:00 PM - 3:00 AM
‘LIMITLESS’ AFTERPARTY
LQ Nightclub
10:30 PM - 4:00 AM
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24TH
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
CHECK-OUT FOR HOSTED ATTENDEES
Broadway Room, Lerner Hall
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getting around
CAMPUS MAP
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Workshop Locations:
Lerner - 569, C555, Satow, Broadway Room, Party Space
Hamilton - 302, 303, 503, 516, 517
Barnard - 302, 409
Diana - LL103, LL104, 504
Milbank - 207, 223 (Ella Weed Room)
getting around
GETTING AROUND NYC
SUBWAY (MTA):
Subway & bus fare: $2.25
(one-way + 1 transfer to a bus)
Purchase Metrocards in subway stations
or at authorized newsstands.
Check out HopStop.com (or the app) to get around!
Visit mta.info for information about buses & service changes.
TAXI:
Taxis can be hailed on most streets.
Rough Taxi Fares:
Columbia → Hudson Hotel : $16
Hudson → Latin Quarters: $9
Columbia → Latin Quarters: $22
Latin Quarters → Bann Bar: $8
Hudson → Midtown Loft & Terrace: $11
Columbia → Midtown Loft & Terrace: $24
Other Places to Go:
Columbia ←→ Empire State Building: $23
Hudson Hotel ←→ Empire State Building: $10
Columbia ←→ Rockefeller Center: $20
Hudson ←→ Rockefeller Center: $7
Columbia ←→ Bryant Park: $22
Hudson ←→ Bryant Park: $9
Columbia ←→ The Museum of Modern Art: $19
Hudson ←→ The Museum of Modern Art: $6
IMPORTANT ADDRESSES:
Columbia University
116th St. and Broadway
Latin Quarters (LQ)
511 Lexington Av.
(Btwn 47th and 48th St)
Bann Bar
350 W 50th St
(Btwn 9th Ave & 8th Ave)
Hudson Hotel
354 W 58th St
(Btwn 8th and 9th Ave)
Midtown Loft & Terrace
267 5th Ave
(Btwn 29th and 30th St)
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eat!
HUNGRY?
AMERICAN
Special Thanks - Deluxe Diner ($$)
Broadway between 112th and 113th
American/French
Five Guys ($$)
Broadway at 111th
Burgers
Mel’s Burger ($$)
Broadway at 111th
Burgers, Bar
The Heights ($$)
American, bar food
Tom’s Restaurant ($$)
Broadway at 112th
Diner, Exterior used in Seinfeld
ASIAN
Columbia Cottage ($$)
Amsterdam and 111th
Chinese
Jin Ramen ($$)
Broadway at 125th
Japanese
Sun-Chan Japanese Restuarant ($$)
Broadway 103rd
Japanese, Bar
Tea Magic ($)
Broadway at 112th
Bubble tea and snacks
Thai Market ($$)
Amsterdam at 107th
Vine Sushi & Sake ($$)
Japanese
Wondee Siam V ($$)
Amsterdam at 107th
Thai
CUBAN
Havana Central ($$)
Cuban
EUROPEAN
Bistro 1018 ($$$)
Amsterdam and 110th
American/French
Special Thanks - Mill Korean ($$)
Le Monde ($$$)
French
Ollie’s Noodle Shop and Grille ($$)
Broadway and 116th
Chinese
Stroko’s ($)
Amsterdam at 114th
Pizza, sandwiches, salads, soups
Roti Roll ($)
Amsterdam at 108th
Indian, On the go
Symposium Greek Restaurant ($$)
113th btwn Broadway and Amsterdam
Greek
Saji’s ($$)
109th btwn Broadway and Amsterdam
Japanese, On the go
Vareli ($$)
Broadway at 111th
Mediterranean, Seafood
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MEXICAN
Amigos($$)
Mexican, Bar
Chipotle Mexican Grill ($$)
MIDDLE EASTERN
Amir’s Falafel ($)
Maoz Vegetarian ($)
Broadway at 111th
Vegetarian
PIZZA
Famous Famiglia’s ($)
Broadway at 111th
Italian
Koronet Pizza ($)
Italian, largest pizza slice in NY
SANDWICHES/SALADS
Artopolis ($$)
Amsterdam at 114th
Breakfast, Desserts
Hamilton Deli ($)
Amsterdam between 115th and 116th
Sandwiches, salads, soups, etc.
Nussbaum & Wu ($)
Broadway at 113th
SubsConscious ($)
Amsterdam between 119th and 120th
Sandwiches, salads, soups, etc.
Uni Cafe ($)
Broadway and 115th
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SOCIAL EVENTS
KICK-OFF MIXER
Friday, 4 - 7PM
West & East Ramp Lounges
Lerner Hall at Columbia University
Kick off your ECAASU 2013 Conference weekend by meeting
other conference attendees before the Opening Ceremony!
Refreshments and light snacks will be provided.
RAFFLES
Vamoose Round Trip Bus Tickets
Dramafever subscriptions
ASIAN AMERICAN AFFINITY FORUM
Saturday, 6:30 - 7:30 PM
The Asian American Affinity Forum is a unique space for
leaders of Asian-American and Asian-interest organizations across the nation to share and discuss issues that
individuals face on college campuses because of one’s
race, gender or religion. The discussion will be facilitated by Calvin Sun, a member of the ECAASU Board of
Directors. Dinner will be provided.
Individuals attending this event must have pre-registered before the conference. If there are any open
spaces, they will be given out on a first come first serve
basis at the registration table.
BONE MARROW DRIVE
Friday, 4 - 7PM / Saturday, 10AM - 5PM
Each year, thousands of adults and children suffering from leukemia,
lymphoma, and other types of blood cancers are in need of a bone marrow transplant, their only chance for survival. Although 25% percent
of these patients are able to find a suitable match amongst family
members, the remaining 75% must search within the limited National
Bone Marrow Registry. Many patients who are people of color find great
difficulty searching in the Registry.
Patients and donors must have the same tissue types, which is heavily dependent on racial and ethnic background. Your help is greatly
needed to create a more ethnically diverse registry! It only takes a
simple cheek swab to determine your HLA typing. Please consider coming out to the ECAASU Bone Marrow Drive to make your contribution to
our community!
*Donors must meet Donor Eligibility Guidelines and must be ages 18-44.
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TOURS
Friday, February 22nd, 4 - 7PM
*All tours leave from Roone North Lobby, Lerner Hall*
Bring money for food and $4.50 subway fare
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY CAMPUS TOUR
Perhaps you’ve heard of some secret tunnels. Maybe a sinking library?
And what about that owl hidden somewhere in the Alma Mater...Come
join us to learn all the secrets, rumors, and myths about Columbia’s
beautiful campus! Our knowledgeable tour guides will take you
around and tell you peculiar stories and insider information about
how to fully make the most of your time at CU! You’ll never see our
campus the same way again.
WITHIN tour
Shake Shack & Museum of Natural History Tour
Visit some of the sites closest to our home as we explore the Upper
West Side and Morningside Heights areas! Your journey WITHIN our
community will start with the American Museum of Natural History,
one of the greatest NYC landmarks. Averaging about five million
visits annually, it not only features awe-inspiring exhibits such as
the Hayden Planetarium, but also was the home of Ben Stiller’s Night
at the Museum. Afterwards, students will travel to Shake Shack, a
“modern day ‘roadside’ burger stand” serving some incredible food.
Seriously, this stuff is good. It’s one of the biggest food destinations in
the Upper West Side.
ACROSS tour
Central Park Walking Tour
New York City may be known for its busy streets and skyscrapers, but
Central Park might just be its heart and soul. Stretching across the
East and West sides of Manhattan, you never know whom you might
bump into or what you might see - from a lakeside view of Midtown
to Shakespeare performances featuring Al Pacino. This walking tour
ACROSS the park will introduce you to some of its most famous
landmarks: the Jacqueline Kennedy Reservoir, Belvedere Castle, Great
Lawn and more.
BEYOND tour
Times Square Tour
There’s nothing like the bright lights, busy streets, and energy and
excitement buzzing in the air of Times Square. Go BEYOND what you
can find anywhere else in the world to NYC’s midtown, where you can
shop, dine, and explore in the city that never sleeps. Some landmarks
you’ll be able to see are M&M’s flagship store, the largest Toys “R” Us
in the world, Rockefeller Center, and studios for every major television
network. There’s also so much more than we could possibly list here:
everything truly comes together in midtown NYC.
THE FUN AFTER
BOND @ BANN
The Official ECAASU 2013
Conference LGBTQ Afterparty
Saturday, February 23, 2013
10:00PM-3:00AM
LIMITLESS
The Official ECAASU 2013 Conference Afterparty
Saturday, February 23, 2013
10:30PM-4:00AM
BANN BAR
350 West 50th Street
(Between 8th and 9th Avenues)
New York, NY 10019
*5 minute walk from the Hudson Hotel*
Not a huge fan of all the heteronormativity at nightclubs? ECAASU 2013 is proud
to present the first ever Asian LGBTQ
afterparty! Come mingle with LGBTQ
folks and allies travelling from across the
country or with the locals at NYC’s hottest
Gay Asian bar. For conference attendees,
drink specials and VIP room are provided.
Cute bartenders (Jake Choi) are an added
plus.
Note: Your afterparty purchase gains you entry
to both parties. Just request a stamp. Feel free
to drop by both parties throughout the night they are both on the E Subway train!
Celebrate the end of the ECAASU 2013 Conference weekend with the official ECAASU afterparty at one of the hottest nightclubs in New York City!
Dance the night away with your friends and other ECAASU attendees.
LQ Nightclub
511 Lexington Ave
(Between 47th and 48th Street)
New York, NY 10017
Our way of thanking our speakers,
sponsors, workshop facilitators, and
other special guests.
Saturday, 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Midtown Loft and Terrace
267 5th Ave (at 29th Street)
Gain access by participating in workshops! One person in each workshop will
receive a ticket to the Gala (with a +1).
All attendees of the Gala must RSVP or
have a ticket.
DISCOUNT
18+ to Party and 21+ to Drink
State ID/Passport are required,
Coat check will be available
TICKETS
FREE PHOTOBOOTH
Music by DJ Goose
ON ‘LIMITLESS’
AFTERPARTY
Attend all 3 workshop
Before 12AM
tracks (get 3 stickers)
$10 – ECAASU Conference Attendees who
and save $5!
attended all 3 workshop tracks and
Columbia Volunteers/Performers
$15 – All ECAASU Conference Attendees
$20 – Everyone Else (Non-Conference Attendees)
After 12AM $20 – Everyone
Cash only. ATM will be available at LQ.
Advance group bottle service highly recommended
RSVP to [email protected]
DRESS CODE
Chic, Clean Cut Attire
(Recommended: Button-ups, Fitted Pants; Dresses, Heels)
No Baggy Jeans, No Tees, No Hats, No Hoodies, No Shorts, No sneakers
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OPPORTUNITIES FAIR
Saturday, 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM / Lerner Party Space
National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP)
Organization of Chinese Americans - National (OCA - National)
Organization of Chinese Americans - New York (OCA - NY)
Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE)
The Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL)
Korean American Students Conference (KASCON)
White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Curtis Chin
Genki Spark
RentHop
Chinatown Youth Initiatives (CYI)
Citizen Schools
City Year
DramaFever
Examkrackers
ITO EN
Teach For America
Epic Movement
GUIDE TO CEREMONIES
OPENING CEREMONY
Norman Mineta
Dilawar Syed
Richard Lui
Gregory Cendana
David So
Jason Chen
Clara C
Raas
CU Generation
Raw Elementz
Taekwondo & Wushu
Super Piano Brothers
WELCOMING CEREMONY
Mia Mingus
iLL-Literacy
Chinese Yo-Yo
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LUNCH
Momentum
CLOSING CEREMONY
Curtis Chin
Ellen Kim
Aye Hasegawa
iLL-Literacy
Magnetic North & Taiyo Na
Funkanometry
Goni
CU Generation
CU Bellydance
Lambda Phi Epsilon Step
Sharp
String Theory
‘LIMITLESS’ AFTERPARTY
DJ Goose
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
CURTIS CHIN
Curtis Chin is an award-winning writer and producer who has written for ABC, NBC, Fox, the Disney
Channel and more. As a community activist, he co-founded the Asian American Writers Workshop
and Asian Pacific Americans for Progress. He has won awards from the New York Foundation for
the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the San Diego Asian American Film Festival and was
recently honored with the Distinguished Service Award from the Asian American Justice Center. His
film, “Vincent Who?” has screened at almost 300 colleges and community groups in four countries
and he is currently working on a new documentary on the SHSAT and the controversial admission
policy to the specialized high schools in New York City.
DILAWAR SYED
Dilawar is President and CEO of Yonja Media Group, a leading emerging markets social media company. Founded in 2003, Istanbul and Silicon Valley-based Yonja Media Group operates major social
networking, recruiting, mobile and local commerce brands. Yonja Media Group is backed by Tiger
Global Management.
