The (Asian) American Stories We Choose to Tell: The National Park Service, Asian Americans, and the Making of the Model Minority

Thursday, September 3 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | AAARCC (915 5th St.) and Microsoft Teams

The National Park Service (NPS) plays a crucial role in shaping the United States’ identity and collective memory through its storytelling. Which Asian American stories are shared? What is the impact of NPS’ storytelling on Asian American history? This talk will explore one NPS story, “Japanese Americans at Grand Canyon: Bellboys and WWII Heroes,” and its connection to the evolution of a racialized Asian American identity and the ongoing function of its persistent, troubling legacy.

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Monica Trieu is professor of Asian American Studies and American Studies in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies at Purdue University. She received her BA from the University of California, Davis, and her PhD from the University of California, Irvine. Her research focuses on race and space, racialization, children of immigrants and refugees, and Asian American history. Her most recent book publication is Fighting Invisibility: Asian Americans in the Midwest (2023). She is currently working on a project examining the relationship among Asian Americans, U.S. National Parks, and the great outdoors.

Impact Storytelling through Photography & Videography: Tour of Purdue Brand Studio Productions

Thursday, September 10 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Stewart Center Room G52 (128 Memorial Mall Dr.)

Learn how Purdue's in-house production studio captures victories and heroes in Boilermaker history through promotional and instructional videos, documentaries, dramatic shorts, animation, and live event coverage

Speaker Bio:

Jason Doty is the Director of Purdue Brand Studio Productions (BSP). An award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker, Jason has had his work screened at over 25 international festivals and reached audiences in theaters nationwide. Jason has developed and sold screenplays to major studios and has pitched projects to Warner Bros., Amazon MGM Studios and Bad Robot. His experience spans both independent and studio filmmaking, shaping a creative approach grounded in narrative, craft and audience connection. He also spent seven years teaching film and video studies at Purdue, mentoring students and helping develop the next generation of storytellers.

Something Inside So Strong: Harambee, Music, and the Power of Affirmation in Freedom School

Thursday, September 17 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | AAARCC (915 5th St.) and Microsoft Teams

Discover how music functions as a pedagogical practice of affirmation, identity, belonging, and empowerment through interactive examples of African diasporic traditions of call-and-response.

Speaker Bio:

Jorge Perez De Jesus is a doctoral student studying Literacy and Language Education in the Curriculum and Instruction program. Jorge has served as site supervisor for the Purdue CDF Freedom School, graduate assistant for the College of Education, and program administrator at the Institute for Cancer Research. Jorge's experiences as a recruiter and community development connector make him uniquely equipped to help us build bridges — between generations, across cultures, and into neighborhoods.

The Purdue CDF Freedom School® is a community-engaged summer literacy program serving K–8 scholars through culturally relevant literacy instruction, enrichment, mentoring, and civic engagement. Central to the Freedom School experience is Harambee, a daily communal gathering rooted in collective participation, joy, and affirmation. Through motivational songs, cheers & chants, and African diasporic traditions of call-and-response, scholars are invited to use their voices collectively to affirm themselves and one another.

Art is for Everyone: Celebrating Community Creativity: Building Capacity for Arts Accessibility, Representation, and Opportunities

Thursday, September 24 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | AAARCC (915 5th St.) and Microsoft Teams

Explore how accessible art opportunities strengthen communities and connect people of all backgrounds, while learning how The Arts Federation provides resources to grow creative disciplines and artistic skills across 14 Indiana counties.

Speaker Bio:

Abi Bruno is the Programs Officer at The Arts Federation (TAF). Abi is from Chicago Ridge, Illinois and earned her bachelor's degree in Studio Arts and Technology at Purdue University. At Purdue, she worked in arts-focused marketing, creating visual content including photography, videography, and graphic design for concerts, events, and publications. Through her nonprofit work, Abi has contributed to the planning and design of virtual exhibitions, assisting with artist communications and developing immersive digital gallery experiences. Her passion for the arts continues to shape her growth as both an artist and arts professional, with focus on accessibility and inclusion.

Gather. Lead. Transform. : Organizing Individual Stories into an Inclusive Community

Thursday, October 1 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | AAARCC (915 5th St.) and Microsoft Teams

Find insight into how leaders of organizations in Greater Indianapolis identify the history and needs in their community, serve a unifying vision, cultivate partnerships, and inspire collective actions.

