Heritage & Health Series Program

Tuesday
APRIL 14

LECTURE SERIES I: SFSU CREATIVE WRITING PROF. MAY-LEE CHAI

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• See list of recommended readings by May-Lee Chai

May-lee Chai is the author of ten books, including the memoir Hapa Girl, a Kiriyama Prize Notable Book; the novel Tiger Girl, which won an Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature; and her original translation from Chinese to English of the 1934 Autobiography of Ba Jin.

Her award-winning short prose has been published widely, including in Glimmer Train, Missouri Review, Seventeen, Crab Orchard Review, The Rumpus, ZYZZYVA, Dallas Morning News, Christian Science Monitor, and San Francisco Chronicle. The recipient of an NEA fellowship in prose, Chai is an assistant professor in the Creative Writing Department at San Francisco State University.

Sponsors by ASFC and ENG 1CH

Wednesday
APRIL 15

HERITAGE MONTH OPENING CEREMONY- TEA W/ THUY: ANTI-ASIAN RACISM & HER STORY! + Q&A OPEN MIC

Noon - 1 p.m.

Join President Thuy, as Foothill launches its first ever virtual heritage month, with “Asian Pacfic Islander Month Gone Virtual”.  Enjoy spending time, and help support and spread Foothills stance against prejudice, as President Thuy will share her story, and focus on anti-asian racism. Also come with questions prepared, if you would like the opportunity for a personal response from our very own Foothill president Thuy.

Sponsored by ASFC

Thursday
APRIL 16

LECTURE SERIES II: SAN FRANCISCO/KOLKATA BASED WRITER SANDIP ROY

10 a.m.–Noon

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Sandip Roy is an Indian journalist based in Kolkata after living in the US for two decades and author of the novel Don't Let Him Know, which explores the lives of gay men and their families on two continents. 

He is the Culture Editor of the news portal Firstpost. He is also a contributing editor with the Huffington Post, a regular commentator for NPR's "Morning Edition"  and New America Media. He also has a weekly program on KALW 91.7FM, a public radio station in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Sponsored by ASFC and ENG 1CH

Friday
APRIL 17

PHYSICAL FITNESS THROUGH YOGA TO MEDITATE AND RELAX WITH SHOBHA PRABALA

Noon - 1 p.m.

I have been teaching yoga for over 7 years in Bay Area at various gyms, non profit organizations, community centers and libraries. I am dedicated to creating a nurturing and safe environment for students to focus inward and explore the body, mind and spirit at all levels.

Vinyasa yoga connects each yoga pose to the next through a series of movements coordinated with the breath. The pace and intensity of the class depends on the participant's level and goals. Each movement is paired with an inhale and exhale to help settle the mind, deepen the practice, and engage the experience.

Yoga is more than just a workout; it feeds our soul, calms the mind, and heals the body. I strongly believe that yoga helps us in discovering and reaching our true potential. Sharing the yoga practice with members of my community and getting students into asanas with full understanding and awareness is the goal of my classes.

Sponsored by ASFC

Tuesday
APRIL 21

LECTURE SERIES III: MONGOLIA/RUSSIA BASED INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS RIGHTS AND CONSERVATION ACTIVIST MARIA AZHUNOVA

 10 a.m.–Noon

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Maria Azhunova is a former Foothill College International Student from Russia and Mongolia who continued her educational journey to Harvard University and then Cambridge University in England--and now serves as Director of the Baikal Buryat Center for Indigenous Cultures in Siberia.

Sponsored by ASFC and ENG 1CH

Wednesday
APRIL 22

LECTURE SERIES IV: DACIA TALENI (AFROTIENE) “THE REAL TAUTALA”

Join with Zoom at Noon - 1 p.m.

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Dial: +1 669 900 6833 (US Toll)

Meeting ID: 338 583 843

International: https://cccconfer.zoom.us/u/ace0ihYUKC

Dacia Taleni (also known as "AfroTeine" ) is a Black and Samoan woman who is an activist, advocate and artist. AfroTeine actively works to decolonize Pasifika identities through her poetry, music, and storytelling on her podcast “The Real Tautala”.  She pushes the envelope in conversation to talk about things that many Pasifika people tend to "sweep under the rug". She was a resident of the village of Leone in American Samoa where she worked for the American Samoa Community College, provided free tutoring for the students of Saint Teresa Middle School and coached the varsity Tafuna High School Women’s Basketball for 5 years.

Since moving back from American Samoa in 2017, Dacia has been the keynote speaker at the 2018 and 2019 UpRise conference in Seattle Washington which is one of the largest Pasifika youth conference in the country. She has also led Pasifika youth workshops regarding the ownership and expression of one's story. Currently, she is an Art chair for the Pasifika Summit which will be held in South Seattle, Washington,working with many community organizers and educators to provide a space for Pasifika people to share their talents and stories.

Sponsored by ASFC

Thursday
APRIL 23

LECTURE SERIES V: RUBY WALIA, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF THE “TOUCH A SOUL” ORGANIZATION

Join with Zoom at 10 –11 a.m. 

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Dial: +1 669 900 6833 (US Toll)

Meeting ID: 904 622 524

International: https://us04web.zoom.us/u/fdIp8nVcOQ

Stress can cause people to experience emotional and even physical pain, and stress can multiply if not managed properly. As a practitioner of mind and body wellness, Ruby emphasizes the importance of finding healthy ways to cope with stressful situations rather than being completely drained by them. Ruby hopes that people can gain awareness of how to use stress as a tool to enhance their emotional wellness.