Prior to joining Yonja Media, Dilawar was at Yahoo! where he was head of strategy and operations
for Yahoo’s Platform Division. Earlier, Dilawar spent several years in leadership roles in the enterprise software industry. At SAP Dilawar launched the company’s customer relationship management solution; and at Siebel Systems Dilawar grew Siebel’s integration platform to a multi-million
dollar business globally. Dilawar started his career at Deloitte Consulting and Ernst & Young in
financial services, energy and communication industry practices.
Dilawar has played a leadership role in a broad range of civic efforts globally. In 2010, President
Barack Obama appointed Dilawar to the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and
Pacific Islanders (AAPI). The Commission advises the President on public policy concerning the
Asian American community including education, entrepreneurship, civil rights and environment.
Dilawar chairs the Commission’s Economic Growth Committee and drives engagement with the
AAPI entrepreneur community across the U.S. In his role as Commissioner, Dilawar has engaged
entrepreneurs and small businesses on policy initiatives including access to capital, patent reform,
open data and Health IT, skilled workers immigration and public-private partnerships. In 2008, Gov.
Howard Dean appointed Dilawar National Co-Chair of the Democratic National Committee’s South
Asian Leadership Council.
Dilawar is Board member of OPEN Silicon Valley, a South Asian American entrepreneurship nonprofit. In 2009, Dilawar co-founded American Pakistan Foundation, a diaspora-led developmental
organization, which, was launched by the Secretary of State Hilary Clinton. He advises Dosti, Atlantic Council’s initiative connecting aspiring entrepreneurs in South Asia. Dilawar was a member of
U.S. State Department’s Global Entrepreneurship Delegation to Turkey in 2012.
Dilawar holds an M.B.A. from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. from
the University of Texas at Austin.
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GREGORY CENDANA
Born in Guam, raised in Sacramento and a graduate of UCLA, Gregory is excited to be in Washington, DC pursuing his life’s passion for serving others & making this world a better place for everyone. He is the first openly gay and youngest ever-Executive Director of the Asian Pacific American
Labor Alliance (APALA), AFL-CIO. Prior, he served as President of the United States Student Association (USSA) where he was the first openly gay Asian American to be elected.
Gregory has a wealth of experience having served or currently serving on the boards of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, Asian Queers United for Action-DC, Jobs with Justice,
and the Generational Alliance. He was appointed by DC Mayor Vincent Gray to serve on the Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Advisory Commission. In 2009, he started a DC business called
Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Consulting, a firm dedicated to support youth of color and LGBT youth leaders and organizations. He is also the founder and co-captain for SOULcial Justice, a dance team of
the District’s movers and shakers.
Angry Asian Man named Gregory one of the 30 Most Influential Asian Americans Under 30 and the
DC Spotlight called him the “Future of DC Politics.” He was awarded the Next Generation Award
from Metro Weekly, which recognizes the accomplishments of LGBT activists, artists & leaders under the age of 30. The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum presented him with the
inaugural Fierce Ally recognition in 2011 and Pride at Work gave Gregory a Celebrating Solidarity
Award for his efforts to organize at the intersections of many communities and issues.
Gregory is also a graduate of the Rockwood Leadership Institute, the Management Center’s Managing to Change the World, the Midwest Academy’s Organizing for Social Change, Training for
Change’s Training of Trainers and Wellstone Action’s Political Training Program. In his spare time,
Gregory enjoys singing karaoke, choreographing dances and trying new cooking recipes. Be a part
of his journey by following him on twitter at @GregoryCendana.
RICHARD LUI
Richard Lui is an American journalist and dayside news anchor on MSNBC, where his focus is politics and social media. Lui anchors NBC’s ”Early Today” 4am PT. He is also a rotating news anchor
for NBC’s weekend Today show and contributes reports for NBC News Investigations Unit and NBC
Weekend Nightly News.
Lui was previously a news anchor at CNN Worldwide, where he solo-anchored the 10am edition
of Morning Express and led morning political reporting during the 2008 Presidential election as
a show member of Morning Express with Robin Meade. He also anchored and reported for CNN
Domestic and CNN International. When Lui joined CNN Headline News in 2007 he became the first
Asian American male to anchor a daily, national cable news show in the U.S. Mediaite has ranked
Lui #101 in News Buzz on its Power Grid Influence Index of TV Anchors / Hosts.
In addition to his political and journalism work, Lui spent 15 years in business with Fortune 500
and technology companies. This included work at Oliver Wyman and patenting and launching the
first bank-centric payment system in a Citibank carve-out he founded with fellow University of
Michigan MBA alumni.
Lui has been active in community leadership for 25 years in Africa, Asia, Middle East, and the U.S.
He leads pro bono strategy consulting teams and is a board member for non-profits in homeless
and affordable housing. Lui speaks frequently, including at events for the U.S. State Department,
Harvard, and the Aspen Institute.
Lui graduated from UC Berkeley and earned an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
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Twitter: @RichardLui
MIA MINGUS
Mia Mingus is a queer physically disabled woman of color, korean transracial and transnational
adoptee writer, organizer and community builder. She was raised in the US Virgin Islands, lived 12
years in Atlanta, and currently lives in Oakland, California.
Mia has a cross-movement heart. Through her work on disability justice, reproductive justice,
queer liberation, and transformative justice, she recognizes the urgency and barriers for oppressed
communities to work together and build alliances for liberation.
As her work for liberation evolves and deepens, her roots remain firmly planted in ending sexual
violence.
Mia was a co-founder and Co-Executive Director of SPARK Reproductive Justice Now until January
2010. At present, she is working to support her writing. She is a core member of the Bay Area
Transformative Justice Collective, whose work is to build and support transformative justice responses to child sexual abuse.
NORMAN MINETA
As Secretary of Transportation under President George W. Bush and Secretary of Commerce under
President Bill Clinton, Norman Mineta became the first Asian American to serve in the U.S. Cabinet.
He was also the first Asian American mayor of a major U.S. city, being elected in San Jose in 1971.
Current Position: Secretary Norman Y. Mineta provides counsel and strategic advice to Hill+Knowlton
Strategies’ clients on a wide range of business and political issues. Mineta is well known for his
work in the areas of transportation – including aviation, surface transportation, and infrastructure –
and national security. He is recognized for his accomplishments in economic development, science
and technology policy, foreign and domestic trade, budgetary issues and civil rights.
History: Mineta’s career in public service has been both distinguished and unique. For almost thirty
years, Mineta represented San Jose, Calif., first on the City Council, as mayor, and then as a Member
of Congress. Throughout that time, Mineta was an advocate of the burgeoning technology industry
where he worked to encourage new industries and spur job growth, and he supported the development of the infrastructure to accommodate the industry and its tremendous growth.
Mineta served as the chairman of the House Transportation and Public Works Committee from
1992 to 1994 and chaired the Subcommittee on Aviation and the Subcommittee on Surface Transportation. He was the primary author of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of
1991. In 2000, Mineta was appointed by President Bill Clinton as the United States Secretary of
Commerce where he was known for his work on technology issues, for achieving international cooperation and intergovernmental coordination on complex fisheries issues, and streamlining the
patent and trademark process.
Mineta was appointed Secretary of Transportation by President George W. Bush, where he served
until 2006. Following the horrific terrorist acts of September 11, 2001, Mineta guided the creation
of the Transportation Security Administration – an agency with more than 65,000 employees – the
largest mobilization of a new federal agency since World War II. Mineta was also a vice president
of Lockheed Martin where he oversaw the first successful implementation of the EZ-Pass system
in New York State.
Other Information: Recognized for his leadership, Mineta has received numerous awards including the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the highest civilian honor in the United States – and the
Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy, which is awarded for significant public service of enduring value
to aviation in the United States. While in Congress, he was the co-founder of the Congressional
Asian Pacific American Caucus and Chair of the National Civil Aviation Review Commission in 1997.
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GUEST PERFORMERS
DAVID SO
When you think of the words funny, shocking, foodie, hopefully the name David So comes
to mind. Starting off as a local stand-up comedian from the city of Sacramento, David has
performed at various comedy clubs and venues throughout California since 2008. David is most recognized for his work on his YouTube Channel DavidSoComedy, uploading
vlogs and skits. David also is a talented singer/songwriter and posts original music and
covers on his YouTube Channel DavidSoMusic. In the words of David So... LGI SON!
CLARA C
Clara’s music can best be described as a synergy of folk/pop/rock that when blended together creates a unique experience. She has performed at renowned venues such as The White House Dept.
of Education, Hollywood Bowl, Shrine Auditorium and more for crowds of up to 18,000 people. In
a little over a year Clara has released her debut album, The Art In My Heart, performed live in front
of an estimated 70,000 people in 2012, received music placements on multiple national commercials, movies and on TV networks such as Showtime, ABC Family, and MTV, and completed 3
sold out tours throughout the US, Canada and Asia. Clara’s sophomore album, ESC, was released in
September 2012 and was produced by Raymond Richards (Local Natives).
JASON CHEN
Jason is one of the up and coming musicians in the internet generation. In just a few
short years Jason has amassed a global fan base that has allowed him to perform in front
of tens of thousands of people live in multiple continents. With over 600,000 Youtube
Subscribers and 100 million video views online, Jason is just starting to scratch the surface of his musical career. Look for Jason’s release of his highly anticipated sophomore
album in February 2013.
iLL-LiTERACY
iLL-Literacy is a music and spoken word group dedicated to re-imagining art to maximize
human potential. They have toured and taught for the past ten years, and have been featured on HBO, MTV, and stages throughout the US, Europe & Asia. Recently they launched
CampusBuiLLd, a series of university-based festivals that empower student leaders by
merging activism with creativity. More info at ill-literacy.com & facebook.com/illliteracy
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ELLEN KIM
Ellen Kim, a California native, was born in Los Angeles and raised in San Francisco. After dancing for
thirteen years in the SF Bay Area, she made the decision to move to LA to continue her career as a
dancer and choreographer. As a choreographer, teacher and dancer, Ellen Kim has been blessed to
share her passion for dance with people from all parts of the world, traveling to cities throughout the
Bay Area, the East Coast, Australia, UK, Germany, Norway, Indonesia, China, Costa Rica, and Korea. She
has choreographed for musical artists in Indonesia and Korea, such as the K-Pop group, 2NE1, and
has danced with artists such as Beyonce, Amerie, LL Cool J, Snoop Dog, and STOMP. Most recently, she
has worked with Pharrell Williams and choreographed for an up-and-coming musical artist, Maxine.
AYE HASEGAWA
Aye Hasegawa was born in San Francisco CA and grew up in Japan. She is currently a dancer
in the group Boxcuttuhz and is signed with Trio Talent Agency. She is not only an international performer and teacher, having taught in Columbia, Hong Kong, China and Japan, but
she has also danced for many stars such as Toni Braxton, David Guetta, Estelle, Far East
Movement, Cali Swag District and 100 Monkeys.
MAGNETIC NORTH & TAIYO NA
Magnetic North hit the ground running in 2003 when emcees Derek Kan and Theresa Vu came together to write a song for an Asian American rally in Berkeley, California titled “We Will Not Be Moved”
describing a mix of refugee war stories and reflections about skin color and stereotypes. Their mix
of refreshingly honest rhymes and organic beats has since become the duo’s trademark. In 2010 &
2011, they released the albums Home:Word & Home:Word [Deluxe Edition] with Taiyo Na -- singer,
songwriter, MC, producer and actor, who was honored in 2010 by Governor David A. Paterson and
the State of New York for his “legacy of leadership to the Asian American community and the Empire
State.” The title track off this collaboration was released as a single in Japan in 2011 and hit #2 on
their iTunes Hip-Hop charts while the latter album reached #3.
GONI
From experiencing family problems after immigrating from Seoul, South Korea to facing conventional issues of racism, Goni constantly struggled to understand the concept of “belonging”. While
enduring such tumultuous times of uncertainty, his ears encountered 2Pac’s “Me Against the World”,
and his heart resolved upon one undoubtable truth – he loved Hip-Hop. Goni came across the opportunity to train his talent when he started attending Rutgers University and met his mentor, Johnnyphlo. Strengthened by the guidance he always longed for, Goni now strives to unlock his potential
in hopes of becoming a rapper like 2Pac, who employed Hip-Hop to touch, heal, and move people’s
hearts and minds.
FUNKANOMETRY
Funkanometry NY Dance Company is the east coast branch of Funkanometry Dance Company, the
award winning 501(c)(3) non-profit performance arts organization. Through performances, company
classes, and youth mentorship, Funkanometry is a dynamically different dance company that entertains, unites, and educates through their love of dance. The “FUNKS” mission is to cultivate a diverse
community of leaders by providing youth and young adults with high quality dance training and
innovative artistic performances. Funkanometry NY hopes to continue this legacy by being an impactful, positive member of the east coast dance community. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @
FunkanometryNY and LIKE us at facebook.com/FunkanometryNY.
