All posts filed under: America

MIA Erasure, My Reflection

To much fanfare, the exhibit Artists Respond: American Art and the Vietnam War, 1965-1975 opened in Minnesota at the Minneapolis Institute of Art this month and will run until January 5th, 2020. It’s billed as a way to look at “the innovative ways artists talked back, often in the streets and other public venues. The exhibition presents nearly 100 works by 58 of the period’s most visionary, provocative artists.” For Southeast Asians of Vietnamese, Hmong, Laotian, and Cambodian descent, and active military veterans, you can even see the exhibit for free. It’s been a long time since I’ve been given free admission to an art exhibit to witness the complete erasure of my community’s perspective and reactions to the Vietnam War, the Secret War, and the Killing Fields. For Minnesotans, who arguably have one of the most deeply tangled relationships with Southeast Asia than almost any other US state, this ought to be a stirring and profound exhibit: one filled with so many heartbreaking memories and reflections on themes and issues addressed over four decades ago, …

SEAD Project offers SEA language, culture, history workshops

Image courtesy of The SEAD Project Registration for The SEAD Project’s annual spring language workshops are now open. The eight-week long program in Minnesota offers classes in Hmong, Khmer, Lao and Vietnamese. They will also incorporate lessons in culture and history. The workshops are open to students at least 17 years old and/or those who have heritage backgrounds in the offered classes. All levels of fluency are welcome. However, because the Khmer and Vietnamese classes are pilot workshops, they are only currently allowing Khmer and Vietnamese heritage students to enroll. Early registration pricing starts at $150 until Feb. 18 and will increase to up to $250 for late enrollment. Need-based scholarships are also available for students. Registration closes March 17 and classes begin March 30. More information can be found here or by emailing hi@theseadproject.org Register today!