Boost your Broadcast Writing – Poynter

10 great articles from Al Thompkins at Poynter on how to Boost your Broadcast Writing – Poynter

and more We asked, you delivered: Your writing tips — and one reporting tip – Poynter

In face of pandemic, Hmong Americans press forward to maintain New Year traditions | PBS NewsHour

My article for PBS NewsHour written together with Cresencio Rodriguez-Delgado

In face of pandemic, Hmong Americans press forward to maintain New Year traditions | PBS NewsHour

1990 Institute Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 24

My new essay (with recipe) for 1990 Institute Newsletter, Volume 1, Issue 24, Dec 29, 2021 asks How will you be welcoming in the new year?

1990 Institute Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 24, Dec 29, 2021

‘You don’t teach prejudice by discussing its existence.’ How to talk to children about race and discrimination. | PBS NewsHour

 My article for PBS NewsHour

‘You don’t teach prejudice by discussing its existence.’ How to talk to children about race and discrimination.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/you-dont-teach-prejudice-by-discussing-its-existence-how-to-talk-to-children-about-race-and-discrimination

After Oxford High shooting, Michigan teachers ask: How do we keep going? | PBS NewsHour

My 12/21 article for PBS NewsHour about exhausted Michigan teachers after the Oxford shooting got picked up by a news aggregator called SmartNews and then got 214,000 hits this weekend. floored.

After Oxford High shooting, Michigan teachers ask: How do we keep going? | PBS NewsHour

How Asian Americans in holiday movies can challenge ‘the white fantasy of Christmas’ | PBS NewsHour

My article for PBS NewsHour

How Asian Americans in holiday movies can challenge ‘the white fantasy of Christmas’ | PBS NewsHour

Creative Writing Classes - Washtenaw Community College Division of Economic & College Development

Sign up for my winter term writing classes at WCC today!

Creative Writing Classes - Washtenaw Community College Division of Economic & College Development

Book Launch "Being Human During COVID"

So exciting to receive an invitation for the Book Launch of "Being Human During COVID"!

Hosted by: The Michigan Humanities Collaboratory
Monday, January 24, 2022 from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM ET
UMMA - 525 South State Street Ann Arbor, MI 48109

After Oxford High shooting, Michigan teachers ask: How do we keep going? | PBS NewsHour

My article for PBS NewsHour

After Oxford High shooting, Michigan teachers ask: How do we keep going? | PBS NewsHour

1990 Institute Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 23

My latest essay for 1990 Institute, Vol 1 Issue 23, Dec 17, 2021, asks What to get the kids for the holidays? Asian American children’s books!

1990 Institute Newsletter, Vol 1 Issue 23

AAJA’s 2021 End of Year Top 10 Lists | by AAJA National | AAJA Defined | Dec, 2021 | Medium

So excited to have my article re Sikh Americans included in AAJA's 2021 top 10 list!

1. “Sikh Americans push for greater visibility, awareness against years of hate crimes, misunderstanding” by Frances Kai-Hwa Wang: This piece by Frances Kai-Hwa Wang* provides an insightful and inspiring look at the solidarity coalescing within the Sikh American community. After a year of increasing hate crimes, including a mass shooting at a FedEx facility in which four Sikh Americans were killed, the stories Wang laces together touch on resilience, hope and identity that those from any marginalized community can resonate with.

AAJA’s 2021 End of Year Top 10 Lists | by AAJA National | AAJA Defined | Dec, 2021 | Medium

You Cannot Resist Me When My Hair Is in Braids | Wayne State University Press

I just saw the second to last cover plus back of my book!!! omg so beautiful. Preorder today!

You Cannot Resist Me When My Hair Is in Braids | Wayne State University Press

Being Human during COVID - University of Michigan Press Blog

Look what arrived at my door today

And more about the book here:

Being Human during COVID - University of Michigan Press Blog

And here's the book itself at UM Press and digitally at UM Press Fulcrum

Being Human during COVID

https://www.press.umich.edu/12136619/being_human_during_covid 

Navy’s water contamination flub in Hawaii follows 8 years of warning signs | PBS NewsHour

I helped with this broadcast story for PBS NewsHour

Navy’s water contamination flub in Hawaii follows 8 years of warning signs | PBS NewsHour

For Detroit’s Japanese Americans, oral histories key to preservation of history, future solidarity | PBS NewsHour

Looking at my article for PBS NewsHour again in honor of our Japanese American elders and the lives and communities they built after the war:

For Detroit’s Japanese Americans, oral histories key to preservation of history, future solidarity | PBS NewsHour

Creative Writing Classes "Ethical Wills: Writing a love letter to your family" and "Writing to Save the World" at WCC

Write with me today: Write with me today at Washtenaw Community College: "Ethical Wills: Writing a love letter to your family" and "Writing to Save the World" starting this Saturday (3 Sats). Online so anyone can join. Register at

Creative Writing Classes - Washtenaw Community College Division of Economic & College Development

1990 Institute Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 22

My essay and curated news for 1990 Institute Newsletter: What new books will you be reading or giving as gifts this holiday season?