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STUDENT PERFORMERS
CU GENERATION
Columbia University (CU) Generation is a hip-hop dance group inspired by Korean pop music
(K-Pop), which has earned a global fan base in recent years thanks to its nonsensically catchy
songs and incredibly beautiful idol groups. CU Generation brings K-Pop to Morningside by
taking choreography straight from Seoul’s hottest singles and adding its own Columbia swag
to them. Known across campus as that dance crew with ladies who manage to “do werk” in
six-inch stilettos and guys whose hips have taken them far both on stage and in their romantic lives, CU Generation continues providing the student body with a mind-blowing cultural
experience and (at times) provocative but (always) pleasurable entertainment.
RAAS
Columbia Raas was established in the fall of 2003 to celebrate the tradition and energetic
style of Garba-Raas. Raas is a Gujarati folk dance from the western part of India. CU Raas has
performed at various venues on campus as well as off campus, and has competed in Garba
Raas competitions along the east coast and in the midwest for many years. At home in NYC,
CU Raas strives to be an exciting addition to the diversity of dance styles and cultural experiences available for their fellow New Yorkers. Beyond the dance itself, we are a group that
prides itself on truly being a family. CU WHAT?!? CU RAAS!!!”
RAW ELEMENTZ
Raw Elementz is the largest hip hop dance crew at Columbia University. We are a studentchoreoraphed dance group that is well-known for crowd-pleasing performances at both on
and off-campus events from cultural shows to athletic events as well as promotional events
and community service. Raw Elementz incorporates various styles of dance (like house, popping and breaking) into our choreography and we welcome members from any dance background.
SHARP
Officially founded on October 16, 2011, Sharp is Columbia University’s newest all male a
Cappella group. Created through a process of recruitment and pure faith in the talent on Columbia’s campus, in just two semesters Sharp has grown from two sophomores with a vision
to a full-fledged performance group consisting of 14 extraordinarily talented guys. We are
a group that prides itself on a commitment to producing outstanding musical experiences
for audiences both on and off campus through writing and creating arrangements of popular
soul, R&B, and Top 40 hits; the singers of Sharp are also enthusiastic performers of classic
pop and Motown.
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TAE KWON DO & WUSHU
COLLABORATIVE DEMO TEAM
Columbia University Tae Kwon Do is a competitive club sport for practitioners of this Korean
martial art which means “Way of the Hand and Foot.” Some demonstrations of Tae Kwon Do
techniques include self-defense, forms, sparring and board breaking.
Wushu is contemporary Chinese martial arts with roots in many traditional Chinese martial
art styles. It is primarily a performing art that emphasizes speed, power, flexibility, balance,
and looking unbelievably good. Wushu traces its roots back to the hundreds of styles of kung
fu that existed in earlier times. In addition to barehand, there are four major weapons categories: dao, jian, gun, qiang, and numerous other minor styles adapted from traditional styles.
CU BELLYDANCE
Since gaining official University recognition in Spring 2008, CU Bellydance has become known
across campus as well as in the NYC community. We perform original choreographies in a variety of styles, including Egyptian, Turkish, American Cabaret, Tribal, and other fusion styles.
CUBD now is now the proud host of the first annual intercollegiate Middle Eastern Dance
event, the Middle Eastern Dance Conference, held every November.
STRING THEORY
String Theory is Columbia University’s premier cello ensemble. Founded in 2011, String Theory has quickly risen as one of Columbia’s most popular performing labels. United by our creativity and common passion for cello, we aim to inspire other musicians to embark on creative
musical journeys in their own unique ways. Using the incredible versatility of the cello to its
fullest effects, String Theory brings a unique and exciting sound to pieces of all genres, taking
on everything from percussive bass lines and harmonic accompaniment to lead vocals and
guitar solos. String Theory’s sound is distinctive and unforgettable.
LAMBDA PHI EPSILON STEP
Lambda Phi Epsilon is the first national Asian American interest fraternity, and the first Asian
American interest fraternity at Columbia. Our fraternity’s motto is “To be Leaders Among
Men,” and we strive to be leaders both as an organization and individually.
Our step team was revived in Fall 2011 with only 5 brothers and, since then, we have been
invited to perform in a variety of culture shows, Greek showcases, and charity events. This will
be our biggest performance yet and we are very grateful to be able to take part in ECAASU.
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CHINESE YO-YO
Columbia University’s Chinese Yo-yo Club was founded in 2008 and continues to perform on
and off campus to spread the Chinese culture and art throughout the community. The Chinese yo-yo is a traditional Chinese toy that was invented between the 4th and 3rd century
BC and was first described in Ming Dynasty literature (1386-1644 AD). The Chinese yo-yo
spins and balances on a string tied to two sticks at each end. It is a form of exercise that
enhances the body and mind, requiring diligence, focus, and rhythm. The club incorporates
graceful dance and juggling with synchronized music. Whether for showcasing for a performance or casual practice as hobby, Chinese yo-yo is a fun art that will surely impress your
friends.
MOMENTUM
The Momentum Piano Quintet was formed by a group of five inspired musicians in the fall
of 2012. We have performed extensively throughout Columbia University’s campus. We
aspire to develop a fluid sound with such power and richness in color that our audience feel
compelled to stop and listen. We wish to share our passion for music to people of all ages,
backgrounds, and cultures.
DJ GOOSE
A sophomore at Columbia University, DJ Goose, also known as Edbert Li, can be found mixing tracks for the latest Columbia Lambda Phi Epsilon (of which he is a proud brother) house
party, or pumping up the crowd at multiple venues all over New York City. Since starting in
2011, he has worked primarily with progressive house and trance music. Inspired by the
EDM scene with the likes of Gareth Emery, Cosmic Gate, Thomas Gold, Tiesto, DJ Wigglytuff,
and Alesso, DJ Goose is always ready to take stage and provide the soundtrack for those
memorable and amazing nights.
ECAASU TALENT
COMPETITION WINNER
SUPER PIANO BROTHERS
The Super Piano Brothers (Tiedan and Wesley) are a duo of classically-trained pianists who
compose, arrange, perform, and record music inspired by video games, movies, and other
areas of popular culture for two pianos. Their goal is to bring the results of years of classical
training and technique together with our passion for awesome stuff like video games and
movies, and then to share that enjoyment with others. Tiedan Yao is a student of Columbia
University as well as the Juilliard School, and Wesley Chu is a student at the New England
Conservatory of Music, both of whom have been studying music and piano since a very early
age.
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WORKSHOPS
SESSION 1
10:45 AM - 12:00 PM
ECAASU Board of Directors
Calvin Sun
Lerner C555
The Genki Spark
Lerner Party Space
Asian Americans & Sex
Be Loud! Be Proud! Be Genki!
Human beings are driven by three things in life: food, water,
and sex. This includes Asian Americans. Yes, we have sex too.
How does this generation of Asian Americans view sex and
sexuality? How do we approach sex? From the Kama Sutra to
the asexual model minority to Asian Americans in pornography, we’re raising the bar and asking you to analyze this very
carefully guarded core of our existences: S-E-X.
The Genki Spark based in Boston, MA is a multi-generational
Asian women’s performance troupe that uses Japanese taiko
drumming, spoken word, comedy, and personal stories to inspire creativity, build community, and advocate respect for
all. Check out ‘Be Loud! Be Proud! Be Genki!’ where audience members will have a chance to play the taiko in addition to seeing some cool taiko pieces. Our demonstrations,
interactive workshops, and panel presentations on a variety
of topics raise awareness, break down barriers, and create
energetic environments where people grow. For booking
information please see: www.TheGenkiSpark.org or like us
on Facebook!
Jordan Alam
Hamilton 302
As[I]Am
A workshop exploring the use of stories to disrupt stereotypes of Asian Americans and write our own narratives.
Connected to the upcoming social justice website project
As[I]Am, this workshop is an opportunity to learn about ourselves in context and re-write the dominant stories in our
own words.
Yevin Roh
Lerner Broadway Room
From Cleveland to Kenya to Cambodia:
Asian American in Medicine
What does history have to do with healing? What does identity have to do with medicine? What does societal perception have to with health service? These questions are of
increasing importance as students interested in health careers encounter people from other cultures. The reality is
no matter where health service is done, one will encounter
patients with diverse backgrounds because illness does not
discriminate. Drawing upon his experience as a Cleveland
Clinic intern, a clinical volunteer in Kenya, a researcher in
Cambodia, and peer health educator and health policy crafter at UMass Amherst, Yevin will show attendees how social
identity (especially Asian identity) effects their health service, how their own identities and experiences inform their
service, and also how to be culturally literate to deliver effective care and advocacy.
Jeffrey Yamashita
Barnard 409
Asian American Masculinities: Strategies,
Perspectives, and Thoughtful
Contestations on College Campuses
This workshop addresses the different subjectivities revolving around Asian American masculinities. Although the media and other mainstream institutions have posited a type of
constructed Asian American male that is situated as something that is non-normative, ranging from sinisterly evil to
effeminate, we, as scholars and students, need to move past
our discussions of these archetypes of Asian American men.
We need to push our own thoughts of these projections further and not dwell over the gross misrepresentations of the
men in our community.
This workshop will touch briefly on the historical legacies of
Asian American stereotypical masculinities and will serve as
a space to discuss the different experiences, methods and
strategies college students encounter and deploy on their
college campuses in order to create an identity that is empowering in such a manner that it does not recreate gendered hierarchies and other forms of oppression.
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SESSION 1
ECAASU 2012 Conference
Derek Mong
Diana LL104
Glee:
Don’t Start Believing in Colorblindness -A Look at Asian Americans in the Media
Fox’s hit television show—Glee—has become an international phenomenon that attracts viewers from around the
world and marks a cornerstone of 21st century pop culture.
With such a strong viewership across the globe and the diversity of both its cast and the multicultural issues that it
raises, it would seem that Glee serves to fill a void in entertainment by fostering an atmosphere of inclusion and
acceptance. However, from discourse about “Asian” camp to
“Asian” kisses, Glee’s portrayal of Asian Americans as submissive and foreign is appalling at best, especially because
the show purports to be inclusive and progressive. In this
workshop, we discuss the portrayal of race relations in Glee
(and in several other prominent television shows), whether
or not these portrayals are in fact progressive, and how the
power of entertainment media can inspire youth to redefine
their understandings of race and diversity.
ECAASU National Board:
Nicole Fink
Barnard 302
Affirmative Action: The Controversy of
Race-Based Admissions
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed Executive 10925,
establishing the concept of affirmative action to ensure that
the hiring and employment practices were free of racial bias.
Over the years, the policy of affirmative action began to include higher education. In 2003, the Supreme Court held in
Grutter v. Bollinger, that diversity was enough of a compelling interest in education to allow race to be considered as
one of the many factors in admissions’ decisions. In an attempt to increase diversity, the policy of affirmative action
is one of the most controversial topics in the admissions
process of higher education, today. Its aim to provide opportunity for all has created a divide among the communities.
This workshop will provide a dialogue about affirmative action, how it affects the Asian American and Pacific Islander
community and the policy implications that Fisher v. University of Texas might have on the higher education admissions
process today.
RentHop
Hamilton 304
Entrepreneurship Case Study:
RentHop.com on Battling Craigslist and
Monetizing Online Economies”
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Japanese American
Citizens League (JACL):
Christine Munteanu
Milbank 223
Identity is Not a Math Equation: Multiracial, Multiethnic and Mixed Identity
With the election of the first multiracial president and the
ability to check more than one box on the 2000 Census, the
multiracial movement in America is growing. Yet the way
race and ethnicity are perceived in our society ignores the
ambiguities of racial classifications that are exposed by the
multiracial experience. Participants will explore their own
sense of racial/ethnic identity, examine the issues involved
in racial identity formation, learn about the history of racial
categorization and mixed race in America, and focus on the
unique experience of multiracial and multiethnic Asian Pacific Americans. This workshop aims to help participants realize that they have the right to choose and claim their own
sense of identity.
ECAASU National Board:
Christopher Tam
Diana LL103
Dr. King and Malcolm X: Ideologies in the
Evolving War against Racism
In the mid-1900s, the Civil Rights Movement brought the issue of racism to the forefront of national attention. Through
these events, the conflicting yet complimentary ideologies of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X exposed various
mentalities in the fight for social justice. This workshop will
focus on analyzing these two schools of thought, the strategies developed through them, and the synergy that arose
from their interchange. This meeting will serve as a strategy
session where attendees will be able to examine ideologies
of the past, evaluate the current state of racism, and formulate tactics toward social justice in the future.
ITO EN
Jason Vann, Mana Yamada
Hamilton 517
Breaking Open the American Market
Learn to break into the American market by effectively understanding the cross-cultural challenges and opportunities
in the marketplace. Develop the skills and strategy necessary to cultivate the mindset in launching a new and innovative business venture. Identify the cultural spirit of Asian
traditions, while understanding the American consumer.
Maximize collaborative approaches and creative marketing
in launching a successful business in the United States and
beyond.
