Standing Against Racism in the Time of COVID (Part II)

Join Asia Society Southern California as we examine how the Asian American community can contribute to the racial justice movement. 

COVID-19 has thrown into stark relief the racism which plagues the United States and much of the world. The Asian American community has been scapegoated for the outbreak of the pandemic including being subjected to harassment and assault. Black and Brown communities have been hit disproportionately hard by the pandemic suffering the greatest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths. The novel coronavirus and racism are afflicting dual pandemics on communities of color.

Education and allyship are key to dismantling the racism which persists in ways institutional, historical and structural. Join Asia Society Southern California as we examine how the Asian American community can contribute to the racial justice movement. The conversation will look at the history of cooperation and tension between the Asian American and African American communities. It will also explore racism within the Asian American community including colorism and antiblack sentiment. The program will address how to have difficult conversations on racism across generations in our families and communities. 

Speakers:

Rev. James M. Lawson Jr.
Prominent Civil Rights Leader, Pastor, Teacher, and Mentor

Stewart Kwoh
Founder, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Los Angeles

Viet Thanh Nguyen
University Professor, Aerol Arnold Chair of English

Professor of English, American Studies and Ethnicity and Comparative Literature, University of Southern California

Panelists:

Nikole Hannah-Jones
Pulitzer-Prize-winning author and creator of the New York Times Magazine’s “The 1619 Project”

Frank H. Wu
President, Queens College, City University of New York

Anthony Jackson
Vice President, Education

Director, Center for Global Education

Moderator:

Jonathan Karp
Journalist

Former Executive Director, Asia Society Southern California

Panelists:

Angeline Buenaventura
Policy Liase, Entertainment, Tourism, and Hospitality, Mayor's Office of Economic Development

Matt Horton
Director, Regional Economics at the Milken Institute

Moderator:

Jay Tucker
Executive Director, Center for Management of Enterprise in Media, Entertainment & Sports 

For any questions for the speakers in this program please submit in advance to ask_ASSC@asiasociety.org. We hope you'll consider joining Asia Society Southern California as a member and contributing, both available on our website.