AHC Scholar Leong Discusses AZ Asian-Americans

BISBEE, AZ – To commemorate Asian-American History Month during May, the Copper Queen Library will present three films as part of its Monday Night “Did You Know? …” Documentary Film Series and host Arizona Humanities Council Scholar Dr. Karen J. Leong as she discusses “Asian Americans in Arizona.”

Dr. Leong, scheduled to speak on May 23 at 6:30pm, will introduce her audience to a general history of Asian Americans in Arizona from the 19th century to the present, including their motivations for coming to the Southwest and the unique community patterns that have developed over time. This talk also addresses certain federal and state policies that have shaped this community over time and suggests key challenges to be faced in the future.

Leong is an Associate Professor of Women and Gender Studies and Asian Pacific American Studies and Director of Asian Pacific American Studies at Arizona State University, Tempe. In addition to several book chapters and articles, University of California Press published her book, The China Mystique: Pearl S. Buck, Anna May Wong, Mayling Soong, and the Transformation of American Orientalism (2005). She is co-coordinator of the "Japanese Americans in Arizona Oral History Project," a collaboration with the JACL Arizona Chapter, and is working on her next book project, Asian American Masculinity and the United States Film Industry.

May’s documentary films, The Ancestors in America (Parts 1 & 2) and Rabbit in the Moon, will be screened the first three Mondays in May at 5:30pm.

All events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Library at 432-4232.