Donate Shoes to the “Beyond Bollywood” Exhibition

2 Apr

Donate a pair of shoes to the exhibition Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation.

Want to be part of Beyond Bollywood? Donate a pair of new or gently worn shoes. They can be for any season, style, age, and gender. But please do not mail us your shoes, first send us photos of the shoes to indianamerican@si.edu. You will be contacted via email if your shoes are selected.

Please note that submissions are not guaranteed in the exhibition. There is no compensation for the donation and shoes will not be returned if they are chosen.

Call for Art Submissions

12 Mar

The Indian American Heritage Project of Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center is looking for artists to create works that use the visual of the H1-B visa as a motif or inspiration and comment upon the experience of temporary and tenuous immigration status for Indian immigrants in the United States.  Themes such as migration, transnational identity, diaspora, economy, outsourcing and the role and reach of technology can also be explored.

Concepts are due
Midnight, March 31

Final works should be no larger than 6’ by 6’ and must mount on a gallery wall.  All media are welcome, including:

  • Graphic Design
  • Painting
  • Drawing
  • Printing
  • Collage
  • Photography
  • Mixed Media

Interested artists should submit a concept, including a detailed written description and sketches/images by midnight EST on Sunday, March 31, 2013 to Curator Masum Momaya at MomayaM@si.edu with the subject line “H1-B”.

Upon review of concept submissions by Smithsonian curatorial staff, a small number of artists will be asked to create the final work and submit digital representations of it by 5pm EST on Friday, May 31,2013.

Digital representations will be displayed by Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center in an online gallery, and the winning work will be featured in an upcoming exhibition, Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation at the National Museum of Natural History from December 2013 through January 2015.

Event: Book Talk with Dr. Nalini Natarajan

7 Mar

Friday, April 5th, 2013

12:30 p.m. — 1:30 p.m.

CFCH Conference Room
Capital Gallery, 2nd Floor

600 Maryland Ave SW
Washington, DC 20024
Google Map

Metro: L’Enfant Plaza

Free and open to the public.

The Indian American Heritage Project at the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (CFCH) present a brown-bag book talk by Dr. Nalini Natarajan, Professor of English at the University of Puerto Rico – Rio Piedras in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on her new book Atlantic Gandhi: The Mahatma Overseas.

Atlantic Gandhi examines Gandhi’s experience as a traveler moving from a classic colony, India, to the plantation and mining society of South Africa and argues that his diasporic life resonates with recent perspectives on the Atlantic, as an ocean that not just transported the victims of a greedy plantation system, but also saw the ferment of revolutionary ideas.

Related Links:

In memory of George Aratani

5 Mar

George Aratani

By Sara Schreck, Spring 2013 intern

The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center is greatly saddened by the recent passing of Japanese American entrepreneur and philanthropist George Aratani, who passed away at the age of 95 on February 19, 2013.

Born May 22, 1917, Aratani was an extremely generous donor to foundations and organizations that promote Japanese American culture and education.  “Aratani was a philanthropic leader in the Asian Pacific American community who supported many important projects,” says Konrad Ng, Director of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center. One organization Aratani and his wife, Sakaye, contributed to was the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation, which has regularly supported the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center. Aratani and his wife were interned under Executive Order 9066 during World War II due to wartime anxiety and racism toward those of Japanese ancestry.  Aratani has been quoted as saying, “It is my philosophy to help the ones hurt by the mass evacuation.  I myself lost the family business.”(Hirahara and Kwan, 277). He is survived by his wife, Sakaye, two daughters, and extended family.

Sources:

  • “George Aratani.” Encyclopedia.densho.org. Densho Encyclopedia, 20 Feb. 2013. Web.
  • “George Tetsuo ARATANI Obituary.” Legacy.com. Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2013. Web.
  • Hirahara, Naomi, and Shelley Kwan, eds. Fifty Years, 50 Stories: Celebrate All Things Keiro. Los Angeles, CA: Keiro Senior HealthCare, 2010.

Call for nominations of Asian American endangered sites

28 Feb

Terminal Island, Port of Los Angeles, California. Photo by John C. Williams.

As of today, only 0.09% of the National Register listings represent Asian American historic sites. The National Trust for Historic Preservation seeks to change this shocking statistic.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is recognizing the importance of preserving the traditions, history, and culture of Asian Americans by calling for nominations of Asian American endangered sites for its 26th annual list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places®.  For over a quarter century, this list has highlighted important examples of the nation’s architectural, cultural and natural heritage that are at risk for destruction or irreparable damage. The list has helped preserve the history of some of the first Asian immigrants to this country.  Last year Terminal Island made the list, which was of great significance to the Japanese-American community during the tragic period of 1942.  China Alley also made the list in 2011, which was a flourishing Chinese community in Hanford, California in 1877.