National APIA Panhellenic
Association (NAPA)
William Xu, Melissa Yee, Jennifer Yu
OCA-NY:
Kwong Eng
Hamilton 516
Yellow Brick Road: Asian American
Greek Life and the American Dream
The first person of color in the NBA, the founder of the Black
Panthers, and the first Hollywood heart throb - all Asian
Americans who chased the American dream. This workshop
looks at Asian American Greek life and the opportunities
they provide members for personal development. From the
experiences of a former National President of Pi Delta Psi
and focused discussions, the audience will learn that tradition isn’t everything, and that getting uncomfortable and
standing out can lead to opportunities for growth.
Asian American Legal Defense and
Education Fund (AALDEF) Youth
We Are Danny Chen
“OCA-NY, a member of OCA National, is a advocacy organization dedicated to advancing the social, political, and economic well being of Asian Pacific Americans in the United
States. OCA-NY took the lead in the death case of Pvt. Danny
Chen, a 19-year-old from the Lower East Side, found shot on
Guard duty in Afghanistan in October 2011.
This workshop serves as an Open Forum on the case of Pvt.
Danny Chen. We will discuss OCA-NY’s involvement in the
case, the trial and outcomes, and the next steps of the case.
We also hope to discuss hazing in the military.”
Director of Asian Pacific Islander
American Affairs, University of Florida
Leah M. Villanueva
Lerner 569
Realizing the American DREAM
Immigration has played a vital role in the building of a vibrant America. However, many today are facing uncertain
futures because they are undocumented, and are struggling
to define the “American Dream” for themselves in America
today. This workshop explores contemporary notions of immigration, what it means to be undocumented, and how to
contribute to the broader DREAM movement. How does immigration affect myself and in turn, America at large? How
will passage of the DREAM Act impact me? How can student
activism push for much needed change in the immigration
system today? Through education and empowerment, Asian
American DREAMers, allies, and activists can lend their voices to the national conversation on immigration.
Cornell Asian &
Asian American Center
Hamilton 303
Diana 504
From Twinkies to AzN PRyDe: Identity
Development Within Our Communities
Feel like some fellow Asians “get it” and some have “sold
out”? Feel like the community is fractured and can’t unite?
Feeling hypervigilent about your race? College is a pivotal
time, and is often the first time one explores the various aspects of one’s identity. Race, being Asian American, can be a
salient “in your face” identity upon your arrival to the Ivory
Towers and you might or might not find a supportive community. This lecturette and group discussion will explore this
dynamic through a theoretical modular framework looking
at identity development models about pan-Asian identity to
give a different perspective and tools to build community.
SESSION 1
Milbank 207
kNOw self, kNOw worth
A workshop exploring the use of stories to disrupt stereotypes of Asian Americans and write our own narratives.
Connected to the upcoming social justice website project
As[I]Am, this workshop is an opportunity to learn about ourselves in context and re-write the dominant stories in our
own words.
White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI)
Jason Tengco
Hamilton 503
Get Engaged with the White House
Initiative/President’s Advisory
Commission on AAPIs
In this interactive workshop, participants will reflect back on
the President’s first term and map out ways they can engage
with the Obama Administration around important issues,
including comprehensive immigration reform, gun safety,
and implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Participants
will also learn about internship and job opportunities within
the Administration, and share their ideas on how the White
House Initiative/President’s Advisory Commission on AAPIs
can continue to engage with and address the needs of young
AAPIs.
Society of Asian Scientists and
Engineers (SASE)
Khanh Vu
Lerner Satow Room
Connecting- Power On!
Our parents say, “Study hard, get good grades and you will
do fine!” However, we hear in the world, “It not what you
know, but who you know.” As Asian Americans, how do we
reconcile these two different perspectives? In the workshop, we will discuss the different ways of connecting and
networking from the Asian American perspective.
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SESSION 2
1:15 PM - 2:30 PM
iLL-Literacy
Lerner C555
Digit.iLL.Funk: Art as a Framework for
Organizing
Art as a framework for organizing activism in the political
imagination is generally associated with popular iconography from the 60s and 70s -- black and white photos of
young people in the streets, fists raised, marching and singing in unison. Our goal in this workshop will be to tighten
a shared definition of “social/political movement” (and activism), while focusing on some commonly overlooked aspects of successful organizing techniques such as aesthetic,
entertainment value, and creativity. This theory will then
be exercised as we break down our process of creating performances that are both captivating and provocative, calling
upon workshops participants to join in.
Mia Mingus
Lerner 569
Beyond Access:
An Introduction to Disability Justice
How is it different from Disability Rights? What is ableism?
How can we start integrating a disability justice analysis into
our work as activists and organizers? How is disability and
ableism connected to other forms of oppression? A disability justice analysis deepens and strengthens all of our work
for social justice because ableism undergirds whose bodies
are considered desirable or disposable. This workshop will
give participants a chance to begin to understand the disability justice framework and how it connects with different
communities, movements, and access. Disability justice has
the power to shift our work so we can fight for liberation for
all of us, not just some of us.
The Microaggressions Project
Satow Room
“Where are you really from?” :
Microaggressions in Asian America
If racism is subtle, how bad can it really be? How do little
everyday comments - “microaggressions” - psychologically shape the daily lived experience of Asian Americans in
school, at the workplace, at home, at a party, in the street?
Come join The Microaggressions Project, an online visual
arts project, to explore how “the personal is political” and
why everyday experiences with racism, power, and privilege
matter. This workshop will have a collective discussion on
racial microaggressions in Asian America today, and their
intersections with other identities, including sexuality, religion, gender, class, and immigration status. We hope to leave
students with the vocabulary and concepts to have similar
conversations about social justice with their communities,
on their campuses, and through social media.
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Asian American Legal Defense and
Education Fund (AALDEF)
Mark Ro Beyersdorf
Hamilton 517
Responding to Fisher v. Texas: AAPI
Youth Voices and the
Affirmative Action Debate
Later this year, the Supreme Court will determine the future
of affirmative action when it decides Fisher v. University of
Texas at Austin, a case challenging the constitutionality of
race-conscious affirmative action. While many assume that
AAPIs are victims and opponents of affirmative action, our
communities actually benefit from affirmative action and
generally support it. This workshop will provide a forum to
explore how AAPIs fit into the affirmative action debates and
move us beyond the sensationalized media coverage around
AAPIs and college admissions. Participants will learn about
the history of affirmative action, how AAPIs have been positioned in the debates, the AAPI community’s role in the
Fisher case and have an opportunity for Q&A and discussion. Interested participants will then be invited to stay
and brainstorm about how we can insert a progressive AAPI
student voice into the affirmative action debate and protect
equity and diversity in higher education.
ECAASU National Board
Diane Wong
Barnard 409
How Far Have We Come?:
From the Third World Liberation Front to
Asian American Studies Now
From sit-ins to take over of administration buildings, the
Asian American Studies Movement is rooted in the struggle
for social justice, equal representation, and cross-ethnic
solidarity. As a discipline, Asian American Studies emerged
in the 1960’s, as part of the struggles and triumphs of the
Third World Liberation Movement which also gave birth to
African American, Latino/a, and Indigenous Studies. While
African American Studies, and to a lesser extent, Latino/a
Studies, have spread quickly to colleges and universities
around the country, Asian American Studies has not spread
as rapidly. As part of a year long effort of reaching out to
students, faculty, and administrators involved in the Asian
American Studies Movement across college campuses, this
workshop will host a panel of students (from Georgia Tech,
Princeton, Rutgers, Wellesley, and Williams) who have been
active in the struggle for Asian American Studies on their
own campuses. This workshop will serve as a public forum
for the next generation of community activists to reflect on
the trajectory and transformation of Asian American Studies
in the United States – from the Third World Liberation Movement until present time. Those who attend the workshop
will walk away feeling empowered with enough information
to bring the Asian American Studies Movement to their own
communities.
Vincent Yee
Milbank 223
Clash of the Corporate Politics
You’ve graduated and you landed your first job at some great
company. Life is starting for you and you’re reveling in your
first paycheck and your future looks bright. All you have to
do is work hard and doors will automatically open right?
Wrong. If you’re ambitious and want to climb the corporate
ladder, you need to understand the bamboo ceiling and the
corporate politics behind it. Watch out for the “ambush” or
the “exclusion” tactics and instead learn the art of building
“alliances” and the “last word.” After breaking through the
bamboo ceiling for a medium sized company, Copy Cop, and
then at Staples, learn the tactics that one needs to employ
to survive and get ahead. Before becoming the author of The
Purple Heart, Vincent Yee had spent a decade in corporate
America in several managerial roles and was the former
NAAAP National President from 2002-2006.
Faith Villanueva
Diana LL104
Kawaii Iconography:
the Racial Implications of Cuteness
Rilakkuma. Hello Kitty. Tarepanda. Badtzmaru. Sound familiar? These names represent a multi-billion dollar industry
worldwide - the undeniable popularity and influence of the
kawaii/cute character market. Pop culture scholars have frequently described these cute characters as “culturally odorless,” but to what extent does the ubiquity of these icons
actually reflect racialized - and gendered - attitudes towards
Asian Americans? How does the non-threatening nature of
these icons play into our understanding of racial hegemonies? This workshop will investigate the emerging market
of popular kawaii icons such as Hello Kitty and Rilakkuma
as a framework for the social implications of these icons for
Asian Americans, with discussion of racialized imagery, gender performance, and masculinity/femininity. This workshop
is crafted to challenge blind consumption and to discuss
these cute characters in the context of our social climate.
Japanese American
Citizens League (JACL)
Bill Yoshino
Hamilton 303
A Response to Hate:
Confronting Anti-Asian Sentiment
Hate violence has been directed at Asian Americans beginning with their first immigration in the mid-1800s, and continuing to the present. This workshop will examine the stereotypes and myths that mischaracterize Asian Americans.
This interactive session will explore the nature, history and
causes of anti-Asian sentiment, including hate incidents
on college campuses. The workshop will provide response
models for confronting defamation and hate crimes and the
importance of activism on this issue.
SESSION 2
Sikh American Legal Defense and
Education Fund (SALDEF)
Milbank 207
Responding to Xenophobia:
From the KKK to Oak Creek
Amrita Singh, Simran Jeet Singh
The August 5, 2012, shooting at the Sikh Gurdwara (temple)
in Wisconsin by an alleged white supremacist raised comparisons throughout the media to the attacks on members
of the Arab, Muslim, Sikh, and South Asian community immediately following the attacks on September 11, 2001.
In raising this relationship, many implied that acts of hate
like this were singularly inspired by a desire for revenge related to 9/11. Others viewed the August 5th attack as an
isolated incident, when it reflected a rise in xenophobia and
growth of white supremacist influence over the past decade.
Through a discussion featuring the stories of those involved
in the direct response to the shooting and who were on the
ground in Wisconsin, this workshop will attempt to place the
August 5th attack and post-9/11 hate crimes in the context
of over 100 years of xenophobia and nativism against the
APIA community. Participants and panelists will also reflect
on multi-disciplinary strategies used to respond to those incidents, from public advocacy to media, and discuss how to
mobilize diverse groups against xenophobic rhetoric, nativist laws, and hate groups.
Cornell Asian & Asian
American Center
Barnard 302
Self-Segregation or Capacity to
Diversity?: Challenges of a
Pan-Asian Organization
As colleges and universities are becoming more increasingly
diverse, it is becoming a challenge to identify and define
what it means to be apart of an APA community on campus.
On some colleges campuses, the APA communities are large
enough for students to identify and create ethnic-based
student organizations in, sometimes, juxtaposition of a PanAsian student organization. This workshop will facilitate a
progressive conversation in the “”World Cafe”” style to understand and begin difficult dialogue about community and
identity. The workshop will explore past and current efforts
to engage a highly segmented community with overlapping
interests and lessons for future development from various
colleges and universities, including Cornell University with
75+ Asian and Asian American student organizations serving
a community of 5000+ (20%) Asian and Asian Americans,
and a newly formed Asian & Asian American Center.
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SESSION 2
Gay Asian Pacific Islander Men of New York
(GAPIMNY), ECAASU Board of Directors
Broadway Room
Annual Queer Asian/Asian American
Pacific Islander Youth Town Hall
Dennis Chin, Andrew Lee
Now in its 6th year, this session will continue to build community among LGBT-identified Asian/Asian American Pacific Islander youth from all over the east coast. The session
seeks to identify current issues facing queer Asians in their
communities, solicit possible solutions to these issues and
examine how queer Asian youth can impact their schools,
organizations and communities. Participants will be encouraged to share personal experiences and perspectives with
each other in a confidential, safe space. NOTE: This workshop is specifically intended for queer and questioning
Asian/Asian American Pacific Islander conference attendees;
allies who choose to attend are asked to respect the space.
ECAASU National Board
Johnny Thach
Diana LL103
Unshaken: (Re)capturing Asian
American Progress
Since the 1600s, Asian Americans ascribed a place in the
history of the United States with a spectrum of trailblazing
milestones. As Asian Americans continue to stride forward,
looking back remains indispensable to maintain perspective
on the waves of change that remind us about our origins and
cultural roots. Together, we will chart a chronological timeline that documents the watershed struggles for civil rights
and equality, activism that inspired acts of solidarity and interethnic movements that rattled normalities, and the firsts
that pioneered the unknown. This workshop is designed to
engage students with an interactive and group-oriented setting to stimulate interests through empowerment and education. As we (re)capture the foundations of progress, we
remain unshaken and inspired to pace ahead.
