St. Louis Pan Asian Collective (STL PAC)

In St. Louis, Asians have described feeling “invisible” in a region that grapples with a conspicuous Black-white divide but also the challenges created by immigration patterns that are outpacing local infrastructure and support. According to the 2020 census, the AAPI community grew 37% in the last decade, adding 22,000 Asians to our 14-county region. Yet we still are a minority that too often feels only superficially viewed and considered, for example through the lens of false narratives perpetuated by film and media.

In response, STL PAC and STL JACL present: InVISIBLE: A Reclaiming of the Asian Gaze, a multi-day, multicultural and multigenerational showcase of art, a creative expression workshop (in March), and an accompanying booklet of written and digital expressions. This program is conceived to uplift the perspectives and voices of the AAPI community in the greater St. Louis region. InVISIBLE also provides opportunities for St. Louis AAPI residents to share their culture and experiences and to come together to create connections and engender pride around shared heritage, history, and identity.

## Sat, May 18, Gallery open from 12 – 6pm

4-5:30pm: OPEN MIC reading of works for literary participants. Hear essays and poems from the poignant, funny, and thoughtful collection.

## Sun, May 19, Gallery open from 10am-4:30pm

3-4pm: PANEL DISCUSSION with participating artists. This interactive talk will prompt discussion on what motivates and inspires members of the AAPI community to create, how they combat stereotypes and prejudice, and what we think makes AAPI art “Asian”.
Thank you for the tremendous response to our call for creative works by the Asian American/Pacific Islander community in the St. Louis region! We received over 120 submissions from people of diverse ages and backgrounds who used a variety of media to explore, interpret and express their AAPI identities. Although we cannot show all of the amazing works, we will have other opportunities to highlight these AAPI creators at local businesses and more into 2025.

This initative is co-sponsored by the JACL- St. Louis Chapter and the St. Louis Pan Asian Collective. It is supported as a Washington University in St. Louis Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity Arts & Culture Community Grant. The CRE2 Arts & Culture Community Grant aims to continue and build on the work foregrounded by the Divided City Initiative with the generous support of the Mellon Foundation.

May's Bubble Tea Time will center on: The Intersection of Asian American Identity, Gender, and Sexuality. Celebrating APIA Heritage Month and soon Pride month, we want to embrace the beauty and challenges of these identities individually and communally. We will meet at Feng Cha Creve Coeur for a guided activity along with discussing the following questions:

1. What are we missing when we choose not to process the intersectionality of our gender, sexuality, and racial background?
2. What have been barriers to engaging more deeply with this topic?
3. What have you learned about gender and sexuality through your cultural background?
4. How is the Asian American community enriched by recognizing this intersection?

This Tea Time will be hosted by Danny!

About Bubble Tea Time:
Throughout 2024, we will be hosting a monthly Bubble Tea Time to explore the many facets of Asian American identity. These are for Asian-American and Asian-diasporic identifying participants only.

We recognize that Asian America is diverse: multiracial, adoptee, South Asian, non-US citizen, refugee, and much more. We don't want to miss out on your story, so please come and share if comfortable.

Future Bubble Tea Time Dates:
June 16
July 21
August 18
September 15
October 20
November 17
December 15

Please note that we are doing our best to alternate between hosting in St. Louis City and St. Louis County. If you have recommendations for a future boba or chai spot, please let us know!

For our non-Asian friends, we encourage you to check out our group’s other events. Although we appreciate the desire to learn more about cultures, we want to ensure that in this particular space, members of this demographic are not placed in a position to have to teach about their experience. Please message us if you have questions about this.