1990 Institute Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 22

Dozens of suburban Detroit schools close amid threats after high school shooting | PBS NewsHour

I helped with this broadcast segment at PBS NewsHour

Dozens of suburban Detroit schools close amid threats after high school shooting | PBS NewsHour

Rising COVID cases causing turmoil for Michigan schools as flu season arrives | PBS NewsHour

My article for PBS NewsHour

Rising COVID cases causing turmoil for Michigan schools as flu season arrives | PBS NewsHour

WATCH: How some school districts are coping with staff shortages, other pandemic disruptions | PBS NewsHour

My first time on the broadcast on PBS NewsHour with Gabrielle Hays talking about

How some school districts are coping with staff shortages, other pandemic disruptions | PBS NewsHour

Schools across the country are struggling to find staff. Here’s why | PBS NewsHour

My article for PBS NewsHour with our Communities Initiative team

Schools across the country are struggling to find staff. Here’s why | PBS NewsHour

1990 Institute Newsletter: Vol 1 Issue 21

My essay and curated news for 1990 Institute newsletter: How does diversity in representation show us new ways to lead?
1990 Institute Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 21

For Detroit’s Japanese Americans, oral histories key to preservation of history, future solidarity | PBS NewsHour

My article for PBS NewsHour

For Detroit’s Japanese Americans, oral histories key to preservation of history, future solidarity | PBS NewsHour

Quebec Artist Series | Arts Midwest

Finally found them! Check out these two feature articles I wrote for Arts Midwest about Quebec artists Annabel Soutar and Webster (click on the pink bars). these must have been published sometime in October 2021.

Quebec Artist Series | Arts Midwest

Aging Infrastructure Highlighted By Benton Harbor’s Continued Water Crisis | One Detroit

I'm talking w Bill Kubota on his story re Benton Harbor on One Detroit for Detroit Public Television 

Aging Infrastructure Highlighted By Benton Harbor’s Continued Water Crisis | One Detroit

Here's the whole program

11/11/21: Benton Harbor Crisis / Low Voter Turnout / Mariam Noland / Gabriel Duran Performance | One Detroit

Panel: ENGAGE: The Rise of Anti-Asian American Sentiment and Community Resiliency , 11/11/2021 - 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM EST | University of Michigan School of Social Work

I'll be a panelist for University of Michigan’s Social Work’s ENGAGE virtual discussion, "The Rise of Anti-Asian American Sentiment & Community Resilience," happening Thursday, November 11th, 2021, at 12-1 pm EST/ 9 am PST/ 7 am HST. Open to the public, come join us!

ENGAGE: The Rise of Anti-Asian American Sentiment and Community Resiliency , 11/11/2021 - 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM | University of Michigan School of Social Work

Reading: You Cannot Resist Me When My Hair Is in Braids at Detroit Writing Room

Excited to have just scheduled the first reading of my book tour, You Cannot Resist Me When My Hair is in Braids, at Detroit Writing Room book club virtual event and Asian Pacific American Heritage month on Tuesday, May 31, 2022, 7-8 pm EDT

https://www.wsupress.wayne.edu/books/detail/you-cannot-resist-me-when-my-hair-braids

You Cannot Resist Me When My Hair Is in Braids | Wayne State University Press

Join the 2022 Book Club — The Detroit Writing Room

1990 Institute Newsletter: Vol 1 Issue 20

My essay and curated news for 1990 Institute newsletter, Vol 1 Issue 20: Want to write (or get your elders to write) the Great Asian American Memoir?

1990 Institute Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 20

Cancelled: Writing from the Heart & Telling the Stories of Your Life but 2 new classes in December

Sorry these two classes have been cancelled by WCC for low enrollment, but I have two new classes starting on Saturdays in December

Cancelled: Saturday 11/6/2021

Writing from the Heart - Washtenaw Community College Division of Economic & College Development

Cancelled: Monday 11/8/2021

Telling the Stories of Your Life - Washtenaw Community College Division of Economic & College Development

Coming 3 Saturdays December 4, 2021 at WCC

Ethical Wills: Writing a Love Letter to Your Family 10am-12pm

Writing to Change the World 1-3pm

Arab American and Muslim mayors sweep local elections in Detroit suburbs | PBS NewsHour

My article for the PBS NewsHour

“Because [of] the lack of Census data on the Arab American community, there are debates about its size, but after the election of three Arab American mayors in the region yesterday, there is no debate about its growth and impact.” Matthew Jaber Stiffler, a research and content manager at Dearborn’s Arab American National Museum, told the PBS NewsHour after the election.

Arab American and Muslim mayors sweep local elections in Detroit suburbs | PBS NewsHour

Rep. Hammoud mentioned on the Broadcast at 6:52 mark

November 3, 2021 – PBS NewsHour full episode | PBS NewsHour

And don't forget this older article from 9/20/2021

Decades after ‘the Arab problem,’ Muslim and Arab Americans are leading political change in Metro Detroit | PBS NewsHour

Detroit just decriminalized psychedelics and ‘magic mushrooms.’ Here’s what that means | PBS NewsHour

My article for the PBS NewsHour

“Detroiters voted in high numbers in support of further decriminalization,” Michigan State Sen. Adam Hollier of Detroit told the PBS NewsHour after the election. “The war on drugs was a war on Black and brown communities and it’s good to see Black communities pushing back.”

Detroit just decriminalized psychedelics and ‘magic mushrooms.’ Here’s what that means | PBS NewsHour

Here's much more background from before the election from 11/2/2021

Why the push to decriminalize psychedelics is growing in Michigan | PBS NewsHour

Why the push to decriminalize psychedelics is growing in Michigan | PBS NewsHour

My article on the PBS NewsHour

“It is important to recognize that, while we need to learn from the past, the current era of psychedelic research is well regulated and scientifically rigorous.”

“We should view this research in the same way that we do for other drug classes or disease states — we should neither stigmatize psychedelic research, nor should we romanticize it,” he said.

Why the push to decriminalize psychedelics is growing in Michigan | PBS NewsHour

Here's the follow up after election day 11/3/2021

Detroit just decriminalized psychedelics and ‘magic mushrooms.’ Here’s what that means | PBS NewsHour

Classes: Writing from the Heart and Telling the Stories of Your Life at WCC this Nov

Write with me this November at Washtenaw Community College! 3 Saturdays or 3 Mondays on Zoom.

Saturday 11/6/2021

Writing from the Heart - Washtenaw Community College Division of Economic & College Development

Monday 11/8/2021

Telling the Stories of Your Life - Washtenaw Community College Division of Economic & College Development

UPDATE 11/5/2021: Sorry these classes have been cancelled by WCC for low enrollment.