Chinatown Youth Initiatives (CYI)
Jenny Li
Diana 504
Asian Americans and Environmental Justice
CANCELLED
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Sigma Psi Zeta Sorority, Inc and The New
York Asian Women’s Center
Hamilton 302
Breaking the Cycle:
Domestic Violence, Gender Equality,
and Healthy Relationships
The New York Asian Women’s Center and Sigma Psi Zeta
Sorority, Inc. share a common interest in spreading information about and building awareness of domestic violence
in today’s society. This workshop will primarily address
women’s equality and touches on the topic of domestic violence, which affects countless individuals and families and
has a pronounced impact on students and young adults. The
Center helps women and their children overcome domestic
violence and other forms of abuse by empowering them to
govern their own lives. The Center provides a safe haven
through multi-lingual support programs and shelter services. In addition, the Center works to raise public awareness
about violence against women, advocates for the rights of
survivors, and acts as an agent of social change.
CAAAV Organizing
Asian Communities
Vivian Truong
Hamilton 516
No Justice, No Peace! No Biased Police!
A Mini-Documentary Screening and
Know Your Rights Training
Want to know more about the New York Police Department’s
controversial “stop and frisk” policy? Have you or anyone
you know ever been approached by the police and not
known what to do? Curious about your rights when interacting with law enforcement? Come to our film screening and
Know Your Rights training!
CAAAV’s Asian Youth in Action will be screening our youthproduced mini-documentary on the impact of policing on an
Asian community in New York City. Following the screening,
we will lead a fun and interactive training on your constitutional rights when approached by law enforcement. Through
roleplay and games, we provide suggestions on how to conduct yourself in these situations. Knowing our rights is one
step towards empowering ourselves and our communities.
Sakhi for South
Hamilton 503
Asian Women
Gender Discrimination
for South Asian Women
Our workshop aims to spread awareness regarding different forms of gender discrimination pertinent to South Asian
youth. Drawing on Sakhi’s work and relevant research, we
will discuss trends, psychological and societal implications,
available social services, and opportunities for community
advocacy concerning the following topics: Dating Violence/
Intimate Partner Violence; Discrimination Regarding Gender
Identity/ Sexual Orientation within the South Asian Cultural
Context; Gender Bias in Pressures Associated with Negotiating a Bi-cultural Identity; Sexual Assault/Harassment within
the South Asian Cultural Context; Violations of Reproductive
Rights: & Sex-selection and Son Preference.
SESSION 3
2:45 PM - 4:00 PM
iLL-Literacy
Lerner C555
Nodutdol
Barnard 302
CampusBuiLLD: A National Forum
Deconstruction of Myths of North Korea
Young people, and students in particular, have always been
on the frontlines of forcing institutional change. We face
a unique moment in history to not only organize on a national level, but also share information and resources. We
believe with new technology, the opportunities for growth,
education and response to issues of discrimination on the
national level have increased at the rate of our imaginations.
In 2010, iLL-Literacy activated these beliefs into a program
called CampusBuiLLD - a week-long residency that provides
tools for student organizations to re-imagine the breadth
of their influence and impact. In this forum, we will invite
student organizers from various origins to discuss the similarities and differences campuses and their organizations
share. From there, we will strategize ways to use community
forums to be active allies.
North Korea is often portrayed in the Western, mainstream
media as unknowable, mysterious, and irrational. Such
claims of unknowability pave the way for ungrounded speculation that often go uncontested, and which often serve to
further obscure North Korea itself. During this presentation,
you will have the opportunity to hear from the 2011 peace
delegation to North Korea and their experiences. What is
everyday life like in North Korea? How did our experiences
either contest or confirm a common understanding of North
Korea? What do our perceptions and expectations reveal
about ourselves? You’ll view a brief slideshow and hear interviews with North Koreans about the famine and about the
country’s ongoing economic development efforts. You will
also hear from a PhD candidate on representations of North
Korea and the “regime of the closet” that often prevails in
international politics. The presenters will also provide information on how you can become involved in the Korean
peace process.
Belle Yan
Hamilton 302
The Whole is Greater than the Sum of Its
Parts: What is Intersectionality and Why
is it Important When Building Coalitions?
Many complain that Asian American student groups isolate
themselves in their identity-based cocoons and do not reach
outside of their boardroom to engage others on interests and
experiences important to them. Why do we want to outreach
to groups that look different from ours or engaged with different issues than our own? How do we find commonalities
with different communities? How can we visualize partnerships easily so we can tackle issues crucial to the many Asian
American ethnicities and Asian American community across
ethnic- and issue-lines? When we work with other communities, unified with one voice, we are more likely to be successful. This workshop carves out a space to build our skills
in identifying you and your group’s passions and bridging
those issues with seemingly dissimilar groups. We will explore how identities are multifaceted and how that manifests in the community-building and organizing that we do.
National Association of Korean
Americans (NAKA)
John Kim
Hamilton 303
U.S. Pivot to Asia-Pacific:
A Welcome Development?
The United States announced a new foreign, military policy
under the name of “Pivot” to the Asia-Pacific in November 2011. This workshop will examine its implications for
the Asia-Pacific region, especially in the Northeast Asia. Is
the U.S. initiative a new containment policy against China?
Is it more likely to raise tensions and possible conflicts in
the Asia-Pacific in the future? Are there better alternatives
to the new U.S. military buildups in the Asia-Pacific? What
should be the Asian American community’s response to the
“Pivot”?
Olivia Chow, Rohan Grover,
Deepa Kunapuli, Vincent Villano
Diana 504
Mobilizing AAPI’s, Gangnam Style
Win the internet. Be the next Wong Fu Productions. Create
the next “Gangnam Style” video. Join our interactive workshop to learn how viral content can advance your cause. This
workshop is brought to you by the badass online organizing
geeks from Women and AAPI’s for Obama, the 2012 Democratic National Convention, Upworthy, Planned Parenthood,
and Nate Shinagawa’s Congressional election.
Creating Law Enforcement Accountability
and Responisibility at CUNY Law
Fouzia Najar
Hamilton 516
Know Your Rights!
The Creating Law Enforcement Accountability & Responsibility (CLEAR) project is housed at the City University of New
York (CUNY) School of Law. Since 9/11, the government has
increased surveillance and interrogation efforts in Muslim,
Arab, and South Asian communities. The workshop provides
information on your rights during an interaction with the FBI,
NYPD, immigration, and other law enforcement agencies.
Our work is defined by our relationships with communities
and grassroots organizations whose members wish to shape
and respond to national security and counterterrorism policies and practices affecting them. CLEAR’s community-oriented approach combines legal representation with other
services directed at satisfying the fuller range of community
concerns.
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SESSION 3
Jane Hyun
Career Strategies from
Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling
What ways do your cultural values impact your workplace
persona? How does cultural heritage affects workplace persona, and which values might help you or be at odds with
what it takes to succeed in American companies? This dynamic, interactive workshop experience will include: The
Unwritten Rules of the Game, The Bamboo Ceiling Leadership Research, Understanding the 3 critical “milestones” in
a career lifespan and the Art of Relationship Building and
Communication: Do you come across as assertive and confident or unsure and tentative? Is your personal style and
presentation skills a dealmaker or dealbreaker? Are there
cultural influences that are impacting the way you relate
with others? Learn practical strategies for developing communication skills that will aid you in forging strong relationships for your job search, and for life! This session is highly
interactive and offers a fun opportunity to practice these
skills in a low-risk environment. Author will leave time at the
end to address questions about the book.
Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc.
Corinne Fukayama
Diana LL103
Fighting Human Trafficking and
Protecting API Women and Girls
Asian Pacific Islander women make up the majority of women worldwide who are trafficked. Even in the US, API women
make up the largest ethnic group of trafficked persons. Thus
it is imperative that we come together to elevate this issue
and make it a priority within our communities and nation. In
our workshop we will examine the determinants of human
trafficking in both Asian countries and the US as well as obstacles that exist to liberation. Most importantly, we will examine how empowering women and girls can stop the cycle
of human trafficking, as well as what we can do to eliminate
human trafficking in our communities.
Columbia Asian American Alliance (AAA)
Jordan Alam, Kristen Lu
Barnard 409
Taboo: Mental Health in the
Asian American Community
A workshop that aims to look critically at the taboo on discussing mental health in the Asian American community.
Questions of interest are WHY is there a taboo? HOW can we
do our part to change the face of mental health and make it a
visible one in the Asian American community? WHAT can we
do to encourage more open and productive dialogues about
emotion, identities, and the Asian American experience with
mental health?
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Valerie Chow, Amy Chen
Milbank 223
Going Beyond Doctors, Lawyers, Investment Bankers, and Engineers--Asian
Americans and Public Interest Careers
The Department of Labor reported that in 2010, more than
8 out of 10 employed Asians held jobs in the private sector.
This workshop will examine the career aspirations of Asian
American college students and the possible cultural, socioeconomic, and other barriers Asian American students may
face in pursuing careers in the nonprofit and public interest
sectors. The presenters will also offer tips and advice to students interested in pursuing careers in the public interest,
including resume, cover letter, and social media career networking tips to navigating pressures from tiger parents. Both
presenters will share their experiences of transitioning from
the corporate to nonprofit sectors. The goal of the workshop
is to help students understand the diverse and broad meaning of public interest careers and to guide them in seeking
and securing opportunities that match their strengths.
Mark Ro Beyersdorf,
Dennis Chin, Clara Yoon
Milbank 207
Pride Starts at Home:
Building Support and Visibility for AAPI
Families with LGBTQ Children
For many of us in the AAPI community, coming out to our
families is a hurdle that seems insurmountable, even for
those who have been “out” in public for years. From our
own experiences, we know that AAPI families often don’t
have the tools to understand queerness and end up alienating or rejecting their LGBTQ children; and families who
embrace their LGBTQ children often face discrimination and
isolation from the AAPI community. Led by AAPI LGBT activists, this workshop will provide tools for building inclusive
communities and bringing LGBTQ AAPI individuals and their
families together for support and community. We will share
our strategies for fostering greater visibility and community
support for AAPI families with LGBTQ children and explore
ways that individuals and organizations can work with the
Asian Pride Project, the Dari Project, and API PFLAG-NYC to
develop resources and support systems for AAPI families
with LGBTQ children.
Asian Pacific Awareness Club
(APAC) at the United States Military Academy West Point, NY
Hamilton 517
The Model Minority Myth and the Visible
Implications in the U.S. Army
The purpose of this workshop is to understand the meaning behind the model minority myth through a look within
the U.S. Army. We define model minority as an ethic minority
within a population, which achieves higher degrees of success than the average population. Myths and stereotypes revolving around model minorities, directly affect Asian Americans throughout the U.S. Army and the rest of the United
States. By the end of the workshop, you will be more selfaware of the model minority myth and capable of fighting it.
FACILITATORS
Amrita Singh
Asian Pacific Awareness
Club at West Point
The Asian Pacific Awareness Club (APAC)
is a popular club at the United States
Military Academy at West Point. APAC
brings cultural awareness to cadets and
Army Officers alike through introducing
Asia-Pacific cultures and heritages. APAC
also provides a community for passionate
individuals who wish to learn more about
Asian-American issues within our nation,
as well as the military. APAC hosts a variety of events throughout the school year
from group discussions, dances, food, and
attends conferences that raise cultural
understanding. After their senior year, cadets in APAC will commission as an officer
in the United States Army and will serve
our country for at least five years.
Sikh American Legal Defense
and Education Fund
In her role as the Legal and Legislative
Affairs Associate for the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund
(SALDEF), Amrita’s responsibilities focus
on assisting community members whose
civil rights have been infringed, as well
as advocating for legislation related to
issues of religious discrimination, racial
profiling, school bullying and other issues salient to the to the Sikh-American
community. She also previously worked
with the Anti-Defamation League, the
American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern
Missouri and served with AmeriCorps.
Andrew Lee
ECAASU
Andrew Lee is a graduate of Cornell University and directed the 2008 ECAASU
conference. He joined Teach For America
after graduation and worked as a middle
school math teacher in New York City in the
South Bronx. Most recently, he founded his
own private academy Chinatown, Manhattan for the Tiger Moms of Manhattan. This
business was recently acquired by a global
community organization in early 2013.
Amy Chen
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
(AALDEF) Youth
Bill Yoshino
Japanese American
Citizens League
William Yoshino is the Midwest Director of the Japanese American Citizens
League (JACL), the oldest and largest
Asian American civil rights organization
in the United States. He is responsible
for managing JACL national programs related to discrimination and hate crimes.
He served on the Chicago Commission
on Human Relations, the Illinois Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes
and the Cook County Hate Crimes Prosecution Council. He testified before the
United States Senate Judiciary Committee on the Hate Crimes Statistics Act in
1988. In addition, he testified before the
Illinois Advisory Committee to the U.S.
