AMERICA: The Home of the Brave

By Usha Srinivasan & Priya Das

Silicon Valley nonprofit Mosaic America is bringing belonging to communities through inter-cultural co-created art with events like FolkSi 2018. Photo by Swagato B. Photography.

A Changing America

Over the past few years, the brilliant image of America as a beacon of hope, opportunity, and equality has extinguished. The lead up to the 2016 election laid bare the tears in the social fabric of our nation. Hateful, racist rhetoric aimed at exploiting xenophobia for political gain highlighted the ugly reality of the ‘all-American’ identity. To be all-American is to be White. Individuals who don’t fit this category are hyphenated-Americans who must justify their belonging by proving their worth. Police brutality against Black Americans, anti-Asian hate crimes and attempts to disenfranchise communities of color are manifestations of the deeply entrenched systems of White supremacy on which our nation was built. The founding fathers of the United States could not have been prepared for the challenge wrought by the 1965 Immigration Act to these entrenched systems. This legislation lifted race-based exclusionary practices, swelling a wave of immigration from Latin America, Asia and Africa, shifting America’s demography in unforeseen ways. Today, as it was in the days of our forefathers, we are a nation of immigrants, increasingly diverse and, yet, increasingly less integrated.

The Inadequacy of the Melting Pot

Dancers from Akoma Arts, founded by Keith Hames, at FolkSi: Silicon Valley Folk Festival 2018. Photo courtesy of Mosaic America

Given that the American model for social integration of immigrants has been the melting pot of assimilation, it shouldn’t surprise us that today, we find ourselves ill-equipped in the cultural competency required to manage rapid diversification. The notion that people can come to America from many different cultures and in this crucible of democracy and freedom, forge a new uniform American identity, is not only reductive but privileges an American identity of a White majority assimilating mostly White, European immigrants. For immigrants fleeing war, persecution and famine, it seemed a reasonable bargain to give up unique cultural practices in return for a chance at safety and most importantly, belonging. But the legitimacy of this belonging is premised on appearance. For many immigrants, Whiteness is not only unavailable, but undesirable. 

With the growing accessibility of overseas travel and digital communications, the world has shrunk. Immigrants are more able to maintain cultural ties to their lands of origin. Even if they felt called upon to renounce their cultural identity, and dissolve into the mythical melting pot of America, they would still be asked “where are you really from?” 

A Dream Deferred

As a nation, we sit at a crossroads: on the one hand, a White majority that feels threatened by the loss of their privileged status; on the other, disenfranchised immigrants who feel they only belong when they are with people who look and sound most like themselves. The American Dream has become one of cultural silos: people of common culture or ancestry living, eating, playing and praying in enclaves as hyphenated Americans.

Our hope is to find a way to break down these silos, fostering a national identity that transcends race, culture or national origin. We must find a new model of social integration; one that unites by a shared love of country and the values she stands for, rather than one that divides by religion, race or national origin. 

Introducing Mosaic America

It was to address this fragmentation that I co-founded Mosaic America (formerly Sangam Arts), a nonprofit organization that aims to move communities from diversity to belonging through intercultural arts and dialogue.  

A mosaic is a pattern made of stone, tile or glass produced by arranging together small pieces of material called tesserae. The absence of even a single tessera, either by error or omission, leaves a mosaic unmanifested. We believe that in the gloriously diverse and culture-rich Bay Area, valuable cohesion is possible through the deliberate commissioning of intercultural works of art. These works do not aim to erase or exclude distinctions, but instead, allows them to render a new vision of America: a mosaic that is greater than the sum of its individual parts.

Mosaic America co-founders Priya Das and Usha Srinivasan accept a Certificate of Recognition from the California State Legislature in honor of their event STAND: 2020 Day of Art and Solidarity as they came together to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy by creating and sharing art in many forms.

