Mapping of Asian Americans, presented by Margaret Yee

The U.S. Census Bureau defines “Asian” as “a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.” How can all of these disparate cultures be encompassed by one word, “Asian,” a word mostly used by people in the West? Moreover, how does the Census Bureau account for West Asians or Central Asians? In this workshop, Margaret Yee uses maps and works of art to spark reflection and discussion on what it means to be “Asian.” Closer to home, how does the weight of Asia’s expansive, complex geography and history affect the identities and lives of Asian Americans.