Claiming Our Voice: Reshaping the Narrative of AAPIs

The deadly shooting of six women of Asian descent in Atlanta, Georgia on March 16, 202, sparked a nationwide conversation of the growing violence towards people of Asian descent, calling everyone to #StopAsianHate. But discrimination and violence toward Asian people in America started long before March 16. As communicators, we have to take a deeper look at what it means to be “Asian American” as well as where the term originated from, who established it, and the history that comes with it. Join our panelists as we discuss Asian Americans and the media and the complexities that come with having a broad label for heterogeneous people with vastly different cultural heritages. In this discussion, we may all learn what actions we can take as communicators and consumers of media to elevate our understanding and reshape the narratives of Asian Americans. Panelists: Denis Wu, PhD, Professor of Communication at Boston University College of Communication; Julia Hess (COM’20); Nina Ong (COM’10), U.S. Apprenticeship Lead at Google; Michael Gen-Hou Tom (COM’14), Communications Manager at Boston University Diversity & Inclusion. Moderator: Mira Dhakal (COM’22), President of COM DIRECT (Diversity & Inclusion Representing COM Together). Introduction: Dean Mariette DiChristina.