Houston Asian American Archive - HAAA

Join TAS faculty member, Sidney Lu, as he presents "Japanese Texans: Pioneers of Rice Farming" for the Friends of Texas Historical Commission on June 20 at 6:30pm. The talk is open to the general public, but registration is required. (https://www.thcfriends.org/.../japanese-texans-pioneers.../)
Abstract: Early Japanese immigrants in Texas played a crucial role in establishing the rice industry in the Lone Star State. The incredible yet undertold story of these pioneering Texans is a story of family, community, agriculture, hardship, and resilience. They came to Texas as immigrant farmers at the beginning of the twentieth century to pursue personal success on the one hand and to escape the rampant racism against Asian immigrants on the U.S. West Coast on the other. By starting farms along the Gulf of Mexico and cultivating rice, vegetables, and fruits, they contributed to agricultural development in Texas as well as established an important cultural foothold. Join us to learn more about the history and legacy of Japanese farmers in Texas.

Join us for a public talk by Artist-in-Residence Xin Liu, recipient of the 2022 Karman Fellowship, the 2021 Porsche Young Chinese Artist of the Year Award, and the 2020 X Museum Triennial Award. A boxed lunch will be provided. This talk is open to all members of the Rice community and the public. To attend, please RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1tLlWgKpNuhpBFSpLBuOWn6cM3HtJqXq_hym9W36nWdE/viewform?edit_requested=true.

Do you know anyone Chinese-Mexican-American? Please this post with them, if you do!

Chinatown Rising movie screening will culminate in a Q&A with the director. Come and see it for yourselves! Nov 9th. 4pm.

Nov 12: Asia Society Texas Center presents a workshop premiere of a theatrical work with music by Chao Center for Asian Studies's Shih-Hui Chen in collaboration with the Taiwanese Tung-Hua Shadow Puppet Troupe and Rice’s Center for Environmental Studies. More info at:

'sisila ila ila: saying goodbye' In partnership with the National Theater and Concert Hall of Taiwan, join Asia Society Texas for the workshop premiere of 'sisila ila ila: saying goodbye,' a unique musical work about the environment with shadow puppetry and whale songs!

Oct 26: The renowned Formosa Quartet presents 3 string quartets composed by the Chao Center for Asian Studies' Shih-Hui Chen in an interactive lecture/concert, featuring a film excerpt and a traditional Taiwanese nanguan music player/actress, who will perform/demonstrate. More info at:

Formosa Quartet With Mei-Hui Wei: 'The Music of Taiwan' In partnership with the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Formosa Quartet returns to Asia Society Texas for a concert celebrating Taiwanese indigenous music!

Come explore the world of Asian American poets and support our friends Bao-Long Chu, Rohan Chhetri, Weijia Pan, Robin Davidson, and Ariana Lee this Saturday at 11 am! Hosted by Houston Public Library and Houston Asian American Archive - HAAA: https://calendar.houstonlibrary.org/event/10048308

Join us on Saturday, April 22, for a poetry reading at the Houston Public Library! We are so excited to present this panel of Asian American poets, moderated by Houston Poet Laureate Robin Davidson. In addition, Houston Youth Poet Laureate, Ariana Lee, will kick off the event with a special reading.

Please register at: https://calendar.houstonlibrary.org/event/10048308

This event is presented in partnership with the Houston Public Library and celebrates the exhibit "Our Vibrant AAPI Community: Selections from the Houston Asian American Archive", now on display.

Join us this Saturday, March 25th, for an exciting dance program featuring performances from:

- Anjali Center for Performing Arts
- Dance of Asian America
- Rea Sampilo

Please register for this event: https://calendar.houstonlibrary.org/event/10047487

This event is presented in partnership with the Houston Public Library and celebrates the exhibit "Our Vibrant AAPI Community: Selections from the Houston Asian American Archive", now on display. Details on parking can be found at: https://haaa.rice.edu/events

Happy AANHPI Heritage Month from all of us at the Rice HAAA! We are so honored to play a part in capturing the experiences and stories of so many AANHPI folks in Houston and beyond. 🌺

Scroll through to find some events happening in Houston this month — see you there! Events feature Japanese Breakfast, Houston Public Library, Harris County Public Library, Da Camera of Houston, Chinese Community Center of Houston, OCA Greater Houston, and Asia Society Texas Center!

If you're an Asian American and live/have lived in Houston, fill out the following form to contribute to a mural in front of Hmart off of Bellaire and 59. Curated by Art by Thomas Tran, this mural will be up by the end of Summer 2022, so send in your suggestions now! 🎨 bit.ly/AsiatownMural

TONIGHT at 7PM | Join AAPI musicians, conductors, composers, and scholars at the Asia Society Texas Center for a discussion on AAPI representation in contemporary opera.