Commission on Civil Rights and on issues
of discrimination and before committees
in the Illinois House on issues affecting
Asian Americans in Illinois.
AALDEF’s Revolutionizing Asian American Immigrant Stories on the East Coast
(RAISE) is a pan-Asian undocumented
youth-led group. We aim to create safe
spaces in our communities while advocating for humane immigration policies.
Our visibility increases through political
activism, leadership development, community education, and coalition building.
Through youth organizing, we will reimagine and realize justice for immigrants
in America.
Amy Chen graduated from Barnard College
in 2010. While at Barnard, she studied
Economics and was very involved with the
Student Government Association and civic
engagement activities. After graduation,
she worked at a wealth management group
at Morgan Stanley for two years. She is
currently working for the NYC Department
of Information Technology and Telecommunications through the NYC Urban Fellows Program, a public service fellowship
for recent college graduates.
Corinne Fukayama
Christine Munteanu
Japanese American Citizens
League
Clara Yoon
API-PFLAG NYC
Clara Yoon is the very proud Korean mother of a 17 years old transgender, bisexual
son, living in New York City. She is the
founder of API PFLAG NYC, providing support for families and individuals of Asian
heritage to foster inter-generational dialogue and address culture-specific needs
of the API community. She also serves on
the board of PFLAG NYC chapter. She and
her husband support and advocate for
the rights of LGBTQ community.
Belle Yan
Belle Yan is currently a Performance Analyst at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and a consultant for
the SF Office of Financial Empowerment
reducing predatory lending. She is also a
Fellow with the City Hall Fellows, a postbaccalaureate program that trains and
develops young professionals in municipal government, urban issues, and public
policy. Belle received her degrees in
Asian American Studies and Political Science from Columbia University in 2012.
At Columbia, she was a veteran executive
board member of Columbia’s Asian American Alliance, a Young People 4 fellow, and
the co-director of the New York City Asian
American Student Conference. When
she’s not mapping crimes and designing
on-time performance dashboards for the
MTA, she’s urban hiking, organizing political campaigns, and searching for the best
cupcake.
Christine Munteanu is the Ford Program
Coordinator at the Midwest office of the
Japanese American Citizens League (JACL),
where she works on the organization’s
leadership, anti-hate, and education programs. Prior to working at the JACL, she
spent a year serving as an AmeriCorps volunteer. Christine is a graduate of Wesleyan
University. She is currently working on her
M.Ed in Youth Development at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc.
Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority, Incorporated, is an Asian interest sorority that was
founded in March 1995 at Binghamton
University. Since our founding, KPL has become one of the fastest growing and strongest Asian/Asian American interest sororities in the nation. Every year KPL hosts the
National Campaign—a yearlong initiative
in which all schools program workshops
and events focused on an important issue
related to global rights and human dignity.
This year’s campaign is “Holding Up Half
the Sky” and is focused on how empowering women around the world can positively change their community. Corinne
Fukayama is the Vice President of KPL.
Right after graduating from Columbia in
2010, she began her tenure on the National Board. She’s a defense analyst by day, a
global health epidemiology graduate student by night, and a dedicated Kappa 24/7.
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Calvin Sun
ECAASU
Welcome to CALVIN SUN’s hometown
and alma mater! Calvin graduated here
as Vice President of his class, founded
the university’s National Undergraduate
Film Festival and was President of the
Asian American Alliance where it was selected that year by AngryAsianMan and
APAsforProgress as one of the country’s
“Top 10 Collegiate Organizations for
AAPI Students.”
In entertainment, Calvin hosted MTVu’s
The Freshmen and won the Audience
Award at the ‘07 AsianAmerican International Film Festival for his film on female
body image. He recently was published
in The American Beauty Industry Encyclopedia.
In 2010 he founded The Monsoon Diaries which follows his adventures to 40+
countries including North Korea, Iran and
Kashmir -- and has been featured on USAToday, BusinessInsider, YonghapNews
and Rachel Maddow.
Calvin currently is a 3rd year med student and President of his class. Rumor
has it that he performed a transurethal
guided prostatectomy on a squirrel with
his bare feet.
Diane Wong
ECAASU
Diane Wong is currently a first year
doctoral student at Cornell University’s Department of Government. She
recently graduated from SUNY Binghamton where she studied Political
Science and Asian American Studies
with a concentration in the Chinese language. As a 2012-13 American Political
Science Association Minority Fellow,
Diane’s research stems from her passion for community-building and civic
activism. Diane has worked with various
non-profit organizations and has also
served as a Student Ambassador for the
Conference on Asian Pacific American
Leadership, International Leadership
Foundation Fellow, and Federal Service
Student Ambassador for the Partnership
for Public Service. As the Director of
Advocacy at ECAASU, Diane is currently
working with students, faculty, and administrators from various college campuses to facilitate the establishment of
Asian American Studies Programs across
the country.
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Christopher Tam
ECAASU
Derek Mong
ECAASU
Christopher Tam is a senior at Virginia
Tech pursuing degrees in Economics and
Finance. A Blacksburg native, Chris was a
sophomore in high school during the Virginia Tech Tragedy of 4/16. After experiencing the heartbreak so close to home,
Chris was inspired by the community
that developed around the university
and across the world. He currently serves
as an Advocacy Coordinator for ECAASU
National Board and as the President of
the Virginia Tech Asian American Student
Union. Chris has also co-founded two organizations: The Remembrance Foundation, a service organization focusing on
community building as deterrence towards violence and discrimination, and
Diversity Network, an organization connecting employers and administration
with minority students. Chris believes
that while it is imperative to help get
people to act, one must first get people
to think. Through his work, he hopes to
open minds and introduce ideas that will
lead to a better world.
Derek Mong (@derekmong) directed
the 2012 ECAASU Conference and is a
proud graduate of Duke University. With
a background in public and private sector marketing communications, Derek is
interested in AAPI issues as they relate to
representations in both the government
and media. A DC-native, Derek began
working with ECAASU as the Civil Rights
Taskforce Chair from 2009-2010, tackling
issues of civic engagement, social justice,
and equal opportunity. During his term,
Derek chaired a national student movement aimed at increasing civic awareness
through outreach to the nation’s network
of AAPI student leaders. In his 2010-2011
term, Derek served as National Vice Chair,
overseeing ECAASU’s advocacy work on
women’s issues and immigration advocacy. Finally, Derek would like to say a
huge thank you and congratulations to
the 2013 ECAASU Conference Team—especially Tina, Derrick, and Melanie—for
their amazing work on this conference:
you are rock stars!
The Genki Spark
Dennis Chin
Utilizing the art of Japanese taiko drumming as a vehicle, The Genki Spark promotes the voice and visibility of Asian
women, while advocating respect for
ALL. With the youngest members in their
teens and the oldest in her 50’s this
multigenerational performance troupe
uses Japanese taiko drumming, spoken
word, comedy, and personal stories to
promote cultural pride and inspire creativity. Since their debut at the 2010
Boston Asian American Film Festival, The
Genki Spark has made over one hundred
and fifty appearances, including TV and
radio. Bringing their positive attitudes,
team spirit, and zest for life, they have
played for various school and college
events, conferences, and banquets, spoken on panels, and shared their taiko fire
at cultural events like Northeastern University’s Celebr(asian) and MIT’s Grains
of Rice. Recently, they joined their fellow
Bostonians in supporting Boston Marathon runners playing at Heartbreak Hill
and have been featured at TEDx MassArt
conference on Art and Social Change.
Please welcome troupe members, Karen
Young, Payal Sharma, Kumiko Yamamoto,
Lee Ann Teylan, Lianna Kushi, and Jennifer Moy.
GAPIMNY
Dennis Chin is co-chair of the Gay Asian
Pacific Islander Men of New York (GAPIMNY). He is also a member of the Board
of Directors of CAAAV: Organizing Asian
Communities. Full time, he works at the
Center for Social Inclusion, a policy strategy organization focusing on dismantling
structural racial inequity.
Faith Villanueva
A recent graduate of Duke University,
Faith Villanueva is passionate about representations of Asian Americans in pop
culture, especially as they pertain to the
intersectionality of race and gender. As
a Tsinoy-American, Faith also interested
in understanding marginalized identities
within Asian America. She has previously
worked with ECAASU as a member of its
2012 conference board.
iLL-Literacy
iLL-Literacy is a creative response.
We are what happens when recording
artists enter a crumbling record industry and young educators enter a failing
school system — we are a group dedicated to reimagining what’s been. For
us, that means rethinking how music
is produced and distributed, how a live
show is performed and experienced,
and how creativity is used not only to
enhance art, but to maximize human
potential. The result over the last ten
years of touring and teaching has been
iLL-Literacy’s campaign to unleash
Imagination. We make music, perform,
and collaborate with creatives throughout the world to build a culture of innovation.
Dahlak Brathwaite is working on Spiritrials, a new live production and album
influenced by gospel and the criminal
justice system.
Adriel Luis is developing BeastReality,
a new live production and music project about falling in love with mythical
creatures.
Nico Cary is recording Macallan 18, the
next installment of his music series.
Fouzia Najar
Creating Law Enforcement
Accountability and Responsibility
Fouzia Najar is a filmmaker from Buffalo, N.Y., who received a B.A. in History
and Media Studies from Carleton College. Currently, within the Integrated
Media Arts M.F.A. program at Hunter
College, she is developing and producing video projects that address law enforcement’s surveillance tactics of New
York City communities.
Creating Law Enforcement Accountability and Responsibility (CLEAR) is a law
project housed at the CUNY Law School.
CLEAR primarily aims to address the legal needs of Muslim, Arab, South Asian,
and other communities in the New York
City area that are particularly affected
by national security and counterterrorism policies and practices.
CLEAR’s community-oriented approach
combines legal representation with
other services directed at satisfying the
fuller range of community concerns.
They provide free legal services, know
your rights workshops, and support for
community organizing.
Jane Hyun
Jane Hyun is a leadership strategist,
coach, and consultant to Fortune 500
companies, colleges/MBA programs,
and professional associations. She has
held a variety of executive management roles, including Operations, Vice
President of HR/Talent Development at
JPMorgan, and Director of Recruiting at
Deloitte and Resources Global. Jane appears regularly on CNN, CNBC, National
Public Radio, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Fortune, and other national media about leadership and career management topics. A graduate of Cornell
University with a degree in Economics/
International Studies, she serves on
the Women’s Alumnae Council, and is
an advisor to the Robert Toigo Foundation and the Task Force for Talent
Innovation. Her groundbreaking book,
Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling, opened
up a critical dialogue for the need for
a culturally grounded talent development approach. Jane lives in New York
City and has a passion for helping individuals flourish and realize their fullest
potential in business and in their communities.
Jason Tengco
WHIAAPI
Jason Tengco serves as Advisor on Public Engagement for the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific
Islanders. In this capacity, Jason is the
Initiative’s liaison at the White House
Office of Public Engagement, coordinates AAPI youth outreach, organizes
community events, and solicits input
on ways to increase participation in
federal programs.
Previously, Jason
was an Asian Pacific American Institute
for Congressional Studies (APAICS) Fellow in the Office of Congressman Mike
Honda, where he handled AAPI affairs
and served as the Congressional Asian
Pacific American Caucus taskforce staff
lead on immigration and appropriations.Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Jason graduated from
UCLA with Honors with a B.A. in Political
Science and a minor in Public Affairs.
Jason has also participated in multiple
fellowships, including with the New
Leaders Council, Asian Pacific American
Labor Alliance, Center for Progressive
Leadership, and Public Policy and International Affairs Program.
Johnny Thach
Jeffrey Yamashita
Johnny Thach is a graduate from Binghamton University with a B.A. in Asian
and Asian American Studies. His proud
undergraduate roots stem from American University where he studied Law
and Society. He is also an Advocacy
Coordinator for this year’s ECAASU
National Board, primarily tasked with
designing interactive timelines and
historiographies that document the
discourse and trajectories of a growing
Asian America. Over the year and half
that Johnny has been a part of ECAASU,
he has been a staunch advocate for civil
rights, empowerment through education and awareness, and interethnic
coalition building and community organization. As an aspiring law student, he
works with different organizations on
the side as an ally for reform against the
dehumanization and stigma associated
with prisons and incarceration, especially in the Asian American community.
Jeffrey T. Yamashita, born and raised in
Hawaii, is an Ethnic Studies PhD student
at the University of California, Berkeley specializing in both Asian American
studies and African American studies.
Receiving his undergraduate degrees
in History and American Studies at Macalester College in the Midwest, Jeffrey
understands the importance of supporting and maintaining the Asian American
community through academic scholarship. His research is on an Afro-Asian
comparative project that examines the
construction of the war hero through
the lens of race, gender, and sexuality.
When not studying, Jeffrey, co-President
of the Berkeley JACL, is passionate about
confronting and combatting regimes and
institutions of oppression that challenge
Asian American civil rights. Jeffrey is
both excited and honored to be a workshop facilitator at this year’s ECAASU
conference!
