All posts filed under: Education

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, …

NSRC offering $50K in scholarships to SEA MN students

Photo credit to the Nisei Student Relocation Commemorative The Nisei Student Relocation Commemorative (NSRC) Fund is giving away $55,000 in scholarships to Southeast Asian and Somali students in Minnesota. The scholarship fund allocates $50,000 to Southeast Asian students and $5,000 to Somali students. Each scholarship ranges from $1,000 to $2,000. Applicants will be judged upon their academic achievement; extracurricular activities in school or the community; work experience; educational, career and personal goals; financial need and potential to succeed in higher education. Eligible applicants must meet the following criteria: Be any graduating high school senior who was born in or who has a parent who was born in Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar or Vietnam OR be any graduating high school senior who was born in or who has a Somali-born parent Currently live and attend high school in Minnesota Graduate from high school in the 2018-2019 academic year and start college or any other higher education program within two years Be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident The NSRC Fund is a national scholarship program …