And coming up in December, 3 Saturdays December 4, 2021 at WCC

Ethical Wills: Writing a Love Letter to Your Family 10am-12pm

Writing to Change the World 1-3pm

Understanding media literacy and the role of local journalists - PBS NewsHour Classroom

VIDEO of Speaking at PBS NewsHour Classroom Extra on Wed: 10/27/2021

In celebration of Media Literacy Week, NewsHour Classroom hosted its Educator Voice Zoom series with Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, one of the NewsHour’s newest community correspondents, and Liz Ramos, history teacher at Alta Loma High School in Rancho Cucomonga, Calif., and curriculum writer for Classroom’s Journalism in Action website.

The PBS conversation was hosted by Sari Beth Rosenberg, NYC public school history teacher, and was attended by dozens of educators across the country.

The conversation focused on the role of journalism in the past up to the present and Classroom’s Journalism in Action: Civic Engagement and Primary Sources Through Key Moments in History, a fun, interactive website based on resources from the Library of Congress. (We are looking for teacher testers for the site. Choose one of the activities, tell us how it went with your students, and we’ll send you a $50 VISA gift card. Email vpasquantonio@newshour.org for more information.)

You can watch the full discussion, or summary highlights below.

Understanding media literacy and the role of local journalists - PBS NewsHour Classroom

PBS NewsHour Classroom on Twitter: ""Detroit versus everybody"

Speaking to teachers on PBS NewsHour Classroom Extra this Wednesday

Short video clip:

PBS NewsHour Classroom on Twitter: ""Detroit versus everybody" @fkwang quotes Detroit teacher in @NewsHour Classroom chat on perils of journalists who parachute in, report only doom, and leave often missing the 'beauty and joy' of the city #medialiteracy #MediaLitWk https://t.co/Pe9I7Rp0Ty" / Twitter

Full video recording:

Understanding media literacy and the role of local journalists - PBS NewsHour Classroom

<3 Janet Cho

Janet Cho on Twitter: "“If the journalists only stay on the coasts, they don’t even know what’s happening in the rest of the country. Or they don’t have the ability to understand and interpret what’s happening… “ @fkwang 🙌🏼" / Twitter

PBS NewsHour Classroom on Twitter: "@fourgreenis @janetcho @fkwang Your tweet put our research skills to work, Barbara. You're definitely right about the 4 pylons! This @WVIZ story gives some great background that #arthistory teachers may want to share w/ their students. https://t.co/2g36XKq7oV @janetcho, we also love that quote by @fkwang" / Twitter

Speaking on PBS NewsHour Classroom for Media Literacy Week

Speaking with teachers on PBS NewsHour EXTRA Wednesday 10/27 7pm zoom on how I accidentally became a journalist and media literacy tips

1990 Institute Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 19 How will ethnic studies and Asian American studies affect my child?

1990 Institute Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 19 Oct 22, 2021 asks How will ethnic studies and Asian American studies affect my child?

When my son, who we all call Little Brother, was in fifth or sixth grade, he was having trouble getting his homework done. So in order to get him to sit at a desk where I could keep an eye on him, I started taking him with me to the evening class that I was team teaching at the University of Michigan. I thought that I could just park him at the back of the classroom with his math book and papers, and he could quietly work on his homework without disturbing anybody. It never occurred to me that he would find an upper division university course on Asian American and Pacific Islander civil rights interesting.

1990 Institute Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 19

How ‘segregation, disinvestment, and concentrated poverty’ preceded lead troubles in Benton Harbor | PBS NewsHour

My article for PBS NewsHour on Benton Harbor and lead in the drinking water

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. — Two bridges stretch across the winding St. Joseph River to connect the Twin Cities, or the Little Twin Cities, of Benton Harbor and St. Joseph in southwestern Michigan.

From the Benton Harbor side, one bridge leads to the hospital that serves all the people in these two communities, where in the past, Black residents have complained of disparate treatment.

The other bridge leads to the jail. 

How ‘segregation, disinvestment, and concentrated poverty’ preceded lead troubles in Benton Harbor | PBS NewsHour

Sikh Americans push for greater visibility, awareness against years of hate crimes, misunderstanding | PBS NewsHour

My article for PBS NewsHour re the Sikh American community and history of activism

“When I went back to work, people in passing cars on highways rolled down their windows to yell at me and flip me off,” Singh said. “Out on the streets, people gave me angry and anxious looks. It was almost everyone. Women, men, white, black, young and old. It was one of the most unsettling times of my life.”

Sikh Americans push for greater visibility, awareness against years of hate crimes, misunderstanding | PBS NewsHour

1990 Institute Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 18 How can finding more cousins help us see ourselves more clearly?

My 1990 Institute Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 18 for October 8, 2021, which asks
How can finding more cousins help us see ourselves more clearly?

1990 Institute Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 18

October 6, 2021 – PBS NewsHour full episode | PBS NewsHour

They showed a picture of my article on the broadcast last night, it's only like 3 seconds at the 53:41 mark, but still fun to see...

October 6, 2021 – PBS NewsHour full episode | PBS NewsHour

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/october-6-2021-pbs-newshour-full-episode

Flipboard - Stories from 28,875 topics personalized for you

My article on the Arab American National Museum is featured in Flipboard's daily pick!

Flipboard - Stories from 28,875 topics personalized for you

The only Arab American museum in the nation is ‘much more than a building’ | PBS NewsHour

My article for PBS NewsHour about the Arab American National Museum 

“It’s vital that our young generation grow up with the knowledge that they are an integral part of this great American mosaic and be proud of the fact that their ancestors have contributed extensively to the formation of our modern-day society,”

The only Arab American museum in the nation is ‘much more than a building’ | PBS NewsHour

and on Canvas Arts too!

