50 Years American: The Case of Southeast Asians

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A conversation, film screening, and Q&A on perceptions and reality over 50 years since Southeast Asians arrived in America, featuring Dr. Chia Youyee Vang, Christina Hughes, PhD, filmmakers Quyên Nguyễn-Lê and Joua Lee Grande.

Presented by Aeda & Minnesotan Asian American Film Festival
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How did Southeast Asian refugees - Cambodians, Laotians (including Hmong and Mien), and Vietnamese – become American? How were they defined? How are they defining themselves?
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Southeast Asian refugees, mainly Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian (including Hmong), faced immense cultural and economic challenges in their transition to life in the U.S. after the Vietnam War. Despite initial U.S. government policies aimed at easing their assimilation, they struggled to rebuild their lives and create a foundation for the educational and economic advancement of their children. Looking back fifty years after resettlement, what were the perceptions and myths surrounding Southeast Asians, and did these narratives match their lived experiences across the U.S?
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Join us for a panel discussion and film screening event!
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We’re diving into the past fifty years since Southeast Asian refugees first arrived and how they have changed the United States. We’ll examine the gap between initial public perceptions and the complex realities of their experiences in the US.
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Author Panelists
Chia Youyee Vang, PhD: Professor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Christina Hughes, PhD: Assistant Professor, Macalester College
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Film screening:
Four films by Quyên Nguyễn-Lê and Joua Lee Grande

Southeast Asian Journeys - Produced in association with Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) and the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), Southeast Asian American Journeys explores the stories of five local SEAA refugee communities who, while being shaped by their resettlement journeys, have transformed the landscape of which they are a fundamental part.

The filmmakers will be present to discuss their films.