Mosaic programming uses the arts to build the foundation of authentic representation and inclusion, paving the way to foster a sense of Belonging for all who live, work, play, and pray in our community. While we all appreciate the diversity in Silicon Valley, salient pockets of segregated lives still remain. Thus, we have older settlers who resent their new neighbors and cities adopting new social contours with no regard to local history. Unevenly distributed economic opportunity, blind to unique cultural histories, has contributed to the displacement of several communities. For example, residents who have come here from all over the world may have little to no knowledge of the Indigenous populations who still live among us. These Indigenous peoples continue to struggle to preserve and promote their cultural stories in the face of colonizing White settler-based narratives. We believe that culturally rooted art forms can be used to illuminate these stories and connect them to other peoples and cultures in our community.

Merely living in a community and sharing roads, schools and municipal services does not create a sense of Belonging. It takes meaningful and repeated interactions in community settings and a fact-based understanding of the community’s history and people to cultivate a common vision for the future. Mosaic’s approach is to draw on rich artistic and cultural community assets to create collaborative, intercultural performances that prioritize authentic co-creation.

Building Dreams Together

What does this authentic co-creation look like in practice? One of our first productions under the Mosaic Silicon Valley umbrella was RaasLorico, a collaborative work between Indian folk-dance (Raas) artist Srividya Eashwar (Artistic Director of Xpressions) and Mexican Folklorico artist Arturo Magaña (Artistic Director of Ensamble Folclórico Colibrí). The piece was commissioned with the goal of connecting these traditions authentically. Mosaic sought to build a bridge between the audiences to connect their respective communities and to reflect on the connection onstage.

RaasLorico would showcase both Raas and Folklorico separately, then bring the two together with all dancers on stage. There was some trepidation at first about safely intertwining two traditions, with one requiring bare feet and the other, hard-soled boots. Once the dancers got together, however, the fear subsided with the common rhythms of Raas and Folklorico emerging together as a shared heartbeat. Once this commonality was found, trust in each other grew, and safety was felt in a number of ways—not just for dancers’ feet, but the safe passage to share cultural traditions joyfully and authentically. The performance brought neighbors together in a way they had never connected before. After the success of RaasLorico, Srividya and Arturo have continued working together, offering workshops in cross-cultural dance, and producing more performances for a new shared audience.

This was not a work of fusion nor a melting pot, where each participant was pushed to compromise or contort their practice to meet perceived audience preferences. Instead, the authenticity of the traditions was maintained, allowing everyone to claim their whole identity. This was a true coming together of distinct identities, creating a whole that was greater than the sum of its parts: a mosaic that is quintessentially American.

Indian dancers of Xpressions and Folklorico dancers of Ensamble Folclórico Colibrí. Photo by Swagato B. Photography

It can be easy to assume that successes like this will continue, but our work is not without potential conflict. Arturo’s Ensamble Folclórico Colibrí sits at the intersection of LatinX and LGBTQ+ identities and promotes the pride of both through Mexican Folklorico dance. Given the anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment that exists for many in the diaspora, there was great potential for tension in RaasLorico and subsequent collaborations. We exist within that sort of risk all the time, and believe it is important to confront it. This tension drives us to create in the way that we do. Our goal is to break down barriers to find a shared humanity that respects all experiences, working towards a future in which we all support and feel supported by each other.

Mosaic continues to meet crises of identity in whatever forms they appear. We are now hoping to attract funding to produce Beautiful Dark, a collaborative dance vision of Cambodian dancer Charya Burt featuring live original music that explores the social and psychological impact of colorism including the social phenomenon of skin lightening and the physical, emotional, and cultural implications it has for persons of color.

This work is informed by Charya’s personal experience of beauty standards and self-worth growing up in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where she was derisively labeled srey k’mau (black girl). Her collaborative partners, Vietnamese composer and musician Van-Anh Vo, poet Shikha Malaviya, and Odissi dancer Niharika Mohanty, all provide accounts of colorism within their communities as explorations within the piece. These women’s unique voices and experiences come together onstage in the intentionally racially-stereotyped beauty salon to illustrate how colorism - influenced by institutional practices, colonialism, popular culture, and relentless advertisements of skin treatments - impacts identity and ideals of beauty.