China Alley, Hanford, California. In 1877, Chinese immigrants settled in this San Joaquin Valley town and found strength and community far from home in China Alley, a vibrant rural Chinatown. Today, most of its historic buildings are suffering from deterioration and disuse.

Nominations are due on Friday, March 1, 2013. The 2013 list will be announced in June.  The places on the list need not be famous, but they must be significant within their own cultural context, illustrate important issues in preservation and have a need for immediate action to stop or reverse serious threats. The site or place must also be at least 50-years old and have some type of historic or cultural significance either locally or nationally.

All nominations are subject to an extensive, rigorous vetting process. Click here for ten tips about presenting a strong case when nominating a site to America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. If you present a strong case there is a chance your one-of-a kind treasure could be put on a larger platform to get national attention.

For additional information, e-mail 11Most@savingplaces.org or call 202.588.6141. To learn more about the program and to submit a nomination, visit:  www.preservationnation.org/11most

2013 Day of Remembrance at the Smithsonian

7 Feb

Daniel Inouye, official Senate photo portrait, 2008.

A Special Forum by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center: The Life and Legacy of Senator Daniel Inouye (1924-2012)

Saturday, February 23, 2013
1:30 p.m. — 3:30 p.m.

Rasmuson Theater
National Museum of the
American Indian

4th and Independence Ave, SW
Washington, DC 20560
Google Map

Closest Metro: L’Enfant Plaza
and Federal Center

Free and open to the public.

Senator Daniel Inouye, a highly decorated American WWII combat veteran, an eight term United States Senator, and the President pro tempore of the United States Senate from 2010 until his death in 2012, was the most powerful Asian American politician in U.S. history.  As the Senate’s President pro tempore, he was third in line in the succession for the U.S. Presidency. Senator Inouye’s accomplishments were both extraordinary and historic for a man who, as a Japanese American during World War II, was classified as an “enemy alien” by the U.S. government and denied basic civil rights held by all Americans at the time.  His journey from “enemy alien” to war hero to President pro tempore, his advocacy for civil rights, the U.S. military, Native Hawaiians, American Indians, the people of Hawaii and others, and his work in the Senate all form a legacy that will remain alive for generations.

Senator Inouye’s life and place in American history is an opportunity to understand the arc of the Asian American experience over the past 100 years.  The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center is proud to host a special forum to discuss the life and legacy of Senator Daniel Inouye, a man of our time.

Forum Speakers:

  • Terry Shima, 442nd RCT veteran
  • Antonio Taguba, Retired Army Major General
  • Tuyet Duong, Senior Advisor for the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
  • Donald A. Ritchie, Historian of the U.S. Senate

Moderator:

  • Kathy Park, ABC 7 and NewsChannel 8 anchor

The program opens with a performance by the Aloha Boys.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa will not be able to join us for this event as previously expected.

This program will be webcasted live on our Ustream page from 1:30pm-3:30pm Eastern Time: http://bit.ly/apawebcast

Lead Sponsor:

With additional support from the Japanese American Citizens League, the Japanese American Veterans Association,  Southwest Airlines,  the Asian American Studies Program at the University of Maryland, College Park, and ITO EN North America.

Click to download PDF flyer

Related Links:

Intern Update: Pearl Presidential Inaugural Gala

7 Feb

From left: Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa being interviewed by Krista Aniel at the Pearl Gala, filmed by Mark Wolf.

By Emilio Eusebio, Spring 2013 intern

At the 2013 Pearl Presidential Inaugural Gala, I assisted our team while we filmed and conducted interviews for our upcoming exhibition: I Want the Wide American Earth: An Asian Pacific American Story. The traveling exhibition consists of 30 banners and an app that will tell the stories of many different Asian Pacific Americans (APAs). The Pearl Presidential Inaugural Gala brings together different leaders of the APA community, supporters, entrepreneurs, and public policy makers who highlight APA involvement in politics and prepare for the new administration.[1]

Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center staff attended the Gala because it was a great opportunity to meet and interview some of the biggest and important leaders in the APA community. Our team consisted of Lawrence Minh-Bui Davis, Noriko Sanefuji, Krista Aniel, Krishna Aniel, and videographer Mark Wolf. We asked our interviewees many different questions for our exhibition such as “What does it mean to you to be APA?” and “What does it mean to be American?”

A few of the interviewees include Secretary Norman Mineta, Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa, and Deepa Iyer. I assisted our team by  making sure no one interrupted the interviews and had every interviewee sign our release agreement.  The experience was  surreal and I’m very proud to have been a part of it.

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