Webster University professors Noriko Yuasa and Elsa Fan recently hosted a panel called, “Exploring Asian Identity, Community, and Belonging: Multiracial Experience.” The event earlier this month focused on individuals who identify as multiracial and claim an Asian heritage, the second in a series to explore various aspects of Asian identity. The first panel, held in September, focused on the experiences of Asian adoptees.
Prior to the discussion, informational tables featuring local organizations greeted attendees, including the St. Louis chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), the Missouri Asian American Youth Foundation and the Asian American Chamber of Commerce, among others.
Most attendees were members of the St. Louis community, many of whom had no direct affiliation with Webster, but could connect through one common factor: their identity.
“Multiracial is more than we think, we just don’t talk about it because it is so personal,” said Yuasa, director of Graphic Design and chair of the Department of Art, Design and Art History.
The inspiration for the panel series stemmed from a project Fan was working on in collaboration with JACL member Robin Hattori. The project involved collecting personal statements and oral histories from 17 Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in the St. Louis area. These conversations, along with discussions between Fan, Yuasa and Hattori, sparked the idea for creating a platform to bring these conversations to others.
“It’s all of these different components, the oral histories, the conversations, all of these different things just kind of snowballed when we were all talking and we thought, ‘Why don’t we do this series?’” said Fan, an associate professor of Anthropology and chair of the Department of Global Languages, Cultures and Sciences. “We can actually have these conversations in a space where it is not just limited to the three of us, we could actually build out a space for community members to come, and then we can also share that conversation and allow people to have that space.”
The panel was moderated by Anna Crosslin, who served as the president and CEO of the International Institute of St. Louis for 40 years. Along with her were three panelists who answered questions pertaining to belonging within their identity, how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the Asian community, and how they respond to those who ask, “What are you?”
“Our motivation for doing this was for the community and to create this space, but we wanted to show the community that Webster cares about these issues and we’re willing to be a part of those conversations – and hold that space for people,” Fan said.
Yuasa and Fan plan to host future panels in hopes of exploring more facets of Asian identity. They are encouraged by the positive feedback they have received, with attendees telling them the topics from both panels are relatable.
“We heard people who are multiracial say, ‘I came to this but actually the adoptee experience was really similar to my experience as multiracial.’” Fan said.
The event concluded with a reception featuring Asian fusion food, a highlight that resonated with the audience as food is a very important aspect of many Asian cultures.
“We really wanted to create a space where different organizations and different people and people with different backgrounds can come together,” Fan said. “It’s not about promoting our organization, it’s about creating a space where different people can come together and have these shared experiences.”