We are currently living through one of the largest racial justice uprisings in recorded history, reckoning with prejudices and oppressions that are rooted in anti-blackness. Colorism is just one of many expressions of anti-blackness that affect people from all cultures.

As this piece is specific to perspectives of women from South and Southeast Asia, we hope Beautiful Dark will have broader implications for addressing anti-blackness within non-Black communities of color. Our hope is that when this project is funded and presented, those who have experienced the pain of colorism see themselves in this work, so that we might contribute to their individual and collective healing.

Path-breaking with the Mosaic Festival

There's a light at the end of the tunnel and it's filled with inter-cultural art: art that celebrates, art that heals, and art that will conjure a united sense of Belonging in Silicon Valley. The Mosaic Festival will be a one-day event featuring performing arts, a healing garden, art exhibits and murals, and a bevy of food trucks representing the communities of Silicon Valley. This outdoor festival will be held on September 25, 2021 at the historic Mexican Heritage Plaza in East San Jose, known to many as a vertex of diversity. A celebration for all - families, artists and purveyors - the Mosaic Festival will use living art with cultural roots to spark tangible and meaningful harmony in our community. 

While the Bay Area is at the cutting edge of the demographic shifts that have resulted from rapid diversification and segregation, other parts of America are sure to experience the trend. We believe our work in Silicon Valley can offer a template for other communities facing similar trends. We hope to build bridges and bravely commit to taking the first steps.

Taking Action Against Anti-Asian Racism

By Ariel Neidermeier

In February 2020, during the early days of Coronavirus pandemic, stories began emerging of bullying and physical attacks on Asian Americans, blaming them for the pandemic and yelling things like ‘go back to China!’ Growing concern about this fast-spiraling situation inspired the formation of Stop AAPI Hate, a coalition of three prominent Asian American & Pacific Islander advocacy organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area, including Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), the Asian American Studies Department of San Francisco State University and the Asian Pacific Planning and Policy Council (A3PCON). Launched on March 19, 2021, the Stop AAPI Hate reporting center tracks and responds to incidents of hate, violence, harassment, discrimination, shunning, and child bullying against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States.

To date, Stop AAPI Hate has reported over 6,000 incidents of anti-Asian violence and revealed disturbing trends, including the dominance of hate incidents reported by Asian American women (64.8%) versus men.

Vincent Pan and Dr. Arlene Daus-Magbual are prominent activists of the Stop AAPI Hate movement of the striving to address anti-Asian racism.

Vincent Pan is the Co-Executive Director of Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), a community-based social justice organization that advocates for systemic change that protects and promotes immigrant rights, language diversity and racial justice. His work takes a network-based approach to movement building that leads Asian Americans to civil rights and equality. Prior to CAA, Vincent worked with the Clinton Foundation developing treatment programs for children living with HIV/AIDS in China.

Vincent Pan, Executive Director, Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA). Photo by Center for Asian American Media.

What was the driving force behind the creation of the #StopAAPIHate coalition? How have the goals of the coalition grown or evolved since its creation?

Stop AAPI Hate started in early 2020 as three key individuals and organizations came together to address what they identified as a fast emerging problem: a surge in anti-Asian racism fueled by the racialization of the COVID-19 pandemic and the political rhetoric surrounding it. 

Leading activists Manju Kulkarni, Cynthia Choi and Russell Jeung each saw the need for a safe way for the community to report and compile what was happening. The data and the stories would be critical in order to raise the broader awareness needed for effective interventions.

Stop AAPI Hate is a leading tool for the community to report anti-Asian hate incidents which continue to be very visible. Meanwhile, other areas of their work are gaining traction, too. This includes offering resources to those impacted, providing technical assistance on prevention and intervention, supporting community safety and restorative justice programs, and advocating for effective civil rights and anti-discrimination policies.

