UCLA Asian American Studies Center

12/14/2020

How Pacific Islanders have been left to fend for themselves in the pandemic

In August, Ninez Ponce, director of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, and a group of scholars launched the Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Covid-19 Data Policy Lab to collect, scrape, track, and interpret local Covid-19 data in NHPI communities, in collaboration with the coalition of Pacific Islander groups under the National Pacific Islander Covid-19 Response Team. As of December 2, the NHPI community has faced 30,832 positive cases and 366 deaths, according to the lab — but these numbers could be higher due to aggregated Asian American and Pacific Islander data in some states.

“NHPIs are currently seeing infection rates up to five times that of white people in Los Angeles County alone, and this impact is being felt across the country,” Ponce told Vox. “The impact on the NHPIs is devastating, and without accurate data, lives are lost each day.”

Covid-19 data often lumps Pacific Islanders in with Asian Americans. But in the states where they’re separated out, their death rates are often the highest.

12/09/2020

UCLA Institute of American Cultures

Apply to the UCLA Institute of American Cultures 2020-21 Research Grant Program in Ethnic Studies! Due March 1, 2021.

To Apply: Application available online at: https://sa.ucla.edu/IAC/ResearchGrant

For further information, please contact the coordinators of our centers: UCLA American Indian Studies Center UCLA Asian American Studies Center UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA

12/09/2020

Election of Kamala Harris invites Americans to consider identity

Masuoka points out that now is the moment when we need to create a more positive dialogue as the entire nation looks toward the future.

“Multiracial identification encourages us to think about how complex racial identity can be for many Americans,” she said. “This opens opportunities to have constructive conversations about how race impacts individual life chances.”

Natalie Masuoka, whose latest book was about multiracial identity and politics, says Harris’ role will encourage broader examinations of race.

12/09/2020

Aratani C.A.R.E.

Our Aratani C.A.R.E. applications are due this Friday! The George and Sakaye Aratani “Community Advancement Research Endowment,” or Aratani C.A.R.E., Awards are designed to promote projects that will benefit and advance Japanese American communities. Projects that strengthen the ties between UCLA faculty, students, and staff and the Japanese American community will receive particular consideration. Non-profit organizations and individuals are invited to apply for awards that average between, but which are not limited to, $1000 to $5000.

View more info about the awards at https://www.aratanicare.org/

The George and Sakaye Aratani “Community Advancement Research Endowment,” or Aratani C.A.R.E., Awards are designed to promote projects that will benefit and advance Japanese American communities. Projects that strengthen the ties between UCLA faculty, students, and staff and the Japanese America...

12/09/2020

마스크 착용 [ 한국어 ] / Face Covering [Korean] TranslateCovid.org | UCLA AASC & FSPH | COVID-19

COVID-19 numbers are still high, so spread the word about the importance of face coverings and masks! Check out and share our #TranslateCOVID video on face coverings in Vietnamese https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYD12b5medY - and in six other languages (English, Spanish, Armenian, Hindi, Farsi, and Vietnamese).

Find these videos (and more!) at TranslateCOVID.org or on your Youtube channel (https://bit.ly/aascyoutube)

이 영상은 다양한 언어를 사용하는 지역사회에 40개 이상의 언어로 신종 코로나바이러스(COVID-19)에 대한 주요 정보를 전달하기 위하여 검색 가능한 온라인 링크와 자료를 제공하는 COVID-19 다국어 자원 허브(https://TranslateCovid.org).....

12/03/2020

What Does It Mean To Be An American?

Yes! A big thanks to our center director Professor Karen Umemoto and all educators for making a difference, especially during this pandemic!

