Asian American Authors in Conversation—OiYan A. Poon on her new book, Asian American is not a Color: Conversations on Race, Affirmative Action, and Family

Come to a discussion with OiYan A. Poon, PhD about her new book, Asian American is not a Color: Conversations on Race, Affirmative Action, and Family. The discussant will be Anurima Bhargava.

This event will take place in person at Chatham Square Library. To attend (in person only): simply go to the link below and click on “Register Now.” Registration with an email address is required. Each person attending must register individually. There is no ticketing, but a registrants list will be kept at the door. Seating is limited to 60 people.

Before being struck down by the US Supreme Court in June 2023, affirmative action remained one of the few remaining policy tools to address racial inequalities, revealing peculiar contours of racism and anti-racist strategies in America. Through personal reflective essays for and about her daughter, OiYan Poon looks at how the debate over affirmative action reveals the divergent ways Asian Americans conceive of their identity. With moving sincerity and insightful study, Poon combines extensive research with personal narratives from both herself and a diverse swath of individuals across the Asian American community to reflect on and respond to her daughter’s central question: What does it mean to be Asian American? (Beacon Press website, accessed 5/23/2024)