Kwong Eng
OCA-NY
Jennifer Yu
Leah Villanueva
Leah Villanueva currently serves as the
first Director of Asian Pacific Islander
American Affairs at the University of
Florida, a position for which she and
her peers advocated during their undergraduate careers. After graduating
in 2006, she turned down law school
to pursue her true passion--education.
After serving as an elementary school
teacher for three years, Leah returned
to UF for graduate studies. In her role as
APIA Director, she seeks to educate, empower, and affirm the APIA community
and advocate for their needs and rights.
She firmly believes in helping individuals empower themselves not just for
their benefit, but for the greater good of
all. On a personal note, Leah is fiercely
proud of her Filipina-Torontonian roots,
adores fly kicks, witticisms, and art, and
loves her family, friends, and pups extraordinaire, Yoshi, a temperamental
chihuahua and Chica, a spirited Shih
Tzu/Pomeranian mix.
John Kim
NAKA-NY Chapter
John Kim is an attorney in New York
City, specializing in immigration, international, and non-profit law. Prior to
his legal career, Mr. Kim served in the
U.S. Army, including one year of duty in
South Korea. Aside from his legal practice, Mr. Kim has provided pro bono service to several non-profit organizations
working for peace, justice, and community empowerment. In particular, he has
served as a board member of the National Association of Korean Americans
(NAKA), as well as president of NAKA’s
New York Chapter. He is also a political columnist for the Korean Quarterly,
a U.S. publication for Americans interested in the US-Korea relations. Mr. Kim
received a B.A. and M.I.A. from Columbia University and a J.D. from Fordham
University’s School of Law.
Jennifer Yu is an account coordinator
for Text100 Global Communications
where she provides full-service public
relations support for IBM and Lenovo.
A born and raised Texan, Jennifer obtained her bachelor’s degree in public
relations at The University of Texas at
Austin and was a proud member of alpha Kappa Delta Phi Sorority Inc., the
nation’s largest and only internationally recognized Asian-interest sorority.
Following graduation, Jennifer relocated to New York City to work for Text100.
In her young PR career, she has worked
in Text100’s Hong Kong office and has
supported clients including Food Network, British Airways, AES Energy Storage, and Cognizant Technology Solutions. Outside of work, Jennifer sits on
alpha Kappa Delta Phi Sorority Inc.’s
National Board serving as secretary/
historian. She is also an enthusiast of
all things Texas Longhorn football, restaurant and food culture, and figuring
out where her next travel destination
will be.
KWONG ENG is a board member of OCANY, a non-profit organization dedicated
to advancing the social, political and economic well being of Asian Pacific Americans in the United States. (2009 - present). Professionally, he is employed at
AIG as an IT Database Professional. Over
the years, he has served his community
in many capacities including fighting for
immigrant rights, social justice and equal
opportunities. He has served for five
years as President and Chairman of the
OCA Long Island Chapter (2002-2006),
served two consecutive terms as OCA
National VP of Public Affairs - Washington, D.C (2004-2007), served six years on
the board of NICE, New Immigrant Community Empowerment, a non-profit organization that works to ensure that new
immigrants can build social, political and
economic power in their communities
(2000-2006) is a member of the David
Wong Support Committee (2001-2004)
a member of Justice for Chaplain James
Yee Committee (2003-2005) and served
as member of the Committee United for
Lt. Watada (2006-2008).
33
Kristen Lu
Neha Srivastava
Sakhi for South Asian Women
Neha Srivastava is a Domestic Violence
Program Advocate at Sakhi for South
Asian Women. Sakhi is a non-profit that
works with survivors, communities, and
institutions to address the issue of domestic violence within the South Asian
immigrant community in New York City.
At Sakhi, Neha provides a range of culturally sensitive services to survivors of
domestic violence, including crisis intervention counseling, case management,
and group counseling. Neha received an
M.A in Counseling for Mental Health and
Wellness at NYU and a B.A in Psychology
from the University of Waterloo. While
at NYU, she worked as a Research Assistant on projects concerning domestic
violence and immigrant women’s mental
health. Neha has worked in a clinical capacity at several sites, including Mount
Sinai Medical Center, Community Living
Toronto, and the Dawn Center for Children with Special Needs in Kampala,
Uganda.
Khanh Vu
Society of Asian Scientists
and Engineers
Khanh and his family immigrated to the
USA from Vietnam during the Vietnam
conflict. Khanh graduated from the Colorado School of Mines with a degree in
chemical engineering and 3 minors. His
passion for helping teenagers and fondness for Mines led him back to be the Director of the Multi-cultural Engineering
Program (MEP), which Khanh was part of
MEP’s inception in 1989 as a student and
was instrumental in the founding of the
Asian Student Association in the early
90’s (eventually joined as a SASE chapter). Khanh joined SASE full time as the
Executive Director in late 2011. Khanh
oversaw the doubling of the collegiate
chapters and tripling its membership
during his 1st year tenure with SASE. He
looks forward to growing SASE to its full
potential. Khanh enjoys spending time
with his wife, Uyen, and two sons. His
hobbies include volleyball and cooking.
Asian American Alliance (AAA)
Kristen Lu is a junior at Columbia College and current co-political chair of the
Asian American Alliance and co-president of Asian Pacific American Heritage
Month at Columbia University. She is primarily invested in bringing awareness,
education, and respect to discussions
about Asian American issues. She is currently working as the Campaign Manager
for AList Magazine, a non-profit quarterly magazine dedicated to highlighting
Asian American professional leadership.
Jordan Alam
Asian American Alliance (AAA)
Jordan Alam is a graduating senior at
Barnard College and president of the
Asian American Alliance at Columbia
University. She has worked for the Asian
American community in many different capacities, through everything from
writing short stories to researching perceptions of mental illness in the United
States and abroad. This workshop is
linked her new website As[I]Am (to be
launched in late February), a pan-Asian
social justice website displaying the various ways in which different artists and
activists engage with their identity and
their work to create change.
Jenny Li
Chinatown Youth Initiatives
The Microaggressions
Project
Founded in 2010 as a Tumblr, Microaggressions is a blog and online visual arts
project that collects short submissions
from readers about subtle exercises of
power and privilege in everyday life.
Since its inception, the project has catalogued over 10,000 submissions from
around the world, touching on marginalized identities of race, gender, sexual
orientation, class, and others.
The editors of Microaggressions met
through discussions on power, privilege,
and social identities during their time
as student organizers at Columbia University. Kim Ashby is a first-year counseling psychology PhD student at Boston College. Vivian Lu is a second-year
anthropology PhD student at Stanford
University. David Zhou is a second-year
computational biology Master’s student
at Carnegie Mellon University.
For more about their project, visit us at
http://microaggressions.com. To learn
about how to get involved with the project, contact us at [email protected]!
34
Mark Ro Beyersdorf
Dari Project
Mark Ro Beyersdorf is a queer, secondgeneration, mixed-race Korean American
activist. He has worked for grassroots organizations, political campaigns, the federal government, and national civil rights
organizations addressing gender justice,
racial justice, and LGBTQ issues since
high school. Mark is currently on the
staff of the Educational Equity Program
at the Asian American Legal Defense and
Education Fund (AALDEF) in New York
City. Prior to AALDEF, Mark worked on
the staff of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) for thenchair Congressman Mike Honda and as a
Field Organizer for the Obama Campaign
in rural Ohio. He is active in the New York
City AAPI and LGBTQ communities as a
member of Nodutdol, a progressive Korean diasporic organization, the Board
of Directors of CAAAV: Organizing Asian
Communities, and the Coordinating
Committee of the Dari Project, an organization working to increase acceptance
and awareness of LGBTQ Korean Americans in the Korean American community.
Mark grew up in San Diego, CA and received his B.A. from Yale University.
Jenny Li has been involved with Chinatown Youth Initiatives since her junior
year of high school when she was a
participant in their Summer Leadership
Institute (SLI). She is currently the coordinator for SLI and the advisor for CYI’s
Chinatown Beautification Day. She is a
junior at Brown University studying Environmental Studies and Africana Studies,
with a focus on Environmental Justice
movements. She is interested in Asian
American history, especially in community organizing, and hopes to one day
teach.
Nodutdol
The workshop faciliators come from
diverse backgrounds - student, professor, acupuncturist, office worker, poet,
assistant editor, etc., of different ages
and from different cities. During KEEPDPRK, participants visit hospitals, farms,
schools, the De-Militarized Zone, court
houses, temples, churches, parks, and
meet with students, farmers, and workers in various cities. In this way, participants learn the different ways people
live and organize in this collective, socialist society. The participants do not
claim that they gained a comprehensive
understanding of north Korean society
in one two-week long visit, however, the
participants will be sharing their unique
experiences and perspectives gained in
north Korea, and their stories of meeting
with ordinary north Koreans.
Olivia Chow, Rohan
Grover, Deepa Kunapuli,
Vincent Villano
Olivia Chow, Rohan Grover, Deepa Kunapuli, and Vincent Paolo Villano are
progressive organizers based in Washington, DC.
Olivia is a progressive field and online
organizer, most recently leading “get
out the vote” efforts with Obama for
America-Nevada in Northeast Las Vegas,
running social media for the 2012 Democratic National Convention, and building community partnerships at the Asian
American Justice Center.
Rohan is the data and analytics associate at the Planned Parenthood Federation of America & Action Fund, where he
empowers field and electoral organizing
with data management, microtargeting,
elegant analytics, and organizing technology.
Deepa is currently a digital strategist on
the Consumer Engagement team at the
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau,
where she works to help address issues
in consumer financial markets faced by
millions of American families. Previously, she ran the online program at the New
Organizing Institute and managed digital
programs for Obama for America.
Vincent is director of communications
for the National Center for Transgender
Equality and vice president for administration for the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, one of the District of Columbia’s
oldest Democratic clubs.
Simran Jeet Singh
Vivian Truong
Sikh American Legal Defense
and Education Fund
CAAAV Organizing
Asian Communities
Simran Jeet Singh is a scholar and social activist completing his Ph.D. in the
Department of Religion at Columbia
University. He is the Executive Director
of the Sikh Spirit Foundation, Education
Director for the Surat Initiative, and a Fellow for the American Institute for Indian
Studies. He also serves on the Advisory
Boards for the Sikh Coalition and the International Center of Advocates Against
Discrimination, and currently serves as
Chair of the Interfaith Committee for
the World Sikh Council. He has earned
degrees from Trinity University, Harvard
University, and Columbia University.
CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities
was founded in 1986 as one of the first
pan-Asian organizations in the United
States utilizing grassroots organizing and
coalition-building to unite Asian communities against anti-Asian violence. Our work
builds the collective power of low-income
Asian immigrant and refugee communities in New York City to fight for racial,
gender, and economic justice. Facilitating
this workshop is Vivian Truong, Program
Coordinator of CAAAV’s newest program
Asian Youth in Action (AYA), and AYA youth
members and leaders. AYA, which began in
2011, builds on CAAAV’s legacy of building
the leadership of young people to organize
for grassroots social change.
Yevin Roh
Yevin Roh is a former student leader
and graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a background
in public health, sociology, pre-medicine,
and Asian & Asian American studies.
Health and social justice have been his
strongest passions whether it is serving globally or locally. Overseas, Yevin
has worked as clinical volunteer in rural
Kenya and a public health researcher in
Cambodia. Within the US, Yevin has interned at the Cleveland Clinic’s vascular
ward, acted with various health education
performance troupes, and worked collaboratively to write university health policy
as a student activist and Student Government Association President. He currently
resides in Boston while applying to medical school. In his free time, Yevin writes
and performs spoken word poetry on social justice topics such as Asian American
identity, masculinity, and rape culture.
Vincent Yee
Vincent Yee, who is a Boston native, has
worked for several Boston based companies: Copy Cop, Bank of America, with the
most recent being Staples. As a corporate
manager there, he led the development of
its Copy & Print business systems for 1,600
stores. He was also the former NAAAP National President where he addressed Asian
American leadership issues in the workplace. He has been quoted in Diversity
Inc. and the WSJ Career Online. He is now
the author of “The Purple Heart.” A story
about love found on a desolate internment camp between a Japanese American
woman and man and then separated, as
the call to courage took a young Japanese
American soldier to the shores of Europe
to fight in WWII against the Nazis.
William Xu
Valerie Chow
Valerie Chow is the Associate Director, Civic Engagement and Experiential
Learning at Barnard College’s Office of
Career Development, where she directs
the New York City Civic Engagement
Program and counsels students on career development issues. Valerie was
previously an Associate at Davis Polk &
Wardwell LLP and has served as a volunteer attorney with the New York Legal Assistance Group. She received her
B.A. in East Asian Studies and Economics
from Brown University and her J.D. from
Georgetown University Law Center.
