Panels explore Asian-
American perspectives

Star-Bulletin

Eight free discussions on Asian-American issues will be held as part of the Association for Asian American Studies 15th annual meeting taking place tomorrow through Saturday at the Ilikai Hotel.

Topics for the panels, organized by undergraduate students, are:

"From 'Local' to Asian-American," students from Hawaii sharing their mainland college experiences;

"Perspectives of Asian-American Veterans of World War II," which includes veterans of Chinese-American, Filipino-American and Japanese-American ancestry;

"Native Hawaiian Cultural Revitalization and Marine Resource Management";

"Poets in the Schools Program";

"Asian Pacific American Studies in the U.S. Southwest";

"Teaching the Japanese-American Experience in Hawaii: The Contributions of Ethnic Studies Teaching Assistants";

"The Advantages and Ways to Asian Pacific American Student Activism and Coalition Building"; and

"What Asian American Studies Means to Me."

The discussions will run 9 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. in the Ilikai's second-floor meeting rooms.

On Thursday, the Hawaii premiere of "Kelly Loves Tony," produced and directed by Spencer Nakasako, will be screened at 7 p.m. in the Ilikai Hotel Pacific Ballroom.

It will be followed by two short Pacific Islanders in Communication documentaries, "Tatau: What One Must Do," produced and directed by Micah Van Der Ryn, and "Sacred Vessels: Navigating Tradition and Identity in Micronesia," produced by Christine Taitano DeLisle and Vicente Diaz, and directed by Diaz. The first film examines the spiritual history of the Samoan tatoo. The second tells of the canoeing traditions of Polowat and Guam.

There will be a question-and-answer session with the producers and directors after the screening.

Another free event will be the 7:30 p.m. Saturday Hawaii premiere of Loni Ding's film, "Ancestors in the Americas, Part II: Chinese in the Frontier West, An American Story." The film reveals the meaning of being Chinese and American in mid-19th century America, and retells the arrival of the Chinese to the Western states. The film also explores the source of individuals' strength in sustaining family and culture against the odds.

"Ancestors" will be screened in the Ilikai Pacific Ballroom and will be followed by a discussion with the filmmaker and humanities scholars.

Call 956-8086 for information.