Teachers deserve all the extra credit!📚✏️🍎 Thank you to educators all around the world — our #FrontLineHeroes who have spent this year training, adapting, and flexing their skills during these difficult times. You truly are the heart of the education system. We especially wanted to celebrate some of the incredible teachers from our community and share our appreciation for educating tomorrow’s leaders, one student at a time!👨‍🏫👩🏿‍🏫
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Join us by tagging a teacher that has made a difference in your life.🚌💛 #ThankYouTeachers #SeasonOfGratitude​
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#ThankATeacher #ManyThanks #Thanksgiving #Thankful #ThankfulNovember #GiveThanks #TeacherAppreciation #TeacherSpotlight #WeLoveTeachers #TeacherAppreciationWeek #UnsungHeroes #community #WeekOfThanks #AppreciationWeek

12/02/2020

Giãn Cách Xã Hội [Tiếng Việt] / Social Distancing | TranslateCovid.org | UCLA AASC & FSPH | COVID-19

On Sunday, California became the first state to record over 100,000 COVID-19 cases in a single week. Let's do our part and slow spread! Wash your hands, wear a mask, and practice social distancing. Need help explaining this to family and friends? Check out and share our videos, like this one on social distancing in Vietnamese, at TranslateCovid.org, or on YouTube! #TranslateCOVID #SlowtheSpread #COVID19

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPQhvD42tPc&list=PLLJLuPYRa8XVlL4N2mFOncXUlZo-kT28o&index=2

Check out this video in other languages (English, Korean, Spanish, Hindi, Armenian and Farsi) on our YouTube playlist or on TranslateCovid.org: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLJLuPYRa8XVlL4N2mFOncXUlZo-kT28o

Video này là một phần của Trung tâm Tài nguyên Đa ngôn ngữ về COVID-19 (https://TranslateCovid.org), cung cấp một tập hợp các liên kết và tài liệu trực tuyến...

12/02/2020

Cambodian American identity through the eyes of Jolie Chea

A wonderful profile on Professor Jolie Chea by the UCLA Center for Southeast Asian Studies! We're so glad to have them here at UCLA again, this time as faculty in the UCLA Asian American Studies Department. https://www.international.ucla.edu/cseas/article/230892

UCLA Professor Jolie Chea tells the story of their upbringing and political activation in Los Angeles and how they came to ethnic and Asian American studies.

11/20/2020

Face Covering [English] TranslateCovid.org | UCLA AASC & FSPH | 40+ Languages COVID-19 Resources

Why wear a mask or face covering? Check out the videos and spread the word so we can slow the spread of COVID-19! Videos available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Armenian, Farsi, Korean, and Hindi! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTryQL5on0w&list=PLLJLuPYRa8XV17aIMUbJ2ub0SJQlPt8-_ #wearamask

This video is part of the COVID-19 Multilingual Resource Hub (https://TranslateCovid.org), which offers a searchable collection of online links and materials...

11/20/2020

Starting soon! Hop on this zoom link: https://ucla.zoom.us/j/99582519459

11/13/2020

Visual Communications

Congrats to the new fellows! Always glad to see some Bruins and Asian Am Studies alum.

We are pleased to announce our 2021 #ArmedWithaCamera Fellows! These filmmakers are the next generation of artists committed to social and political changes and movements, while preserving the legacy and vision of our communities. We look forward to showcasing their completed projects at the 2021 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival!

11/13/2020

South Asian Public Health Association - SAPHA

“Historical and ongoing treatment as ‘the other,’ combined with Islamophobia, have engendered fear and distrust, often amplified during crises. Under the backdrop of persistent structural inequities and discrimination, it is paramount to address unique healthcare and immigration considerations for #SouthAsian communities in the US during and following the #COVID19 pandemic.”

Current and former SAPHA board members contributed to the new #AAPINexus special issue on Coronavirus, Census, and Elections for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders #AAPIs) in an essay titled, Unmasking An Invisible Community: Unique Influences On And Consequences Of COVID-19 Among South Asians In The United States.
UCLA Asian American Studies Center

Read the essay here:http://aapinexus.org/2020/10/29/article-unmasking-an-invisible-community/

11/13/2020

South Asian Public Health Association - SAPHA

New #AAPINexus special issue on Coronavirus, Census & Elections for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (#AAPIs).
Current and former SAPHA board members wrote about the urgent need to understand the experiences of #COVID19 among #SouthAsians in the US.
Read here: http://aapinexus.org/2020/10/29/article-unmasking-an-invisible-community/
UCLA Asian American Studies Center

11/13/2020

Need help talking to your friends & family about COVID-19? Share our #TranslateCOVID videos on handwashing, wearing a mask, and social distancing in English, Vietnamese, Korean, Farsi, Armenian, Hindi, and Spanish! The videos were produced by Duc Nguyen/ Right Here in My Pocket and Janet Chen/ UCLA Center for EthnoCommunications https://bit.ly/translatecovidvid #covid19

The site also has materials on COVID-19 in almost 60 languages - check it out today.