William Xu is currently a law student at
American University, focusing on International Criminal Law. Greek life had a huge
impact on his aspirations, and the mentors
and lessons through his Greek experience
shaped who he is today. William entered
Greek life in Fall 2006, when he chartered
the RIT colony of Pi Delta Psi. He went on
to bring the national convention to his
campus, and was elected as the youngest
National President in his fraternity’s history. Having been inspired by the people and
issues he had come across, he eventually
took an internship with the White House
Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific
Islanders and continues to work on issues
today as a board member of the National
APIA Panhellenic Association.
Nicole Fink
ECAASU
Patricia Chau Nguyen
Nicole Fink, Associate Director of ECAASU, is currently a first year law student
at New England Law | Boston. She graduated in 2012 with her Master’s Degree
of Social Work from the University of
Connecticut School of Social Work. She
received her Bachelor of Arts from University of Connecticut in 2010.
Nicole has been actively involved with
Asian Pacific American community during her undergraduate and graduate career. She was the coordinator of Kids &
University of Connecticut Bridging Education and participated in various panels
and events representing University of
Connecticut’s Asian American Cultural
Center. During her time at the University
of Connecticut School of Social Work,
she served as co-chair of several student
organizations.
Over the years, she has also won several
awards for her contributions to the University of Connecticut and AAPI community including the University of Connecticut Provost’s Award for Excellence in
Public Engagement, and the Outstanding
Senior Woman Academic Achievement
Award by the University of Connecticut Provost’s Office, Women Center and
Alumni Association.
PATRICIA CHÂU NGUYEN serves as an
Assistant Dean of Students and flagship Director of Cornell’s Asian & Asian
American Center. She has occupied multiple college personnel/student affairs
positions at a variety of public and private institution, ranging from residential
life, to multicultural affairs, to Greek life,
to human resource work. She also has
strong affinity to advising cultural based
student organizations. She frequently
presents workshops and consultancies
throughout the country on such topics
as applied ethics, religious pluralism,
intergroup dialogue, moral conversation, and meaning-making for quarterlife students at conference such as the
Student Affairs Administrators in Higher
Education (NASPA), American College
Personnel Association (ACPA), and National Conference on Race & Ethnicity in
American Higher Education (NCORE®).
She is also one of the co-founders for
an affinity-based retreat, Racial Aikido,
equipping students of color at pre-dominantly White institutions.
Sigma Psi Zeta Sorority, Inc
Melissa Yee
alpha Kappa Delta Phi
Sorority, Inc
Melissa Yee, a born and raised New
Yorker, is a strategy and organization
consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton, a
representative with the National APIA
Panhellenic Association, and a National
Board officer of alpha Kappa Delta Phi Sorority, Inc., the nation’s largest and only
internationally recognized Asian-interest
sorority. A graduate of Cornell University
with a bachelor’s in industrial and labor
relations and a master’s in public administration, Melissa helps groups with strategic planning, program evaluation, and
strategic communications. She has and
continues to work with various groups
to provide young adults and professionals opportunities for development and
learning cross-cultural flexibility. This is
Melissa’s third time at ECAASU as an attendee, and first time as a facilitator.
Many complain that Asian American student groups isolate themselves in their
identity-based cocoons and do not reach
outside of their boardroom to engage
others on interests and experiences important to them. Why do we want to outreach to groups that look different from
ours or engaged with different issues
than our own? How do we find commonalities with different communities? How
can we visualize partnerships easily so
we can tackle issues crucial to the many
Asian American ethnicities and Asian
American community across ethnic- and
issue-lines? When we work with other
communities, unified with one voice,
we are more likely to be successful. This
workshop carves out a space to build our
skills in identifying you and your group’s
passions and bridging those issues with
seemingly dissimilar groups. We will
explore how identities are multifaceted
and how that manifests in the community-building and organizing that we do.
35
CONFERENCE BOARD
DIRECTORS
Melanie Gao
Tina Kit
PR/MARKETING
Jackie Ho
Co-Chair
Derrick Fu
LOGISTICS/ADMIN
Venkat Kausik
Co-Chair
Harrison Liew
Angel Chen
Co-Chair
Co-Chair
ENTERTAINMENT
PROGRAMMING
Julia Koo
Chair
Moeko Nakada
Associate Chair
Jiawen Tang
Associate Chair
TECH
James Wen
Chair
36
Genevieve Chow
Co-Chair
Kevin Zhang
Co-Chair
FUNDRAISING
Andrew Yu
Co-Chair
Chloe Ruan
Co-Chair
Divya Singh
Associate Chair
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
PR/MARKETING
Annie Shi and Linda Sun
LOGISTICS/ADMIN
Jinny Yoo, Sophie Qian,
Jessica Li, and Annie Hsieh
PROGRAMMING
Samantha Zeller and
Stella Zhao
ENTERTAINMENT
Elisha Lee, Annie Lin,
and Jaclyn Fu
TECH
Bou Lee, Albert Pan,
and Jason Suh
FUNDRAISING
David Kang, Janice Yoon,
and Sonny Song
SPECIAL THANKS
Columbia University Deans
Melinda Aquino
Kevin Shollenberger
Columbia University & Barnard College Advisors
Erica Williams
Pamela Phayme
Mentors
Calvin Sun
Derek Mong
Columbia University & Barnard College Administration and Offices
Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA)
Barnard Office of Diversity Initiatives (ODI)
Columbia University Student Affairs Center Business Office (SACBO)
Other
Rodney Mirabal (UEM)
Vicky Zabriskie (Lerner Tech)
Volunteers & Hosts!
Columbia University & Barnard College Tech and Facilities
Columbia University Event Management (UEM)
Lerner Tech
Barnard College Events Management
Columbia University Facilities
Columbia Dining
37
THANK YOU
TO OUR GENEROUS DONORS!
38
Ivy League
Stationers
NOTES
39
CONFERENCE SPONSORS
PRIMARY SPONSORS
COLUMBIA STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
Platinum Level
Gold Level
Korean Students Association
Bronze Level
INSERTS
Changes to the Program
1. CANCELLED
“Asian Americans and Environmental Justice”
Jenny Li (Chinatown Youth Initiatives)
Session 2
2. ADDITIONAL WORKSHOP
Session 1, 10:45 AM -12:00 PM, Hamilton 304
“Entrepreneurship Case Study: RentHop.com on Battling Craigslist and Monetizing Online Economies”
Lee Lin and Lawrence (Li) Zhou (Co-founders)
Lei Lei and Vivian Li (Business Development & Marketing)
Meet the founders of RentHop.com, an apartment rental startup funded by Y Combinator and recently featured in Forbes, Fast Company, and a Harvard Business School case study. Learn how Lee Lin and Lawrence
Zhou developed a vision for fixing the real estate market and turned the idea from a nights and weekends project into an explosively growing and profitable company. Along the way, they faced major challenges, experimented with different revenue models, and carefully developed strategic partnerships.
In this workshop, we will dive into three crucial decision points in the company’s history: the fundraising, the
user growth, and the revenue model. Each discussion will be presented as a case study, offering the audience
several alternatives and analyzing the pros and cons of each choice. Participation and discussion is strongly
encouraged but not required. Attendees from all backgrounds are welcome.
3. MISPRINT - Funkanometry will perform in the CLOSING CEREMONY (Saturday 5:00-6:30 PM)
LIKE ECAASU 2013’S DESIGN?
Special shout out to JACKIE HO!
CHECK OUT ohho-design.com
CONTACT [email protected]
PLEASE NOTE:
WORKSHOP ROOM CHANGES
These changes affect all 3 workshop sessions:
Hamilton 302 now Hamilton 309
Hamilton 517 now Hamilton 702
We apologize for the inconvenience and we
hope you enjoy the workshops!
Special Thanks
For providing beverages for ECAASU 2013!
Please visit them at the entrance of Lerner
for even more delicious food and drinks!!!
Getting Around New York City
Facts:
 Subway & bus fare: $2.25 (purchase Metrocards in subway stations or at authorized
newsstands). Note: A subway ride includes a transfer to a bus.
 Visit mta.info for information and service changes.


Important subway lines: ,
, and
Taxis can be hailed on most streets. Included are the closest intersection points.
Directions to Important Destinations: (including public transit and rough taxi fare)
Columbia (116th St Station) to Hudson Hotel (356 W 58th St., near 9th Ave): 15 mins. $16 taxi
 Take the downtown 1 train towards Rector St. Get off at 59 St - Columbus Circle. Walk
west on 58th St. The Hudson will be on your left, with the lime green glass door.
Hudson to Columbia (116th St and Broadway): 15 mins. $16 taxi
 Walk east on 58th St to the Columbus Circle subway station. Take the uptown 1 train
towards 242 St. Get off at 116th St. - Columbia University. Welcome!
Hudson/Columbia to the Gala (Midtown Loft & Terrace, 29th St and 5th Ave):
 Take the downtown 1 train. Get off at Times Sq - 42 St.



Transfer to the N train towards Coney Island - Stillwell Av. Get off at 28 St (3 stops).
Exit on 28th St and Broadway, walk east on 28th, turn left onto 5th Av. It is on your right.
From Hudson, 17 mins, $11 taxi. From Columbia, 27 mins, $24 taxi.
Hudson/Columbia to Afterparty @Latin Quarters (48th St and Lexington Ave.):
 Take the downtown 1 train. Get off at Times Square - 42 St.
 Transfer to the S train and get off at Grand Central - 42 St.
 Walk north to Lexington Av. You’ll see LQ before you hit 48th St.
 From Hudson, 20 mins, $9 taxi. From Columbia, 31 mins, $20 taxi.
Hudson/Columbia to LGBT Afterparty @Bann Bar (50th St and 8th Ave):
 Take the downtown 1 train. Get off at 50 St.
 Exit at 50th St. and Broadway, walk west for a block and half, Bann is on your left.
 From Hudson, 10 mins, $10 taxi. From Columbia, 18 mins, $18 taxi.
Latin Quarters to Bann Bar: partyhopping
 Walk north on Lexington Av., turn left on 50th St., walk until you pass 8th Av. Bann should
be on your left. 22 mins walk. $9.70 taxi.
Bann Bar to Hudson/Columbia:
 To Hudson: walk west on 50th St., turn right onto 9th Av., walk north and turn right on 58th
St. The Hudson will be on your right. 10 mins. $9 taxi.
 To Columbia: Walk east on 50th St. and enter the 50th St. subway station on Broadway.
Take the uptown 1 to 116th St - Columbia University. 19 mins. $20 taxi.
Latin Quarters to Hudson/Columbia:
 Walk south on Lexington Av. to Grand Central - 42 St station. Take the S train towards
Times Square - 42 St. and transfer to the uptown 1. Then:
 To Hudson: Get off at 59 St - Columbus Circle. 10 mins, $9 taxi.
 To Columbia: Get off at 116th St - Columbia University. 18 mins, $21 taxi.
Opportunities Fair
Saturday, 2:00 - 5:00 PM, Lerner Party Space
Learn about potential internship and full-time employment opportunities at emerging start-ups and non-profit
organizations, network with sponsors, and potentially get involved with Curtis Chin’s next big film! It’s all happen2/18 Revised 2/18
ing at the Opportunities Fair.
Be2/18
sure to Revised
stop by!
Revised
18 tables w/ 218
chairs
each
tables
w/ 2 chairs each
18 tables w/ 2 chairs each
Note: We’ll be distributing attendence
stickers at this event! Collect 3 stickers total from either Workshops or the
Opportunities Fair to be elligible for a discount at the ‘Limitless’ Afterparty.
5
5
4
6
6
2
15
9
10
11
11
6
National Association of Asian
American Professionals (NAAAP)
14 13
1615
18
17
16
11
3
4
7
8
Curtis Chin (ECAASU Keynote)
9
10
Korean American Students
Conference (KASCON)
13
11
created
using
Room
Diagram
created
Diagram created Diagram
using Room
Viewer®.
14
17
15
17
14
Organization of Chinese Americans New York (OCA - NY)
SPONSORS
12
1
18
9
10
2
Organization of Chinese Americans National (OCA - National)
217
1
8
1
5
2
12
16
15
8
10
13
14
12
12
9
1 3
7
13
8
34
6
7
7
54
3
16
18
Lerner West Ramp Lounge
10am-5pm
Hosted by
MEET AND GREET
ECAASU 2013 Guest Performers!
Friday,10:30pm -11:00PM
North Lobby of Roone Arledge Auditorium
David So
Clara C
Jason Chen
Saturday, 12:30 -1:00PM
Lerner C555
Jason Chen
Clara C
Lerner Satow Room (567)
David So
Ellen Kim
Aye Hasegawa
iLL-iteracy
Once in a lifetime opportunity to meet our
spectacular guest performers, maybe get
an autograph, and purchase SWAG!
Co-hosted by
Finding the Rig ht Apartment For You
RentHop is a Y Combinator (Silicon Valley-based angel investor) funded apartment search
company founded in 2009 by MIT and Wharton alums. Come hear about our experiences as
startup junkies/licensed real estate brokers while moonlighting as hedge fund quants. We are
growing and want you to work with us, please stop by and say hello at the Opportunities Fair!
Want to know more? Read about us in:
www.renthop.com
[email protected]

columbia university

Transcription

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