The only Arab American museum in the nation is 'much more than a building' | CANVAS Arts

New ‘NewsHour’ initiative deepens reporting on diverse communities | Current

Check out our new Communities Initiative at the PBS NewsHour, here we all are!

New ‘NewsHour’ initiative deepens reporting on diverse communities | Current

Continuing Writing Workshop: Finding the Writer Within - Washtenaw Community College

Starting this Sunday! Ten weeks of writing with me, 12-2pm EDT Oct 3-Dec 19. Register today, there are a few spaces left. All virtual so location and time zone no bar.

Continuing Writing Workshop: Finding the Writer Within - Washtenaw Community College Division of Economic & College Development

1990 Institute Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 17 Sept 24

My newsletter for 1990 Institute asks How can mooncakes bring us together?

1990 Institute Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 17

The ABCs of Getting Published - Washtenaw Community College Division of Economic & College Development

Register today! There are still a few spots left. Teaching this Sunday 12-2pm EDT virtually at WCC 

The ABCs of Getting Published - Washtenaw Community College Division of Economic & College Development

Lotus Mooncakes with Salted Egg Yolks - The Woks of Life

Happy Mid-Autumn Moon Festival today! A recipe for you

Lotus Mooncakes with Salted Egg Yolks - The Woks of Life

Decades after ‘the Arab problem,’ Muslim and Arab Americans are leading political change in Metro Detroit | PBS NewsHour

My article for PBS NewsHour

“I’m surely not running as a Muslim or Arab American,” Hammoud said. “I’m running as, more than anything, a son of Dearborn. Somebody who was born and raised here, who happens to be Muslim Arab American. But I think in winning, what you demonstrate, is that Abdullah is as American as any other name.”

Decades after ‘the Arab problem,’ Muslim and Arab Americans are leading political change in Metro Detroit | PBS NewsHour

And my article is on the NewsHour too, at the 53:53 mark

September 20, 2021 – PBS NewsHour full episode | PBS NewsHour

Online! Chinese Mid-Autumn Moon Festival - Chelsea District Library

Online! Chinese Mid-Autumn Moon Festival

Tuesday, September 21, 2021, 6:30pm - 7:30pm EDT

Chelsea District Library on Zoom

Join Chinese expert Frances Kai-Hwa Wang to learn more about this special holiday. Discover the history, traditions, and food of the Chinese Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, a Chinese harvest festival occurring this year on September 21. Learn about mooncakes, hear stories of the Moon Lady and the Jade Rabbit, and find out about the real historical event when mooncakes helped save the day.

AGE GROUP: | Teens | Adults | Preregistration required 

Online! Chinese Mid-Autumn Moon Festival - Chelsea District Library

1990 Institute Newsletter Sept 10, 2021, vol 1 issue 16 Superheroes and 9/11

My essay in 1990 Newsletter Sept 10, 2021, vol 1 issue 16
How can we become our own Asian American superheroes in times of joy and crisis?

1990 Institute Newsletter Sept 10, 2021, vol 1 issue 16 

Spoken Word: Spartan Remix MSUnity

I'll be performing spoken word tonight September 9, 2021, 6:00 pm EDT, at Michigan State University 14th Annual Spartan Remix MSUnity Bridge Between Divisions. See you there! 

Being Human during COVID Book, University of Michigan Press

Just proofed my contribution to this anthology in which University of Michigan scholars ask in real time re What the humanities can teach us about COVID-19, coming soon on University of Michigan Press!

"Being Human during COVID"

Kristin Ann Hass, editor
What the humanities can teach us about COVID-19
A free online version is forthcoming. This open access version made available by University of Michigan College of Literature, Science and the Arts and the Michigan Humanities Collaboratory.

Description
Science has taken center stage during the COVID-19 crisis; scientists named and diagnosed the virus, traced its spread, and worked together to create a vaccine in record time. But while science made the headlines, the arts and humanities were critical in people’s daily lives. As the world went into lockdown, literature, music, and media became crucial means of connection, and historians reminded us of the resonance of the past as many of us heard for the first time about the 1918 influenza pandemic. As the twindemics of COVID-19 and racial injustice, embodied in mass protests following the death of George Floyd and other police-committed violence, tore through the United States, a contested presidential race unfolded, which one candidate described as “a battle for the soul of the nation."

​Being Human During COVID documents the first year of the pandemic in real time, bringing together humanities scholars from the University of Michigan to address what it feels like to be human during the COVID-19 crisis. Over the course of the pandemic, the questions that occupy the humanities—about grieving and publics, the social contract and individual rights, racial formation and xenophobia, ideas of home and conceptions of gender, narrative and representations and power—have become shared life-or-death questions about how human societies work and how culture determines our collective fate. The contributors in this collection draw on scholarly expertise and lived experience to try to make sense of the unfamiliar present in works that range from traditional scholarly essays, to personal essays, to visual art projects. The resulting book is shot-through with fear and dread and frustration and prejudice, and, on a few occasions, with a thrilling sense of hope.

Kristin Ann Hass is Associate Professor of American Culture at the University of Michigan.

Being Human during COVID

As Afghan refugees arrive in the U.S., Southeast Asian American advocates urge more support | PBS NewsHour

My first solo article and video interview at PBS NewsHour!

“The people of Afghanistan deserve the same refuge during the crisis that befalls their country today,” said Quyen Dinh, Executive Director of Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) in a joint statement with Asian Americans Advancing Justice and Asian American Advocacy Fund to urge U.S. officials not to “repeat the mistakes” of the Southeast Asian refugee crisis.

