Santa Monica College (SMC) is proud to present four free events in May in honor of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. The events include a screening of aka DAN: A Korean Adoption Documentary Story with audience Q&A, a discussion on coping with hate and discrimination against Asian Americans, a talk about designing the user experience for consumers and enterprise, and a workshop on a new way of looking at, thinking about, and staging the stories of Indigenous Peoples in the Pacific.
All presentations are free, and will be held online as live virtual events. A Zoom link to each event will be posted with the listing on the SMC Events calendar at smc.edu/calendar. To attend, the Zoom software must be installed on the viewer’s computer. A free download is available at zoom.com.
SMC’s Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month events are:
• Tuesday, May 11 — Dan Matthews: “aka DAN: A Korean Adoption Documentary Story Film Screening and Q&A” at 11:15 a.m. Dan Matthews, better known as alternative Hip Hop artist DANakaDAN, presents an online screening and Q&A about aka DAN: A Korean Adoption Documentary Story, which chronicles his experience as a Korean adoptee who travels to Korea to find his biological family. He is the lead content creator and producer with ISAtv (International Secret Agents), a YouTube network founded by Far East Movement + Wong Fu Productions. Sponsored by the SMC Associates.
• Thursday, May 13 — Aastha Gaur: “UX Director at Google,” at 11:15 a.m. Aastha Gaur, who has designed solutions at boutique design studios and big corporations, is a User Experience (UX) Director at Google. She will talk about her work designing for consumers and enterprise, and the importance of leading with mindfulness, intuition, creativity, and compassion. Sponsored by the SMC Associates.
• Thursday, May 13 — Dorothy Chin: “Transforming AAPI Hate into Strength and Resilience,” at 1 p.m. Dorothy Chin is an SMC psychology professor and a clinical psychologist specializing in trauma, culture, discrimination, and mental health. She will talk about coping with hate and discrimination against Asian Americans and what it means to be Asian in today’s climate. Sponsored by the SMC Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Alliance.
• Thursday, May 20 — Rhiana Yazzie: “New Native Theatre – Indigenous Peoples in the Pacific Workshop” at 11:15 a.m. Based in the Twin Cities, New Native Theatre (NNT) is a new way of looking at, thinking about, and staging Native American stories. Created in 2009 by playwright Rhiana Yazzie, NNT produces, commissions, and devises authentic Native American stories for the stage, making NNT’s artists intricately connected to the concerns and voices of their communities. Sponsored by the SMC Associates.
More information is available by calling SMC’s Office of Public Programs at 310-434-4100.
Submitted by Grace Smith