Bass vocalist Peixin Chen, conductor Eiki Isomura, Chair-Elect of Houston Grand Opera's Claire Liu, mezzo-soprano Sun-Ly Pierce, and The Shepherd School of Music's very own Dr. Shih-Hui Chen are all featured on the panel, as well as moderator Khori Dastoor, General Director and CEO of Houston Grand Opera. Don't miss it!

More information here: https://asiasociety.org/texas/events/discussion-turandot-and-aapi-representation-contemporary-opera

Our friends at the Asia Society Texas Center are hosting a brilliant exhibition titled "Making Home: Artists and Immigration," on display until July 2022!

You'll experience works by artists Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, Phung Huynh, Beili Liu, and Tuan Andrew Nguyen, all focusing on themes of the immigrant experience, such as intergenerationality, the repercussions of colonial histories, dislocation, memory, otherness, belonging, and resilience.

Join our friends at the Vietnamese Culture and Science Association (VCSA)- Houston, ALCSI, and Rice University for a webinar on lung cancer screening, tomorrow at 5PM! The presentation will be hosted right here on Facebook. Hope to see you there!

TOMORROW, February 17: "Alternative Facts," a documentary focusing on WW2 Japanese American internment, and more specifically, the landmark case of Fred Korematsu vs. the United States, will be aired both in-person and online at 4:00PM.

Panelist discussions will follow, featuring filmmaker Jon Osaki, Professor Lori Bannai, Justice Frances Bourliot, and moderator Heaven Chee!

Register at https://tinyurl.com/2p9y73m.

This Wednesday, on January 26, from 11:30-12:30pm, the Baylor College of Medicine is hosting a virtual seminar on mental health in the AAPI community! Sign up at tinyurl.com/mu3krf57 💡

“Great Eats: Stories from Houston’s Food Scene” explores the diversity of Houston’s renowned food scene. The documentary features five restaurants that reflect the geographical and generational bonds of Houston’s Asian community. Drawing upon archival stories, intertwined family histories and cultural ties are explored. An integral part of Houston’s food scene, Asian restaurants have paved the way for neighborhoods like Little India and Chinatown, popularized Asian flavors, and celebrated Asian culture. Find the documentary on our Youtube channel and through https://haaa.rice.edu/podcasts.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/dining/favorite-restaurant-list-america.html

Blood Bros. BBQ has made it onto The New York Times The Restaurant List 2021 with recognition for their mouth-watering barbecue creations. Congratulations!

For one of the three 'Blood Brothers,' Robert Wong's HAAA interview: https://haaa.rice.edu/robin-wong-interview

For our documentary episode Great Eats: Stories from Houston's Food Scene which features five delectable eateries around the city, including a stop at Blood Bros. BBQ: https://haaa.rice.edu/podcasts

The 2021 Restaurant List The 50 places in America we’re most excited about right now.

"Interviewing people for HAAA has helped me better understand my own identity as an Asian American, especially as a Houston Asian American." - Helen Pu

Helen Pu, the Senior Lead Intern at the HAAA, will be sharing her skills and passion for archiving in Asian American Resource Center - City of Austin and Austin History Center, Austin Public Library's What is Family Archiving and Why Does it Matter? on Saturday, Oct. 16 10 AM CST - Featuring Alan Garcia (ATX Barrio Archive) and Sarah Kong & Helen Pu (HAAA).
RSVP here: aarcatx.eventbrite.com

"These stories have shown me how each immigrant experience has come together to shape the robust Asian American landscape that we see in Houston today." - Helen Pu

Juli Qermezi Huang, Assistant Professor, Anthropology of Development at Edinburgh University joins us THIS FRIDAY @ noon CDT! You can still register for the webinar at: http://ow.ly/660150G6mNb

"Documenting the Asian American experience is important because everyone has a story to tell." - Sarah Kong

Sarah Kong, the Senior Lead Intern at the HAAA, will be sharing her skills and passion for archiving in Asian American Resource Center - City of Austin and Austin History Center, Austin Public Library's What is Family Archiving and Why Does it Matter? on Saturday, Oct. 16 10 AM CST | Featuring Alan Garcia (ATX Barrio Archive) and Sarah Kong & Helen Pu (Houston Asian American Archive).
RSVP here: aarcatx.eventbrite.com

"The Asian communities in Houston are extremely diverse and multifaceted. There are so many interesting stories that can be revealed if you just stop and ask." - Sarah Kong

Look forward to Asian American Resource Center - City of Austin and Austin History Center, Austin Public Library's What is Family Archiving and Why Does it Matter? on Saturday, Oct. 16 | Featuring Alan Garcia (ATX Barrio Archive) and Sarah Kong & Helen Pu (Houston Asian American Archive)!