The COVID-19 Multilingual Resource Hub at TranslateCOVID.org is a joint project between UCLA Asian American Studies Center and the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health with the UCLA Institute of American Cultures

11/13/2020

Pandemics and Vulnerable Communities

TODAY/FRIDAY AT 1PM: Pandemics and Vulnerable Communities Discussion featuring AASC Faculty Advisory Committee (FAC) member Professor Ninez Ponce (UCLA Fielding School of Public Health), Professor Don Operario (Brown University), and RJ Taggueg (Bulosan Center for Filipnx Studies), with AASC FAC Chair Professor Gilbert Gee (UCLA Fielding School of Public Health) moderating.

Register for Zoom link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pandemics-and-vulnerable-communities-tickets-125999204011

Join us in this presentation/discussion on the experiences of minoritized communities during the current crisis.

11/03/2020

Study Examines Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Small Businesses in L.A.’s Ethnic Neighborhoods - UCLA Luskin

This new report from UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge focuses on small businesses and examines whether the COVID-19 crisis disproportionately impacted local businesses in ethnic neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Answers to this question provide academic insights on racial systemic inequality and inform policy interventions, according to Paul Ong, co-author of the report and CNK director. “If the disparities are significant, there are profound policy implications. Race-conscious government efforts to address systemic racism are needed to ensure an equitable economic recovery,” the researchers said. Ong and colleagues found that overall, the ethnic neighborhoods collectively performed worse than the county as a whole prior to lockdown and performed no better than the county under shelter-in-place orders. The project was partially supported with grants from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs (funded by Southern California Grantmakers) and from the UCLA Asian American Studies Center (funded by the Stanley Kow Lau and Dora Wong Lau Endowment).

Ethnic neighborhoods collectively performed worse than the county as a whole prior to lockdown and performed no better than the county under shelter-in-place orders.

10/24/2020

Why the Asian American Covid data picture is so incomplete

Without disaggregated data, AAPIs aren't considered to be at risk and don't get information needed about things like the pandemic, said Ninez Ponce, a professor of health policy and management and director of the Center for Health Policy Research at UCLA.

Undertesting, stigma and a lack of disaggregated data have complicated the depiction of how the pandemic is affecting AAPIs.

10/09/2020

UCLA Center for EthnoCommunications

Good seeing these talented emerging filmmakers (shoutout to EthnoCommunications alumni: Brandon, Emory, Rino, Lisa, Kitty, Lan!) at their Q&A at Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival 2020! #LAAPFF2020

10/09/2020

You can catch UCLA Center for EthnoCommunications Assistant Director Janet Chen today at 3pm for the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival's Artists Conversation - C3: Art & Craft! She'll be talking about her documentary short on Phoenix Bakery Inc. Register and join the free conversation panel: https://festival.vcmedia.org/2020/special_events/c3-art-craft/

09/28/2020

October starts this week - which means Filipino American History Month also begins! Join us on Friday at 3:30pm for Our poetry is the/ Best part of our struggle: Reflections on the impact and work of poet and activist Al Robles. We'll be joined by Shirley Ancheta, Russell Leong, Oscar Peñaranda, Tony Robles, Janice Lobo Sapigao, and Irene Saxon Soriano, with emcee Professor Lucy Burns. Register today at ourpoetry.eventbrite.com!

09/26/2020

Anthology explores Asian American California through art | Cornell Chronicle

Be sure to check this out!

