UPDATE: WE DID IT! OR RATHER, YOU DID.
We've made our $7500 goal, but we have 40 hours left and hope you don't stop now. We're hoping to not just make the sessions of BEYOND THE BAD AND THE UGLY available online, but also onscreen as a 60-80 minute documentary. To that end, we'll be shooting sit-down interviews with attendees and getting man/woman on the street quotes from attendees, and combining it with archival footage. The goal: Creating a doc that can be used by schools and community organizations to discuss these issues, long after the event itself is over.
THANK YOU! Your support has been incredible. And we hope we see you this Saturday!
Yours,
Jeff, Parry, Keith and Jerry
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On
March 23, we're organizing "
BEYOND THE BAD AND THE UGLY" — the first-ever Asian American summit on stereotypes, at Los Angeles's
Japanese American National Museum. We'll be bringing together an amazing group of Asian American artists, academics, advocates and critics for a candid discussion of negative and distorted images of Asians in U.S. popular culture — and how to address, erase or subvert them.
The event is going to be awesome, maybe even historic, so we'd love to have as many people see it and participate as possible — but not everyone can be in Los Angeles on March 23.
That's why we've launched this campaign to underwrite the cost of hiring videographers to shoot, edit and upload all of the sessions at "Beyond the Bad and the Ugly" to the Internet for free viewing by anyone, forever.
$7500 isn't a lot of money (well, it kinda is), but "Beyond the Bad and the Ugly"'s organizers, Wall Street Journal Online columnist Jeff Yang and his fellow editors of the groundbreaking Asian American comics anthology SHATTERED, have put the summit together out of their own pockets. Your support of this Kickstarter at any level will make it possible for this amazing event to live on long after it's over. And who knows? It might inspire us to put on another one...next year.
We have some pretty awesome rewards prepared for you, including:
![A full set of stereotype pinbadges from BEYOND THE BAD AND THE UGLY!]()
A full set of stereotype pinbadges from BEYOND THE BAD AND THE UGLY!
![Copies of SHATTERED: The Asian American Comics Anthology!]()
Copies of SHATTERED: The Asian American Comics Anthology!
![And BRAND-NEW limited edition SHATTERED T-Shirts, featuring the awesome cover artwork by CLIFF CHIANG (Wonder Woman)!]()
And BRAND-NEW limited edition SHATTERED T-Shirts, featuring the awesome cover artwork by CLIFF CHIANG (Wonder Woman)!
Read on for a rundown of all that's happening at "Beyond the Bad & the Ugly" — and consider contributing whatever you can!
Featured sessions at the summit:
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OPENING PLENARY — “IS THIS STEREOTYPE REALLY NECESSARY?”, a fresh, frank, informative (and likely snarky) exploration of Asian images past and present, moderated by SHATTERED editor-at-large Keith Chow and featuring notables such as graphic novelist Gene Yang (AMERICAN BORN CHINESE); performance poet Beau Sia (DEF COMEDY JAM; author, THE UNDISPUTED GREATEST WRITER OF ALL TIME); bloggers Andrew Ti (YO, IS THIS RACIST?) and Jen Wang (DISGRASIAN) and actor Parvesh Cheena (NBC’s OUTSOURCED)
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KEYNOTE CONVERSATION — “ORIENTATIONS”, a three-way talk about the history of stereotypes of the “far” and “middle” East, between Professor John Kuo Wei Tchen of New York University’s A/P/A Institute; science fiction author and cultural studies scholar William F. Wu; and Jack Shaheen, author of REEL BAD ARABS, former CBS news consultant on Middle East affairs and Professor Emeritus of Mass Communications, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.
[SPONSORED BY NEW YORK UNIVERSITY’S A/P/A INSTITUTE The Asian/Pacific/American Institute at NYU brings together accomplished scholars, community builders, and artists from New York City and beyond in interactive forums, reflection, and new research. www.apa.nyu.edu]
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KEYNOTE CONVERSATION — “SEXTYPES,” a discussion of race, gender roles, sex and sexuality, with Jeff Yang, adult film star Keni Styles and Helie Lee, director of MACHO LIKE ME, about her six months living as a man
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SPECIAL PANEL — “WHEN IS IT OKAY TO LAUGH?,” a frank discussion of ethnic humor, featuring Jenny Yang, organizer of the DIS/ORIENT/ED comedy tour, and featuring an all-star group of Asian American comics, including D'Lo, The Fung Brothers (Andrew and David Fung), Kiran Deol, Joe Luu and Greg Watanabe (18 Mighty Mountain Warriors)
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SPECIAL PANEL — “MAN BITES DOG,” an exploration of whether and how Asian American stereotypes impact the way news is covered and presented, presented in partnership with the Asian American Journalists Association’s Los Angeles Chapter and featuring MSNBC anchor Richard Lui, USC Annenberg School of Communication professor Andrew Lih, and Pulitzer Prize-winning former Wall Street Journal reporter Mei Fong, among others.