What are the wins of the #StopAAPIHate movement that you're most proud of at this point?

People and communities across the country and the globe are now paying more attention to the reality that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have historically faced and continue to face harsh forms of structural racism, which can manifest itself in so many harmful and dangerous ways.  

This is fueling a greater recognition that we all have a stake in dismantling structural racism and tackling all forms of systemic discrimination; because building support for this type of transformational solidarity is what will ultimately make us all safe and free from bigotry and violence.  

Right now so many people are hurting and traumatized, so we cannot be complacent simply with increased awareness and visibility of the problem. Our energy is also directed towards winning long-term, sustained, and equitable investments in our communities, which have been long overdue.

What are the most pressing needs of the #StopAAPIHate coalition today and how can individuals best support those needs?

We continue to ask community members to speak out and report incidents of hate to www.stopaapihate.org because there is a long history of under-reporting, as well as racism against AAPIs being minimized.  We also want people to be safe and to be an ally and to learn about and share public safety tips also available on our website.  

We are so grateful to those who have donated or organized fundraisers for us because community support allows us to prioritize what is most important. We also invite everyone to learn about and support the local AAPI community groups where they live that need resources, too.  

How does your Chinese American identity and background inform your advocacy work for the AAPI community?

The people and the groups involved with Stop AAPI Hate have been at the forefront of the AAPI civil rights and social justice movement for decades. We hold multiple and often intersecting identities that help us understand cultural and community strength, the history and role of social movements, and the ethical promise of solidarity across diversity.

What message do you want to share with Asian Americans today?

Now is the time for each and everyone of us to get involved. 

We know that hurt people often hurt people, and abused people often abuse people. So as a community we need to be there for one another, and for others, in order to stop repeating cycles of harm. This includes demanding effective solutions that prevent hate incidents from occurring in the first place, and reimagining those systems that no longer work for anyone. 

AAPIs have a long history of leadership and activism and all of us are part of that tradition. This is a time to be leaders, and to be healers, for ourselves and for others.

Arlene Daus-Magbual, Director of AAPI Student Service at San Francisco State University.

Dr. Arlene Daus-Magbual is the Director of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Student Services at San Francisco State University. She coordinates a broad range of services, programs and activities designed to support the access, academic achievement, social integration, persistence and graduation of AAPI and high-need target populations. She leads the efforts on campus in building AAPI Student Services at SFSU including ASPIRE, a project to serve and support the academic outcomes of Asian American and Native American Pacific Islanders (AANAPI).

What do you do at San Francisco State University and how does it feed into your advocacy work for the AAPI community?

I am the Inaugural Director for Asian American and Pacific Islander Student Services in the Division of Equity and Community Inclusion and a Faculty Lecturer in Asian American Studies Department. My services to AANAPI students on campus are grounded in the legacy and foundations of Ethnic Studies.  

Ethnic Studies was born at SF State in 1968 and one of the goals is self-determination or the ability for dispossessed people to center their experiences in shaping their material reality. By responding to the needs of AANAPI students, we can address the history of systemic oppression our communities have faced. It is important to understand how history plays a role in the challenges our AANAPI students face as they navigate an institution that has historically marginalized them and overlooked their needs. Our goal is to improve and expand the capacity to serve our students and engage them with equitable learning environments as a practice toward freedom.

How did you get involved with the #StopAAPIHate movement?

I’ve been actively fighting racism since I was a child. I faced so much racism going to school and I have been constantly trying to find ways to learn and advocate for myself when the people who I was supposed to report to would sweep it under the rug. After I graduated college in 2000, I worked for the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, now known as Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Los Angeles, as the Hate Crimes Education Coordinator in the Anti-Discrimination Unit. I worked with community organizations, schools, and universities to deliver curriculum and programming on racism, discrimination, know your rights, hate crimes and incidents. I was trained in victim assistance and worked directly with victims and their families. When 9/11 happened, I was on the front lines in responding to the rise of incidents happening in southern California. That experience led me to go to graduate school at SF State to pursue my master's in Asian American Studies to research and write about Hate Crimes on College Campuses. 17 years later, my thesis on that very topic is still relevant today.  