As Afghan refugees arrive in the U.S., Southeast Asian American advocates urge more support | PBS NewsHour

The article was also mentioned on the Sept 3, 2021 broadcast at the 54:20 mark

September 3, 2021 – PBS NewsHour full episode | PBS NewsHour

CLASS: Upcoming Fall Writing Classes, mostly at WCC

Upcoming Fall Writing Classes, mostly at WCC, mostly on Zoom

Introduction to Publishing

Sunday Sept 26, 2021, 12-2pm EDT, Washtenaw Community College, Zoom

Continuing Writing Workshop: Finding the Writer Within

10 Sundays Oct 3-Dec 12, 2021 (no class Nov 28), 12-2pm EDT, Washtenaw Community College, Zoom

Asian American History and Heroes

3 Mondays, Oct 4-18, 2021, 6-8pm EDT, Washtenaw Community College, Zoom

Dare to Dream Creative Writing Workshop

4 Wednesdays, Oct 6-27, 2021, 6-8pm EDT, Chelsea Adult Learners Institute (ALI), Zoom (Time change)

Writing the Stories of your Life

3 Mondays, Nov 8-22, 2021, 6-8pm EDT, Washtenaw Community College, Zoom

Writing from the Heart

3 Saturdays Nov 6-20, 2021, 10am-12pm EDT, Washtenaw Community College, Zoom

Chinese food cultures and traditions

3 Wednesdays, Dec 1-15, 2021, 6-8pm EDT, Washtenaw Community College, Zoom

Ethical Wills

2 Saturdays, Dec 4-11, 2021, 10am-12pm EDT, Washtenaw Community College, Zoom

Writing to Save the World

2 Saturdays, Dec 4-11, 2021, 1-3pm EDT, Washtenaw Community College, Zoom

Fall term New York Writers Workshop?, Zoom

Register early and bring your friends: Creative Writing Classes - Washtenaw Community College Division of Economic & Community Development

1990 Institute Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 15, Reflections on Afghanistan, Vietnamese American journeys, more

My essay and curated news reader in 1990 Institute Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 15 Aug 27, 2021

How can our end of summer journeys help us better understand our families’ stories and the world?

1990 Institute Newsletter

CLASS: Finding Your Voice and Jumpstart your College Application Essay - Washtenaw Community College WCC

Teaching Finding Your Voice and Jumpstart your College Application Essay Aug 21 and 28, 2021, on Zoom. These are the last two classes of the summer. See you next fall! 

Finding Your Voice - Washtenaw Community College Division of Economic & Community Development

‘I feel so helpless.’ Afghans in the U.S. worry for friends and family back home | PBS NewsHour

So I unexpectedly ended up covering Afghanistan on my second day at PBS NewsHour. An amazing Communities Initiative team effort. I wrote the two sections here about Michigan. My first article at PBS NewsHour. 

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/i-feel-so-helpless-afghans-in-the-u-s-worry-for-friends-and-family-back-home

And you can see a picture of it in the broadcast 8/20/2021 at 12:33 mark
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/august-20-2021-pbs-newshour-full-episode

It was even shown on the Friday evening broadcast, and my friend, novelist Tom Peek, saw and somehow recognized me from my tiny little author photo scrolling by on their TV, and then sent me a picture...I hadn't even seen it...I love this tiny little picture he sent)

My article was also mentioned on the Broadcast August 20, 2021 – PBS NewsHour full episode | PBS NewsHour at the 12:33 mark

PBS NewsHour Names Three New Reporters for its Communities Initiative | PBS NewsHour

Check out PBS NewHour's cool new project and reporters:

PBS NewsHour today announced three new reporter hires to its cross-platform Communities Initiative, which was launched earlier this year. These new journalists will report from across the country as a part of the project’s mission to expand the scope and reach of NewsHour’s journalism and news team. Each has a deep knowledge of his or her community and a keen interest in bringing often under-told stories to NewsHour’s digital, social and broadcast platforms.

 PBS NewsHour Names Three New Reporters for its Communities Initiative | PBS NewsHour

More re PBS NewsHour Communities Initiative: 

PBS NewsHour today announced the launch of The Communities Initiative, a project to expand the scope and reach of its journalism and news team. The new reporting project will hire journalists with deep knowledge of their communities and a keen interest in bringing often under-told stories to NewsHour’s digital, social and broadcast platforms. This effort will bring six new journalists into NewsHour’s editorial fold and is funded by PBS, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, and 26North Foundation.

PBS NewsHour Launches Local Community Reporting Initiative | PBS NewsHour

1990 Institute Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 14, How do the stories of the Olympics help create community for Asian Americans?

Check out my essay for 1990 Institute, Vol 1 Issue 14, August 13, 2021

How do the stories of the Olympics help create community for Asian Americans?

1990 Institute Newsletter, Vol 1 Issue 14, Aug 13, 2021

Book: You Cannot Resist Me When My Hair Is in Braids | Wayne State University Press

Omg my book: “A notable work in the landscape of Asian American literature” coming March 2022 from Wayne State University Press

You Cannot Resist Me When My Hair Is in Braids | Wayne State University Press

Shop — AAWAA | Asian American Women Artists Association | SF

Interested in purchasing my chapbooks, postcards, and poems? Check out the AAWAA Shop!

Shop — AAWAA | Asian American Women Artists Association | SF

Teach Writing With The New York Times: Our 2021-22 Curriculum - The New York Times

Teach Writing With The New York Times: Our 2021-22 Curriculum - The New York Times

1990 Institute Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 13: What does it mean to represent, what does it mean to be an American?

My essay re the Olympics and voting rights, "What does it mean to represent, what does it mean to be an American?" for 1990 Institute Newsletter Volume 1 Issue 13, July 30, 2021

My Micro-Essay to be published in anthology "Nonwhite and Woman" Sept 2022

Just found out that a 300 word micro-essay I wrote, "Auntie's House," will appear in the anthology, "Nonwhite and Woman," coming out from Woodhall Press in September 2022 and edited by Darien Hsu Gee and Carla Crujido. I didn't even know micro-essay was a thing, but it is now my favorite genre. https://www.woodhallpress.com/nonwhite-and-woman

Nonwhite and Woman

An Untold Past: Chinese Americans in the Midwest Tickets, Tue, Jul 20, 2021 at 5:00 PM | Eventbrite

Speaking at Chinese American Museum Los Angeles Tuesday, July 20, 2021 8:00pm EDT/ 5:00pm PDT/ 2:00pm HST about being a Chinese American artist in the Midwest with Larry Lee, Chien-An Yuan, Jave Yoshimoto.