Panelists:

Dr. Melissa Borja is is Associate Professor and Director of the Asian and Pacific Islander American Studies at the University of Michigan. She is the author of Follow the New Way: American Refugee Resettlement Policy and Hmong Religious Change (Harvard University Press, 2023) and a public scholar with a focus of Asian American religious beliefs and the modern American state. She serves as the Chair for HAAP, an Indiana-based non-profit with the goal of ensuring that all Hoosiers can freely participate in a thriving democracy.

Rupal Thanawala is the president of Asian American Alliance, a non-profit empowering Central Indiana Asian Americans to serve and lead in business and community. She is also the Managing Director of Trident Systems, Tech Editor of Indianapolis Recorder, and serves as the board of director for the American Lung Association, Black Data Processor Association, and Techpoint Foundation for Youth.

Mikayla Roach is a 4th year PhD Candidate in the Biomedical Engineering Department at Purdue. She is serving her second term as the Diversity Officer for the Purdue Graduate Student Government. Additionally, she has served as a Sloan Center for Systemic Change Ambassador and chair for the BMEGSA Diversity Team.

This session is co-sponsored by Purdue Graduate Student Government.

Microsoft Teams Live Stream Registration

Create Anything Through Artwork: Translating Personal Narratives into Shared Experiences

Thursday, October 8 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | AAARCC (915 5th St.)

Discover how group artmaking and exhibiting can bring out the symbiotic relationship with multifarious expressions that occupy individuals' complex emotional spaces.

Speaker Bio:

Jong-un Choi is the foundations drawing coordinator in the School of Visual and Performing Arts at Purdue University. Choi received her BFA and MFA in Korean Painting from Ewha Woman’s University, Seoul, Korea in 2004 and 2007 respectively, where she learned traditional Korean methods and experienced a variety of conventional materials. Making a specialty in Korean painting has been one of the best parts of her work because it has given her a strong identity while she was finding her own formative language. Choi earned another MFA in Studio Art from Purdue University in 2014, which allowed her to expand the advancements in the field. Choi has developed her professional teaching methods at Purdue University, having been teaching Basic Drawing, Drawing II, and Painting I. Her experiences of many practical approaches from Korea to the States lead her work to a high degree of conceptual and technical skills.

She made a positive and powerful impact on her career by exploring her artistic practice and continuing to build upon exhibitions and achievements. She has done 9 solo exhibitions including the latest solo exhibition, Dialogue with Light at TAF in 2024. She has participated in many group exhibitions over the past 20 years nationally and internationally and has won several exhibition awards.

Table Talk: Connecting Communities, Honoring Heritage, and Inspiring Conversation Through Mahjong

Thursday, October 15 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | AAARCC (915 5th St.)

Learn how event pop-ups hosted by emerging community initiatives, such as Mahjong United, are preserving and sharing the heritage of mahjong as a living cultural practice, one game at a time.

Speaker Bio:

Jennie Mak is a Purdue alumna based in Washington DC. Jennie is the founder of Mahjong United, a community project born from her love of teaching and storytelling through mahjong. Raised in a mahjong-playing household in Hong Kong, she now teaches both kids and adults, using the game to connect generations and celebrate culture. Jennie sees beauty in every style—Hong Kong, American, Riichi, Filipino, Siamese—and views mahjong as a bridge between generations, cultures, and conversations. Mahjong teaches you that not every tile’s a keeper, but every choice counts.

“With Great Power . . .”: A Look at How Comics and Superheroes Have Shaped Our Worldviews

Thursday, October 22 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | AAARCC (915 5th St.) and Microsoft Teams

Come on an adventure of reflecting on how our extraordinary abilities can help us check in with and advocate for ourselves and others through the lens of superheroes and comic books.

Speaker Bio:

Coree Burton has a Bachelor's Degree in Broadcast and Cinematic Arts from Central Michigan University and a Master's Degree in Student Affairs Administration from the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. In his role as Assistant Director of Community Education and Engagement for University Residences, Coree connects staff and students to offices, departments, and resources that can best support their journeys at Purdue. When not working, Coree can probably be found at a movie theater or reading a comic book.

TBA

Thursday, October 29 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | AAARCC (915 5th St.)

TBA

LEAD TBD

Thursday, November 5 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Location TBD

More details to come.