From University of Hawaii Press:
Just published! CALIFORNIA DREAMING: Movement and Place in the Asian American Imaginary (https://buff.ly/369ljc4) edited by Christine Bacareza Balance and Lucy Mae San Pablo Burns. Read the Cornell University news story (linked below) for a glimpse of the anthology that includes essays by 28 contributors and fantastic cover art by Gina Osterloh. #Intersections series with UCLA Asian American Studies Center

There isn’t one unified Asian American vision of California, argues Christine Bacareza Balance, associate professor of Performing and Media Arts, in “California Dreaming,” a multi-genre collection she co-edited.

09/01/2020

OBITUARY: Lane Hirabayashi, Scholar, Author, Holder of Aratani Chair at UCLA - Rafu Shimpo

Professor Karen Umemoto, Helen and Morgan Chu Chair of AASC, said, “We will sorely miss Lane Hirabayashi, a beloved teacher, mentor and friend. He left us a priceless gift in his lifetime of scholarly research and writings on Japanese American history, and World War II incarceration history in particular.

“Woven in this history are human stories of hope and resistance with inspiration drawn from the well of his family history — from his father, who helped establish the first School of Ethnic Studies at S.F. State, to his uncle Gordon Hirabayashi, who challenged the mass evacuation.

“His work advanced the field of Japanese American studies and also community-driven public history, as exemplified in his work with Nikkei for Civil Rights and Redress in the publication of ‘NCRR: The Grassroots Struggle for Japanese American Redress and Reparations.’

“As we mourn this heavy loss, we are humbled by his selfless contributions to the community as well as to the generations of students and colleagues who were transformed by his wisdom and generosity.”

http://www.rafu.com/2020/08/obituary-lane-hirabayashi-scholar-author-holder-of-aratani-chair-at-ucla/

Rafu Staff Report Lane Ryo Hirabayashi, a renowned scholar, lecturer and author in the field of Asian American studies, passed away on Aug. 8. He was 67. According to close friends, he had been ill for some time. Hirabayashi held tenured faculty positions at San Francisco State University, Universit...

08/31/2020

Today/August 31st is the last day for our AASC Press Sale! Take advantage of at least 20% off on select publications (full list below). Prices valid on orders placed through our online store at commerce.cashnet.com/aasc. Discount code not required; discounted prices are already reflected on the site. (For international orders, please contact [email protected] for additional shipping costs when ordering).

- Mountain Movers: Student Activism & the Emergence of Asian American Studies - $17 (originally $22)
- Rockin’ the Boat: Flashbacks of the 1970s Asian Movement by Mary Uyematsu Kao - $24 (originally $30)
- Rappin’ with Ten Thousand Carabaos in the Dark (Expanded Edition) by Al Robles - $13 (originally $16.95)
- Asian Americans: The Movement and the Moment – $15 (originally $24.95)
- NCRR: The Grassroots Struggle for Japanese American Redress and Reparations– $24 (originally $30)
- Many Bridges, One River: Organizing for Justice in Vietnamese American Communities - $12 (originally $15)

Visit our online store: http://commerce.cashnet.com/aasc

08/26/2020

COVID-19 exposes how Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders face stark health care disparities

Ninez Ponce: "The impact on the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, or NHPI, community is devastating, and without accurate data, we only know a small piece of the story. Currently, NHPIs are seeing infection rates up to five times that of white people in Los Angeles County alone, and this impact is being felt across the country, in states such as Arkansas, Louisiana, Illinois, Colorado, Washington, and Oregon, where NHPI case and death rates are higher than any other race and ethnicity. It’s no secret that this public health crisis is shedding light on barriers to health care access and use, as well as all of the social determinants of health which may include factors such as socioeconomic status — income, occupation and housing status — and other systemic issues such as discrimination. Nearly 25% of NHPIs serve in essential roles, such as military, security, manufacturing, health and service-related industries, which certainly would exacerbate impact."

Be sure to RSVP for tomorrow's webinar on the launch of the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander COVID-19 Data Policy Lab at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research! They'll be discussing the lab and share data about the pandemic’s impact on Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. REGISTER: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/8015984704214/WN_MvqoIwSWQFiQY_zb5JXvzw

https://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/covid-19-stark-differences-NHPI

Q&A with UCLA’s Ninez Ponce and alumna Karla Thomas on how these overlooked communities fight to be seen amid the pandemic.