UPDATE: Thunderstorm knocked out my power just as I was being introduced, so thanks Chien-An Yuan for talking about my work for me. (Power came back ten hours later). Classic midwest.

An Untold Past: Chinese Americans in the Midwest Tickets, Tue, Jul 20, 2021 at 5:00 PM | Eventbrite

1990 Institute Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 12

My article / essay for 1990 Institute Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 12, July 16, 2021

Can learning Asian American history diffuse future ethnic profiling and anti-Asian American violence?

1990 Institute Newsletter

Art Installation proposal for Science Gallery Detroit exhibition, “TRACKED & TRACED"

Just found out my art installation proposal, "Beyond Vincent Chin: Legacies of Asian American Activism and Art," received a very favorable ranking and was put on a limited wait list (back in March, lol) for the Science Gallery Detroit exhibition, “TRACKED & TRACED." So exciting! Even though I also just found out (today, July) that they won't be able to go into the wait list pool. Still, this feels promising to me.

Continuing Writing Workshop: Finding the Writer Within - Washtenaw Community College Division of Economic & Community Development

Washtenaw Community College Writing workshop starting today, Sunday, July 11, 2021. Still a few spaces left!

 

Continuing Writing Workshop: Finding the Writer Within - Washtenaw Community College Division of Economic & Community Development

Cancelled: Writing from the Heart | Volcano Art Center

Cancelled: Writing from the Heart with Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, Jul 10 @ 9:00 am – Jul 24 @ 11:00 am at Volcano Art Center. Sorry, we'll try again next year.

Calendar of Events | Volcano Art Center

Vibrant Mithila art thrives in Nepal | Nepali Times

if you've ever seen the big painting in my living room (or on Zoom), here's a great article about Mithila art from Nepal.

Vibrant Mithila art thrives in Nepal | Nepali Times

1990 Institute Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 11re House’s EAGLE Act bill HR3524

My article and curated news for 1990 Institute newsletter Vol 1 Issue 11, July 2, 2021

What is next for the House’s EAGLE Act bill and how will its anti-Chinese rhetoric affect Asian Americans?

1990 Institute Newsletter Vol1 Issue 11

Data and Storytelling Are In Karthick Ramakrishnan’s DNA – CAAMedia

My article at Center for Asian American Media on Karthick Ramakrishnan AAPI-Data

“We believe that data is beautiful, or can be beautiful and compelling,” said Ramakrishnan. “So we put a lot of time and thought into how data are visualized and presented.”

Data and Storytelling Are In Karthick Ramakrishnan’s DNA – CAAM Home

AAPI Creatives Speak OUT | District of Columbia Public Library

Tonight! on District of Columbia Public Library Zoom, Sunday, June 27, 2021, 7 p.m. EDT

I'll be speaking on this AAPI Arts panel tonight about the Vincent Chin case and my Knights Arts Challenge Detroit and Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation and CultureSource funded project: Beyond Vincent Chin: Legacies in Action and Art, MLK Library 

In celebration of the modernized Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, and the continued dialogue following the rise in AAPI hate crimes, we’ve gathered writers, poets, photographers and documentarians from D.C. and abroad to share their American story. Hear how they celebrate their heritage and connect with audiences through their written work, photography, and documentary filmmaking.

AAPI Creatives Speak OUT | District of Columbia Public Library

7 Ethical Food Writing Tips from Professionals | Grammarly Blog

7 Ethical Food Writing Tips from Professionals | Grammarly Blog

Class: Writing from the Heart at Volcano Art Center July 10-24

Teaching Zoom Workshop Writing from the Heart with Frances Kai-Hwa Wang 

Jul 10 – Jul 24, 2021, 9:00 am - 11:00 am HST/  12:00-2:00pm PDT/ 3:00-5:00pm EDT

The most powerful writing comes from the heart. What do you care about? What inspires you? What is special in your life? Frances Kai-Hwa Wang will offer the “Writing from the Heart” workshop on Saturdays, July 10, 17, 24 2021 from 9:00am – 11am at Volcano Art Center Ni‘aulani Campus in Volcano Village.

Write about the people, places, and memories that matter to you. Write to touch, inspire, move, persuade, and provoke readers. Write with emotion, write with spirit. Write from your own truest self to help others find theirs. This course explores the kind of writing that changes people, oneself included. And it begins honestly, one word, one day at a time.

3 Saturdays, 9am-11am HST, July 10, 17, 24, 2021 on Zoom   (2 hours each session)  Note: VAC students may be joined by some New York Writers Workshop students

Class fee is $75/$65 for VAC members

Calendar of Events | Volcano Art Center

1990 Institute Newsletter 10 How will harsh anti-China rhetoric and policy impact Asian Americans?

My article for 1990 Institute Newsletter 10: How will harsh anti-China rhetoric and policy impact Asian Americans? my new article re the China tech bill S1260 that just passed the US Senate and is on its way to the House.

“1990 Institute is concerned that the anti-China framing of this bill could cause US-China relations to deteriorate further, as well as cause increased anti-Asian American violence and discrimination,” said 1990 Institute Board of Directors Chair Dan Chao. “We should all keep an eye on this bill as it progresses.”