Ruby Walia is the Founder and President of the “Touch A Soul” organization, her non-profit charity that serves underprivileged children by providing them food and school supplies to nurture their growth toward a healthy and empowered future. Ruby believes that helping others is both rewarding and also creates a ripple effect that can make this world to be a better place to live in. She also believes that unexpected jolts in life can offer such valuable lessons that help people become more aware about opportunities to grow in a very stressful world.

Ruby started her holistic wellness journey about six years ago. Reading inspirational books and listening to great speaker’s added great value to her wellness journey. Meditation, mindfulness, and yoga have helped her develop calmness in the chaos and taught how to grow from difficult life situations. Ruby's passion is to share such service and wellness strategies with others.

Sponsored by ASFC

Thursday
APRIL 23

LECTURE SERIES VI: SAN FRANCISCO/STANFORD BASED AUTHOR AND ACTIVIST SAMINA ALI

10 a.m.-Noon

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Samina Ali is an award-winning author as well as a curator and a popular speaker. Her debut novel, Madras on Rainy Days, received France’s prestigious Prix du Premier Roman Etranger Award and was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award in Fiction. She teaches in the Stanford Continuing Studies program, including "Novel Writing: The Art of Spinning Tales" (Summer 2019) and "Novel Writing: The First Chapter and Beyond" (Fall 2019).  She currently teaches creative writing for Stanford Continuing Studies program.

Sponsored by ASFC and ENG 1CH

Tuesday
APRIL 28

LECTURE SERIES VII: DR.YVONNE Y. KWAN, SJSU ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES, DIRECTOR OF THE ETHNIC STUDIES COLLABORATIVE

Join with Zoom at at 10–11 a.m.

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Dial: +1 669 900 6833 (US Toll)

Meeting ID: 538 603 482

International: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcoS6JPt2t

Dr. Yvonne Y. Kwan is an Assistant Professor of Asian American Studies in the Department of Sociology and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences at San Jose State University. As the Director of the Ethnic Studies Collaborative, Kwan has worked closely with the Dean of the College of Social Sciences to create a minor in Comparative U.S. Race and Ethnic Relations (CRER).

She also brings together ethnic studies-affiliated faculty and staff to facilitate curricular and research collaboration across disciplines. At the university level, Kwan served as the Co-Chair of the Asian Pacific Islander Desi/American (APID/A) Task Force to advocate for curricular and co-curricular support for APID/A students.

Her publications and political advocacy address the transgenerational transmission of trauma, mental health, and educational outreach for Southeast Asian refugees. Kwan also advises masters students about transnational adoption, QTPOC student involvement and consent training, and conservative politics.

Prior to taking her position at SJSU, Yvonne was part of the inaugural cohort of the Society of Fellows Postdoctoral Program at Dartmouth College. She earned her bachelors in ethnic studies and psychology at UCSD, masters in education at UCLA, and master and PhD in sociology at UCSC.

Sponsored by ASFC

Tuesday
APRIL 28

LECTURE SERIES VIII: INDONESIAN AMERICAN USC NEW MEDIA POST-DOCTORAL FELLOW VIOLA LASMANA

10 a.m.-Noon

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A former international student from Indonesia at Foothill College, Viola Lasmana earned her B.A. and M.A. at SFSU, and her Ph.D. in English and Digital Media and Culture from USC in 2018.   She is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow in American Studies and Ethnicity at USC. 

Her research interests include New media; film; global digital humanities; critical theory; media arts and practice; literature; feminist pedagogy; literature; transpacific studies; Indonesian film and media; Asian/American studies. In 2019, she was the keynote speaker for the International Moving Image and Cultures Conference (IMOVICCON).

Sponsored by ASFC and ENG 1CH

Wednesday
APRIL 29

HEADS, HANDS, AND HEARTS CONNECTION PANEL - MENTAL HEALTH IN ASIAN PACFIC-ISLANDER COMMUNITIES

Join with Zoom at Noon–1 p.m.

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Dial: +1 669 900 6833 (US Toll)
Meeting ID: 315 847 144

The API planning Committee welcomes everyone to a panel where there will be discussion on how thoughts affect actions and feelings. This panel will discuss and focus around how to maintain community and social interaction as our world has gone virtual. 

Sponsored by ASFC

Thursday
APRIL 30

LECTURE SERIES IX: SF/VIETNAM BASED AUTHOR ANDREW LAM

10 a.m.–Noon

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PREFER TO CALL IN BY PHONE?

Dial: +1 669 900 6833 (US Toll)

Meeting ID: 968 442 370

International: https://cccconfer.zoom.us/u/adkNZoPqcJ

Andrew Lam left Vietnam with his family during the fall of Saigon in April 1975. Growing up in Daly City, he attended the University of California, Berkeley where he majored in biochemistry to enter the creative writing program at San Francisco State University.

While still in school he began writing for Pacific News Service and in 1993 won the Outstanding Young Journalist Award from the Society of Professional Journalists.  A PBS documentary produced by WETA in 2004, My Journey Home, told 3 stories of Americans returning to their ancestral homelands, including of Lam's return to Vietnam. He is the author of numerous books of essays and an award-winning short story collection, Birds of Paradise Lost.  Now based in Saigon, his radio commentaries still air often on NPR.

Sponsored by ASFC and ENG 1CH