Every year Thymos hosts one major event in the Portland area relating to Asian American awareness and activism. This year we are partnering with Miss Asian Oregon and Curtis Choy to bring you the Pageant/Anti-Pageant Event.  Last year we were proud to present Frank Chin, Curtis Choy and Lawson Inada. In the summer of 2007, our event was a screening of “Who Killed Vincent Chin?” and an accompanying discussion panel. Scroll down to read more about Thymos’s past and present events.

This year we will have a women’s pageant, followed the very next day by a film protest against women’s pageants. On the pro-side is the idea that women, particularly Asian American women, could use a vehicle for publicity and community. Many former pageant winners, including the first Miss Asian America Mona Lee Locke, have gone on to have amazing careers. The pro-side of pageants encourages Asian Americans to take control of their images.

On the anti-side, critics charge that pageants are a relic of the past and that they put too much focus on a woman’s looks. According to detractors, we need to move beyond pageantry, and we need to take steps that move us away from the image of what pageants used to be.  The anti-side of pageants strongly advocates in favor of tossing off the baggage created by earlier waves of pageantry.

We encourage people to check out both events.  Here is the info:

Saturday, 10/10/09, 12 noon: Miss Asian Oregon at Marco Polo Global in Salem. Click here for tickets and info. Come to see how Miss Asian Oregon is “Redefining Beauty in Asian America.”  This is THE inaugural event, so buy your tickets now.  Remember, you can’t say you were there if you weren’t. 

Sunday, 10/11/09, 2 pm: Screening of Curtis Choy’s Making Up (3min) and Year of The Ox: The 1973 Chinatown Livestock Show (17min) at the Asian Family Center, 4424 NE Glisan. A discussion about pageants will follow.  Hear both sides of the issue, along with a debriefing of the Miss Asian Oregon pageant.  This is your opportunity to watch, absorb, and make your voice heard! 

Thymos believes in the importance of literature for minority communities in the United States. We promote intellectual self-determination, and we believe that the arts are an important part of self-determination. To this end, we are bringing three pioneers of Asian American literature and arts to the Portland area during the month of July 2008 to share their experiences and philosophy: writer Frank Chin, filmmaker Curtis Choy, and Oregon Poet Laureate Lawson Inada. Not only do Mr. Chin, Mr. Choy, and Mr. Inada serve as an inspiration to potential Asian American writers and scholars, but through these events they will also offer their knowledge to future Asian American activists and leaders.

• On Friday, July 11, 2008 at 5:30 PM, Thymos will screen Curtis Choy’s documentary “What’s Wrong With Frank Chin” at OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in the Vey Conference Room. The documentary presents the life’s work of Frank Chin, who is widely recognized as one of the most influential Asian American dramatists and writers of the 20th century. Immediately after the film, we will host a presentation with the filmmaker Curtis Choy. Audiences will be encouraged to ask questions and engage Mr. Choy, who will discuss the history of Asian American independent film.
• On Saturday, July 12 at 10:30 AM, author Frank Chin will tell traditional Chinese stories to young people at the Beaverton City Library. After the reading, he will talk to parents about the importance of preserving cultural myths and stories for young Asian Americans. He will also talk about the challenges facing Asian American culture today.
• On Friday, July 18 at 6:00 PM, Oregon Poet Laureate Lawson Inada will host a Coffee Chat at the Red and Black Cafe (located at 400 SE 12th Avenue). He will share his experiences in activism and literature, and he will lead the audience members in a dialogue.
• Click here to download official flyers with times and location details for these three events.

These three events would not have been possible without the generosity of many individuals, businesses and organizations in Portland. Please see our allies page for more information about our local sponsors.

Thymos 2007: Who Killed Vincent Chin?

On Saturday, July 7th, 2007, Thymos presented a screening of Christine Choy and Renee Tajima-Pena’s award winning documentary “Who Killed Vincent Chin,” followed by a townhall type panel discussion regarding hate crimes against Asian-Pacific Americans. The documentary recounted the true story of a young Chinese American man named Vincent Chin who was beaten to death by two unemployed white auto workers during the early 1980s. According to court papers, the motive for the beating arose from racial tensions sparked by Japan’s dominance in the automobile industry, and the murder, along with the subsequent light punishments of the perpetrators, outraged Asian Americans across the country. For Asian American activists, Vincent Chin became symbolic of the racism that Asian Americans face in everyday life and the historic failure of the American courts to enforce justice for victims of anti-Asian violence. Thymos presented this screening in conjunction with Asian Pacific Americans for Progress’s National Townhall on Hate Crimes in observance of the 25th anniversary of Vincent Chin’s death.

Panelists:

• Ms. Tracey Lam (Producer, KATU News)
• Mr. John Kodachi, JD (Lawyer; President of Japanese American Citizens League)
• Dr. Patti Sakurai, PhD (Professor of Ethnic Studies, Oregon State University)
• Mr. William Chin, J.D., M.S. (Professor of Legal Analysis and Writing, Lewis and Clark Law School)

Sponsors:

• OHSU Center for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs
• Korean American Citizens League
• Oregon Minority Lawyers Association
• Japanese American Citzens League