1990 Institute Newsletter

Teaching next week: NYWW Lunch Poems, Lunch Prose

I'm teaching a prose poetry class next week Week 2: Mon-Thurs June 7-10, 12-1pm EDT on Zoom at New York Writers Workshop, Lunch Poems, Lunch Prose. Still a few spots left, register today (specify week 2) https://brownpapertickets.com/event/5118642

NYWW Lunch Poems, Lunch Prose

Writing Opinion Essays starting June 5

Writing Opinion Essays: New WCC Class starting today, Sat June 5, 10am-12 pm EDT! On Zoom, two Saturdays only, June 5-June 12. Register today!

How do we use writing to touch, inspire, persuade, and provoke readers to action? Learn simple but powerful methods to get the ideas out of your head and onto the page. Consider different forms including op-ed, persuasive essay, spoken word, social media and art. Part writing, part activism and a lot of heart, this class aspires to help you use the written word to create the change you want to see in the world.

Writing Opinion Essays - Washtenaw Community College Division of Economic & Community Development

1990 Institute Newsletter 9 Breaking Labels: When Perceptions of China Impact Perceptions of Asian Americans

My essay for 1990 Institute newsletter volume 1 issue 9, June 4, 2021

That is the thing about identity labels. Sometimes they mean everything, and other times they do not matter at all. Context is key.
In this time of COVID-19-inspired-anti-Asian American violence, the 1990 Institute has been examining the impact that perceptions of China’s economic advancements has on Asian Americans.

 1990 Institute Newsletter

Love Letter Re: I am Asian American. No hyphen required | Mic

from a friend re my article at Mic 

"a tour de force of history and personal story"

I am Asian American. No hyphen required

Speaking Today at UMich: “My Truth: Elevating API Voices”

Speaking today! Wed June 2, 6:30-8:00 pm EDT/ 3:30pm PDT at University of Michigan School of Social Work Asian Pacific Islander Coalition, “My Truth: Elevating API Voices,” as an extension of APIA Heritage month, w the fab James Beni Wilson. Open to everyone in the UMich community and beyond. And bring your stories, too, to share with their APIA storytelling project, in any artistic medium through summer and into fall.

Register here https://umich.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BSeKbzlYSbeskhvFmBpoag

Livestream: https://www.facebook.com/events/2389701251164687

Poem published in APWT and Joao-Roque Literary Journal Issue No. 20 Summer 2021

Check out my award winning poem, "Sowing Aunties" and all the great writing in Asia Pacific Writers and Translators Joao-Roque Literary Journal Publication Collaboration

ISSUE NO. 20, SUMMER 2021

The collaborative Asia Pacific Writers and Translators (APWT) & JRLJ Summer issue, 2021, features Gayatri Lakhiani Chawla, Benjo Kazue, Dean Kerrison, Martin Kovan, Isabelle Li, Sahib Nazari, Yuyutsu Sharma, Tim Tomlinson and Jose Varghese, including the winning entry by Frances Kai-Hwa Wang and a recording of her work.

Issue edited by Sally Breen, Selma Carvalho, Rochelle Potkar and Ravi Shankar.

Joao-Roque Literary Journal est. 2017

I am Asian American. No hyphen required | Mic

My essay at Mic (check out the juicy tidbit re hyphens and nytimes in the middle)

However, from the earliest usage of the term Chinese American in the 1880s, and later, Asian American in the 1960s, Asians have asserted their place in this country and have made it home. A distinctly Asian American community and culture developed, at first as a political statement, but then organically over time. And now it reaches across ethnic lines to enjoy commonalities, celebrate differences, and stand up for each other.

I am Asian American. No hyphen required

Writing Opinion Essays - Washtenaw Community College Division of Economic & Community Development

New WCC Class starting Sat June 5, 10am-12 pm EDT! On Zoom, two Saturdays only, June 5-June 12. Register today!

How do we use writing to touch, inspire, persuade, and provoke readers to action? Learn simple but powerful methods to get the ideas out of your head and onto the page. Consider different forms including op-ed, persuasive essay, spoken word, social media and art. Part writing, part activism and a lot of heart, this class aspires to help you use the written word to create the change you want to see in the world.

Writing Opinion Essays - Washtenaw Community College Division of Economic & Community Development

Publication: Sowing Aunties — APWT Joao-Roque Literary Journal Issue 20 Summer 2021

Read and hear my poem "Sowing Aunties," winner of the international Asia Pacific Writers & Translators (APWT) and Joao Roque Literary Journal publication prize 

"Auntie does not think in environmental terms. She does not calculate the economics of her garden, full of the flavors of home that she cannot buy, from jiu tsai to persimmon trees."

Sowing Aunties — Joao-Roque Literary Journal est. 2017 Issue 20 Summer 2021

Resources: Conscious Style Guide

Just found this great resource re conscious use of language  https://consciousstyleguide.com/

About | Conscious Style Guide

Speaking at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library re AAPI Creatives

Speaking tonight on a panel of AAPI Creatives for APAHM at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, a branch of District of Columbia Public Library, located in Washington DC's Chinatown. We're just recording today, but it will be broadcast soon.

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library - Central Library | District of Columbia Public Library

Speaking today at Ann Arbor District Library

Speaking today (March 26) with a panel of librarians at Ann Arbor District Library for APAHM about the Vincent Chin case, my project Beyond Vincent Chin: Legacies in Art and Activism, and the great Academy Award nominated film Who Killed Vincent Chin? by Renee Tajima-Pena. It will be recorded now and broadcast at a later date. 

Ann Arbor District Library will host multiple showings of the film, Who Killed Vincent Chin? They will also invite YA and children's book author Paula Yoo to come speak about her new book, From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry in July.

Home | Ann Arbor District Library

NEW YORK WRITERS WORKSHOP student love note

Great love letter from a student who took my "Writing to Save the World" at New York Writers Workshop:

I finished a project -- and I had a set of writing notes out from you the whole time! You kept showing up for me, even after the class. Appreciate you.