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CLOSING PLENARY — “CHANGING THE GAME,” a conversation about reevaluation and reinvention of stereotypes, moderated by Oliver Wang, cultural critic and Assistant Professor of Sociology at CSU-Long Beach, and featuring Parry Shen (star of BETTER LUCK TOMORROW and SHATTERED managing editor); Christopher Chen, producer of the forthcoming documentary LINSANITY; Jay Caspian Kang, Grantland editor and author, THE DEAD DO NOT IMPROVE; Deepa Jeeva, head of production, YOMYOMF Network, Brian Hu, artistic director, Asian Pacific Arts; Benson K. Lee, director, PLANET B-BOY and BATTLE OF THE YEAR: DREAM TEAM; and Mike Le, executive producer of K-TOWN: THE REALITY SHOW.
- ...AND MUCH, MUCH MORE (see complete schedule below)
![Sessue Hayakawa]()
Sessue Hayakawa
MISSION STATEMENT
In 1914, Sessue Hayakawa became the first Asian American actor to break through on the silver screen, appearing in movie pioneer Thomas Ince’s silent classic The Typhoon, and launching a career as one of the most popular and well-paid stars in the nascent Hollywood industry, albeit in roles that consistently depicted him as villainous, violent and manipulative. As he put it himself, “I want to be shown as I really am, and not as fiction paints me….My one ambition is to play a hero.”
Ninety-nine years later, Asians and Asian Americans have a much greater presence in U.S. popular culture — but they are often represented in ways that Hayakawa would recognize and lament: Silent thugs. Sexless nerds. Predatory temptresses, calculating conspirators and impossibly strange foreigners.
Organized by Jeff Yang, Wall Street Journal Online columnist and editor-in-chief of the new graphic novel anthology SHATTERED (http://siun.org/shatteredbook), which uses the medium of the comics to explore and explode unyielding stereotypes of Asians in pop culture, BEYOND THE BAD AND THE UGLY gathers together some of the brightest and most interesting Asian American creators, and critics, activists and academics in a unique one-day summit that begins by looking back at the heritage of Asian images in American media and society, and ends by looking ahead — discussing new ways to prevent distortions and present more vivid, humanized, three-dimensional portraits of Asians and Asian Americans to a wider and more accepting audience.
The Summit will take place from 9 am to 6:30 pm at L.A.’s Japanese American National Museum — a natural home for an event focused on the power of perception over the Asian American community’s destiny. It will be followed by SHATTERED’s official book launch cocktail reception featuring live performances and signings by its creators.
Tickets for BEYOND THE BAD AND THE UGLY will cost $15 for students, $25 for general admission and $35 for VIP admission, which includes reserved seating and a free copy of SHATTERED: THE ASIAN AMERICAN COMICS ANTHOLOGY (a $21.95 value!).
For more information on BEYOND THE BAD AND THE UGLY, or to connect with participants for interviews, email organizer Jeff Yang at jeff@secretidentities.org. BEYOND THE BAD AND THE UGLY will officially kick off SHATTERED’s 2013 tour, which will take Yang and his co-editors Parry Shen, Keith Chow and Jerry Ma to select cities and college campuses in the East, West and Midwest. For further information on booking the SHATTERED tour, contact Keith Chow at keith@secretidentities.org, or complete the SHATTERED booking form at http://siun.org/shatteredtour.
BEYOND THE BAD AND THE UGLY: The First-Ever Asian American Summit on Stereotypes in Popular Culture
Working Schedule: ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING IN PROGRESS
9 am-9:30 am (and through day): REGISTRATION
9:30-10:00 am: BRIEF WELCOME: Dr. Greg Kimura; Jeff Yang
10:00-11:00 am: Opening Plenary: IS THIS STEREOTYPE REALLY NECESSARY?
