NORTHRIDGE : Asian Experience Topic of Lecture
A lecture hosted by Cal State Northridge’s Asian American studies department today will address contemporary Asian American race issues and their relation to the African American and Latino experience in the United States.
In the department’s third annual Distinguished Lecture guest-speaker event, Cornell professor Gary Okihiro will deliver a speech entitled “Is Yellow Black or White?” to students and faculty members.
The speech, taken out of Okihiro’s 1994 book called “Margins and Mainstreams,” endeavors to demonstrate the shared experiences of Asians, Latinos and African Americans when it comes to racial prejudice, said Asian American studies department Chairman Kenyon Chang.
“The whole idea behind the speech is to figure out what racism really means in America,” Chang said. “It looks into some of the historical and social issues impacting Asian Americans today and tries to define racism in that context.
“There is a black-and-white paradigm in America when it comes to racism,” Chang added. “Okihiro looks to squeeze Asians in somewhere.”
In addition to Okihiro’s speech, the department’s Outstanding Student Leader of the Year awards ceremony will be held to honor Asian American students at CSUN.
The event will be held at 7 p.m. in the business/education lecture hall. For additional information, call (818) 885-4966.
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