More classes soon at NEW YORK WRITERS WORKSHOP - Home

Poet Frances Kai–Hwa Wang creates ‘Lost Constellation’ project for DIA | One Detroit

Will Glover talks to journalist, activist, and poet Frances Kai – Hwa Wang about the poem she wrote that accompanies a dance performed by AAPI women for the Lost Constellations project commissioned by the DIA. The project explores the connections between identity, the wisdom of elders and much more.

Poet Frances Kai–Hwa Wang creates ‘Lost Constellation’ project for DIA | One Detroit

Journalist Law School - Loyola Marymount University

Yay, I got accepted into Journalist Law School! (Don't worry, it's not real law school). So excited to learn more this summer.

Journalist Law School - Loyola Marymount University

1990 Institute Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 8 "How can we keep forging our futures beyond Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month?"

My essay for 1990 Institute Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 8

How can we keep forging our futures beyond Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month?

I was discussing programming ideas for MLK Library in Washington DC Chinatown with my friend Ryan a few months ago, and I mentioned that May is Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AANHPIHM). Ryan said, “We don’t have to wait for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month to do Asian American programming, we can do it in other months, too.”

1990 Institute Newsletter

Speaking at Ann Arbor District Library re Katie Yamasaki

Speaking today (March 19) with a panel of librarians at Ann Arbor District Library about the great work of children's book author and illustrator Katie Yamasaki for APAHM. It will be recorded now and broadcast at a later date.

Home | Ann Arbor District Library

"Asia Pacific of the Mind" International Poetry Prize from Asia Pacific Writers & Translators (APWT) and Joao Roque Literary Journal

oh wow I just won an international poetry prize for Sowing Aunties, "Aunties may look cute and sweet on the outside, but never underestimate what is on the inside." Thanks Asia Pacific Writers & Translators (APWT) Joao Roque Literary Journal

Asia Pacific Writers & Translators

1teSccnp7onsuhored  · 

Congratulations to Frances Kai-Hwa Wang winner of Asia Pacific of the Mind - an APWT Joao Roque publishing collaboration. Frances takes home a $500USD cash prize for her poem Sowing Aunties. The winner and excellent range of shortlisted entries will be published in a special edition of Joao Roque Literary Journal in June. Kudos to all the feature writers

Announcement link Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/APWriters/photos/a.211184915606902/4119541564771198

5/17/21: One Detroit – Frances Kai-Hwa Wang DIA project / Impact of Collaborations / Detroit Filipino Supper Club / Dave Bennett Quartet | One Detroit

Interview with DPTV's Will Glover about my poem "Lost Constellation" and the beautiful dance and music of IS/LAND – A Performance Collaborative on Detroit Public Television. Aired Monday 5/17/2021 and showing again Wed 5/19/2021 11pm EDT on DPTV. Big thanks to Detroit Institute of Arts and Sharon Dow for this opportunity. At the 2:25 mark

5/17/21: One Detroit – Frances Kai-Hwa Wang DIA project / Impact of Collaborations / Detroit Filipino Supper Club / Dave Bennett Quartet | One Detroit

Also at Bridge Magazine
One Detroit: Frances Kai-Hwa Wang DIA project / Impact of Collaborations / Detroit Filipino Supper Club / Dave Bennett Quartet - Bridge Detroit

Direct link to interview https://youtu.be/9Q0p02ecn8w?t=146
The Lost Constellation Project/Dave Bennett Quartet | Full Episode - YouTube

One more article 5/24

Poet Frances Kai–Hwa Wang creates ‘Lost Constellation’ project for DIA | One Detroit

The ABC's of Getting Published - Washtenaw Community College Division of Economic & Community Development

This WCC class is going to run this Sat 5/22/2021 10am-12pm EDT 

There are still a few more spaces so Register today!

The ABC's of Getting Published - Washtenaw Community College Division of Economic & Community Development

Wow Comments

 I was turned down for a grant application today, but what a gift to get comments!

There is so much I love about your work, particularly the way you've illustrated the legacy of family and tradition while rooting it all in this very specific time. Your prose is both detailed and spare, dazzling at times. The repetition in "Learning to Drive Defensively" is incredibly powerful. And yes to this: "I write myself into existence every day." Yours is an important voice that we all need to hear/read right now.

Your first piece--"Sowing Aunties"--is marvelous! Your deft weaving of tradition, voice, and prose that's humorous, and yet contains gravity, is really admirable.

IS/LAND Lost Constellation at DIA | AADL Pulp Arts Around Ann Arbor

IS/LAND Lost Constellation at DIA as discussed by AADL Pulp Arts Around Ann Arbor by Christopher Potter

IS/LAND is a Southeast Michigan collective of Asian Pacific Islander American and Asian artists, and the group's "In Isolation Pt. 1 - SYNODIC" was a welcome respite of verdant color and light during January's gray darkness. Filmed and soundtracked by Chien-An Yuan, the video features dancer J Amber Kao moving and gesturing within a tightly prescribed area of Ann Arbor's Saginaw Forest, exploring change in a year where everything in the world was transformed and yet some days it felt like time stood still. (Read the review here.)

Kao and Yuan are back with fellow IS/LAND's members ciale and writer Frances Kai-Hwa Wang for two more performance pieces as part of the Detroit Institute of Art's celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Filmed at the DIA's Detroit Film Theatre, the two works in Lost Constellation explore individuality and interconnectivity:

Pt. I - 'A Path of Lights'
Two dancers, J Amber Kao and ciale, explore interdependence, healing, and connection. The space between their motion connects yet divides them. As they navigate their individual spaces within the physical environments, the inevitability of their interrelationship manifests itself into a shared narrative. With a poem written and performed by Frances Kai-Hwa Wang and a music score by Jienan Yuan.

Pt II - 'Singular Plural'
A liminal meditation by ciale of gender expression and persona.

Ann Arbor District Library | Pulp | Arts Around Ann Arbor