[moderator] Keith Chow, editor at large, SHATTERED; Parvesh Cheena, actor, NBC’s OUTSOURCED; Beau Sia, poet, author, THE UNDISPUTED GREATEST WRITER OF ALL TIME; Andrew Ti, blogger, YO IS THIS RACIST?; J.T. Tran, love consultant and LA Weekly columnist; Jen Wang, blogger, DISGRASIAN; Gene Yang, graphic novelist, AMERICAN BORN CHINESE and LEVEL UP
11:00-12:00: Keynote Conversation: ORIENTATIONS
Professor Jack Tchen, author, New York before Chinatown: Orientalism and the Shaping of American Culture, 1776-1882; William F. Wu, author, The Yellow Peril: Chinese-Americans in American Fiction, 1850-1940; Jack Shaheen, author, Reel Bad Arabs; former CBS News Middle East consultant and Professor Emeritus of Mass Communications from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville
12:00-1:00: Keynote Conversation: SEXTYPES
Jeff Yang, columnist, Wall Street Journal Online, editor-in-chief, SHATTERED; Keni Styles, adult film star; Helie Lee, director, MACHO LIKE ME, documentary on six months as a man
1:00-2:00 Lunch Break
2:00-3:00 Breakouts A: “What We Teach and Show”
TAMING TIGERS: GETTING BEYOND STEREOTYPES IN PARENTING AND EDUCATION
[moderator] Daren Mooko, associate dean of students, Pomona College; Julie Kang, blogger, Geisha School Dropout; Cynthia Liu, cofounder, K-12 News Network; Koji Stephen Sakai, blogger, 8Asians; director, CHINK; Jason Sperber, cofounder, Rice Daddies; Paula Yoo, author, GOOD ENOUGH; producer, EUREKA
SCREEN ADJUSTMENTS: GETTING BEYOND STEREOTYPES IN MEDIA
[moderator] Jocelyn Wang, blogger, 8Asians; Stephen Dypiangco, National Film Society; Patrick Epino, National Film Society; Brian Hu, artistic director, Pacific Arts Movement (organizers of the SDAAFF); Jerry Ma, art director, SHATTERED; Jude Narita, theater artist and activist, FROM THE HEART; Steve Nguyen, Channel APA
3:00-4:00 Breakouts B: What We Do and Say
MOVE THIS: CAMPAIGNS THAT WORK
[moderator] Lisa Lee, blogger, Thick Dumpling Skin; diversity program manager, Facebook; 18 Million Rising (Jenn Pae/Cynthia Brothers); Eileen Chow, Visiting Associate Professor, Duke University; Generations of War (Traci Akemi Kato-Kiriyama, founder, Tuesday Night Café); Racebending (Michael Le)
THE POLITICS OF PERCEPTION
[moderator] Ling Woo Liu, executive director of the Fred Korematsu Institute; Linda Akutagawa, President & CEO, Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics; Tanzila Ahmed, voter engagement manager at Asian Pacific American Legal Center; Jay Chen, Hacienda Heights school board member, congressional candidate
4:00-5:00 Special Panel A: WHEN IS IT OKAY TO LAUGH? Ethnic Humor that Works
[moderator] Jenny Yang, comedian, organizer, DIS/ORIENT/ED comedy tour; D'Lo; Kiran Deol, director and comedian; Andrew Fung (The Fung Brothers); David Fung (The Fung Brothers); Joe Luu, comedian; Greg Watanabe (18 Mighty Mountain Warriors)
Special Panel: MAN BITES DOG—How Stereotypes Shape the News
[moderator] Richard Lui, anchor, MSNBC; Leslie Berestein Rojas, Immigration and Emerging Communities reporter, Southern California Public Radio; Mei Fong, Pulitzer Prize winning former reporter, Wall Street Journal; Wendy Lee, Business Reporter, Southern California Public Radio; Andrew Lih,associate professor, USC Annenberg School of Communications
[COPRESENTED BY THE ASIAN AMERICAN JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION–LOS ANGELES CHAPTER]
5:00-6:00 Closing Plenary: CHANGING THE GAME
[moderator] Oliver Wang, cultural critic, Assistant Professor of Sociology, CSU-Long Beach; Christopher Chen, producer, LINSANITY; Jay Caspian Kang, editor, Grantland; author, THE DEAD DO NOT IMPROVE; Ted Kim, EVP, CJ Entertainment America;Deepa Jeeva, head of production, YOMYOMF Network; Mike Le,creator and executive producer, K-TOWN; Benson Lee, director, PLANET B-BOY; BATTLE OF THE YEAR: DREAM TEAM; Parry Shen, actor, BETTER LUCK TOMORROW; managing editor, SHATTERED
6:00-6:30 "ALL IN": CLOSING Q&A/ROUNDTABLE
6:00 to closing
SHATTERED: The Asian American Comics Anthology Reception
(open to all attendees and others by invitation)