This event is part of a workshop series, Stories from the South:
The AARC and the Austin History Center invite you to take a deep dive into your own family histories with this FREE and virutal, hands-on archiving workshop series! Join experienced archivists, oral historians, and community memory workers as they answer questions and offer strategies on preserving your family photographs, documents, artifacts and stories well into the future.

RSVP at the link: www.aarcatx.eventbrite.com

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival everyone! We wish you cheerful celebrations on this day when everything looks like a mooncake.

Join the Filipino American National Historical Society - Houston, Texas Chapter in a cinematic finale to Filipino American History Month: Yellow Rose will be on the screens! More details will be forthcoming from FANHS, so be on the lookout!

There are those who've walked through Sallyport once, and those who've done so twice. From Rice alumni who've made a mark on the Houston community to current undergrads, we have them all! As the fall semester's around the corner, take the time to celebrate these generations of Asian Americans at Rice University.

Zia is a Chinese-American activist, author, and former journalist whose recent piece for TIME tells a personal story about growing up in the U.S. among anti-Asian sentiments and injustices and the struggle of Asian Americans to be seen and heard. Titled "‘Not a Victim.’ Asian American Elders Stand Resilient in the Wake of Hateful Violence," Zia's essay connects her experiences with her dismay at her community's invisibility.

Zia states, "By bringing our Asian-American universe into focus for all to see, we hope you—our neighbors, co-workers, members of all faiths and beloved communities—will see our elders as we see them, and as you see your own: the ones who made the foundation of our families, our homes and our country with their blood, sweat, tears and love. In knowing their stories, perhaps we can finally bring our parallel universes together."

https://time.com/6082120/asian-american-elders-resilience/

Asian American Elders Stand Resilient in the Wake of Hateful Violence 'While he was physically assaulted, he isn’t a victim'

Ever wonder what is a mandala? Asia Society Texas Center is hosting Let's Make Mandalas next Tuesday, July 27th, where you'll get to learn about the history and cultural context behind mandalas, and try your hand at making one, too!

Register online here: https://asiasociety.org/texas/events/cultural-bridges-aarp-lets-make-mandalas.

Going forward, Asia Society Texas has more in store as part of their Cultural Bridges series. If you enjoy events like this one, be sure to check their upcoming ones, such as Explore Korean Culture on July 29th.

Cultural Bridges With AARP: Let's Make Mandalas Through this partnership with AARP, adult learners are invited to learn about the history and cultural context of mandalas, view Tibetan Buddhist monks creating a sand mandala, and create their own mandala drawing.

Nothing beats the live appreciation of art! There's still time to view the projects of Hong Hong and Anthony Pabillano, both of whom we've interviewed for our collection, and other impressive artists at Lawndale Art Center's The Big Show.

Quoting the juror Cecilia Fajardo-Hill: "During this period of isolation and uncertainty, many artists turned their eyes to the landscape and to nature; others, to the freeing universe of abstraction; others, to embodiments of resistance, grief, or the beauty of others and the self; others, to celebrate and explore their cultural and personal identities; and, finally, some turned to reimagining the objects of daily life. In The Big Show 2021, diverse universes are brought together as communities to celebrate art and life, no longer alone."

Learn more: https://lawndaleartcenter.org/exhibition/the-big-show-2021/.

For Hong Hong's interview: https://scholarship.rice.edu/handle/1911/110844

For Anthony Pabillano's interview: https://haaa.rice.edu/anthony-pabillano-interview

Both interviews can also be found on our Youtube channel.

THIS THURSDAY: In her book, Cathy Park Hong weaves together personal stories, historical context, and cultural criticism to ultimately create an emotional and impactful exploration of Asian American personhood. Join us on Apr 22 @ 6:30 PM via Zoom. Reg: https://tinyurl.com/za9cv2c5

Upcoming at Alief Art House with Matt Manalo!

Tania Breton (born in Mexico; lives and works in Houston, Tx) is a conceptual artist. Their works are narratives of the abstract life they live. Their admiration for womanhood, everything gentle, vulnerable yet strong and resilient. They are interested in exploring topics of s*xuality and queerness, their role as a mother, and its relationship to s*x as it pertains to the body: as a symbol, as a tool, as an object. They seek to unravel the conventional forms of beauty and aesthetics, depicting marginalized communities and the abundance of akin narratives. While examining their subjects, not only through the work in which they are involved but through their experiences and efforts to create community. Their interdisciplinary practice incorporates painting, digital images, performance, installation, and movement.

Alief Art House in honored to showcase “Metamorfosis” featuring Tania’s paintings and sculptural work.