A4 Announces June 12 Event Celebrating Immigrant Heritage Month

On Saturday, June 12 from 2:00 to 5:00 pm, the Asian American Arts Alliance (A4) will present We Were Here: Unmasking Yellow Peril, a participatory media project by artist Betty Yu, at Flushing Town Hall at 137-35 Northern Blvd. in Downtown Flushing. This family-friendly event, which takes place during Immigrant Heritage Month, invites people to contribute their stories to Yu's ongoing project while enjoying art making activities, free gifts, and snacks.

We Were Here: Unmasking Yellow Peril is a multimedia project inviting Asian-Americans to participate in reclaiming--and reasserting--their own narratives, through telling their families' stories of immigration, labor, discrimination, and resilience. This event, on June 12, is the second of several community events to record people's stories through video, photography, and audio recordings. Participants are invited to bring their family mementos, pictures, artifacts, and other ephemera that will be documented and recorded along with their stories. The artist will incorporate the recorded stories and images into a free public outdoor screening event to take place later in June.

In the wake of the deaths of multiple Asian women massage workers in Georgia on March 16, 2021, the American public suddenly turned their focus to the rise of anti-Asian violence. Many immigrant and Asian Americans feared for their safety as attacks on the community escalated. Lisa Gold, Executive Director of A4, states, "As this racialized and gendered violence didn't begin with the COVID-19 pandemic, it's important for all Americans to understand our shared histories of trauma and violence, and to do whatever we can to create cross-cultural education and compassion while allowing those feeling silenced to share their voice."

Artist Betty Yu explains, "This project aims to capture the diverse stories of Asians in the U.S., whether they are newly arrived immigrants or 5th generation Asian Americans. It utilizes the power of collective storytelling, generational survival, celebration, and creative resistance as medicine. In this time of heightened anti-Asian xenophobia, reclaiming our own narratives is essential. These stories provide a glimpse into understanding the experiences of Asian Americans that are inextricably tied to the larger U.S. immigration narrative."

The event on June 12, hosted by Flushing Town Hall, will include interactive art activities including a "mapping" station as well as stations for video and audio story recording. Korean and Mandarin translators will be present. For additional information, please visit the Asian American Arts Alliance's website or Facebook page.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Special thanks to Council Member Peter Koo for his support of A4 and this program with funding through the New York City Council's Cultural Immigrant Initiative and to the team at Flushing Town Hall for hosting this event.

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