Published April 02, 2018 by Rebecca Goldfine

Asian Heritage Month Brings Talks, Art, Music, Comedy to Campus

Comedian Jenny Yang will be on campus Friday, April 13, as part of this month’s line-up of events for Asian History Month.
2018 Asian Heritage Month Poster

Yang has made appearances on Comedy Central, Funny or Die, Cracked.com, Anna Akana, and Whitney Rice. President Obama honored her in 2016 as White House Champion of Change for her leadership in Asian American and Pacific Islander Art and Storytelling.

Additionally, Kevin Kumashiro, an expert on educational policy, school reform, teacher preparation, and educational equity and social justice, will a give a talk, on April 5, about ways to reframe the public debate and to build broader social movements for democracy and social justice in education.

The Asian Studies department is also hosting a talk, “Godzilla as Harrier and Harbinger: Rethinking the Post-Atomic Pacific,” on Friday, April 13, at 2 p.m. in Sills Hall’s Smith Auditorium. To many critics, Godzilla was a stand-in for nuclear anxiety, for worries over the A-bombings of Japan, nuclear testing and proliferation, and the careless use of technology. In light of current events, including tensions between the U.S. and North Korea, the event’s two invited speakers, Roland Kelts and Shuzo Shiota, will address how the Godzilla franchise leads audiences to think critically about such pressing concerns.

The month will include music and art, as well. Clara C, a Korean American singer and songwriter, will perform in Kresge Auditorium on April 7. Artist and senior critic at Yale University, Byron Kim, will lead an interactive workshop challenging visual perception as it relates to color and identity.

Find out more about the events on the Bowdoin Events Calendar.