Being Blackanese: The Evolving Embrace of Self and Community

Posted in Asian Diaspora, Autobiography, Identity Development/Psychology, Live Events, Media Archive, United States on 2016-11-16 03:20Z by Steven

Being Blackanese: The Evolving Embrace of Self and Community

College of San Mateo
CSM College Center Building 10, Room 193
1700 West Hillsdale Boulevard
San Mateo, California 94402 USA
Friday 2016-11-18, 18:30 PST (Local Time)

Being Blackanese: The Evolving Embrace of Self and Community brings together an award winning literary artist, a scholar activist, and an independently published author in an examination and affirmation of Black Japanese American life. The “Blackanese” experience – of a world where divisiveness remains common and cultural ambiguity can equate to invisibility within one’s own communities – will be exposed through readings, presentations and Q&A.

Featuring readings and presentations by:

  • Alyss Dixson will read from “The Club”, her short fiction piece about Ai, a determined Black Japanese girl who decides to sneak a ride on her father’s old Harley until an encounter with a thief puts her between fear of the stranger and fear of her dad’s punishment.
  • Fredrick Cloyd will read selections from his memoir, Dream of the Water Children: Memory and Mourning in the Black Pacific, covering his struggles as a half-Black Japanese boy born of an African American military father and that of his mother who was looked down upon for having a child by an American, as well as his life as an Amerasian after migrating to the United States.
  • Ramon Calhoun will read excerpts from his independently-published novel, Blackanese Boy, the coming of age story of Rafael Halifax. Raised by a single mother, Rafael tries to cope with and understand the complexity of his mixed-identity, born of his Japanese American mother and Black father, an infrequent yet powerful presence in his life.

The readings will be followed by a Question & Answer session facilitated by Dr. Frederick Gaines, Chair of the Department of Ethnic Studies, College of San Mateo.

For more information, click here.

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