Arlene and members of ASPIRE. Photo courtesy of Arlene Daus-Magbual.

My research and experience as a hate crimes education coordinator play a role in my current position at SF State. We have worked with Dr. Russell Jeung from #StopAAPIHate who is a faculty member here and he has done workshops with our students as well as invited youth interns from his project to teach our college students.  My department has responded to the rise of hate against AANAPI students, faculty, and staff by holding space for racial grief through forums, town halls, and one-on-ones.

How has your work to combat anti-Asian discrimination at San Fransciso State University translated into legislative action?

After many forums and town halls we held with students, staff, faculty, and administrators, and after the shootings in Georgia, where 6 out of the 8 people were Asian American women, I collaborated with six Asian American women professors to co-author an Academic Senate resolution to condemn anti-Asian racism and violence. The resolution was unanimously passed by the Academic Senate and serves as a guide to respond to the needs of our SF State Asian American community. 

What message do you want to share with young Asian Americans today?

The message I want to share is that I see you. I feel you. You are not alone. Hold space for the racial grief and trauma you are experiencing, speak your truth, advocate for yourself and each other and be in the process of learning and becoming. Build solidarity and learn from past and current solidarity movements.

For more information about Stop AAPI Hate, visit https://stopaapihate.org/, or follow them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

These interviews have been edited for length and clarity. 

Whitney Wolfe Herd: The Woman Behind the Dating App with a Feminist Twist

By Tumay Aslay

Whitney Wolfe Herd, Tech Founder and CEO of Bumble. Photo courtesy of Bumble.

Since its launch in 2014, the dating app Bumble has been overturning the dynamics of traditional dating.  In a time when technology designs the way we meet others, the vision of 31-year-old Whitney Wolfe Herd is uplifting. Wolfe Herd, who recently became the youngest female CEO to take a company public in the United States, is not scared to take up space and break the glass ceiling. She represents the phenomenon of females rising to the top as she builds a company that puts women in a position of power. As she framed it in her letter on the Bumble website, “so many of the smart, wonderful women in my life were still waiting around for men to ask them out, to take their numbers, or to start up a conversation. For all the advances women had been making in workplaces and corridors of power, the gender dynamics of dating and romance still seemed so outdated. I thought, what if I could flip that on its head? What if women made the first move, and sent the first message?” 

Whitney Wolfe Herd at Bumble HQ. Photo courtesy of Bumble.

Wolfe Herd didn't have an easy start to her career. She was one of countless women who shared their stories of sexual harassment in the workplace. Wolfe Herd was a co-founder of the dating app Tinder, focused on marketing and college campus promotions, in the early days. But the situation unravelled and she wound up filing a lawsuit against the company in 2014 with allegations of sexual harassment, which reportedly resulted in a settlement of $1 million plus stock for Wolfe Herd. After this rough road and with the determination to change systemic sexism, Wolfe Herd successfully engineered a new company primarily run by women, catering to women. “Since 2017, the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements have put sexual harassment and gender discrimination at the center of the cultural conversation.” Wolfe Herd said in a recent letter she posted on Bumble. “I’m more dedicated than ever to helping advance gender equality and putting an end to the misogyny that still plagues society. We don’t tolerate hate speech or bad behavior of any sort; Bumble is a platform rooted in kindness and respect.”  

Bumble has been creating opportunities to expand the conversation about traditional gender norms in online dating since the day it launched. In a time when dating digitally has become its own hell: between likes, swipes, hearts, DMs and skimming through bios, women are more frustrated than ever with hook-up culture. Bumble has a mission to change that by giving women the opportunity to dictate their own relationships by allowing them to make the first move. The platform was designed to establish and maintain healthier connections, not just in dating, but also in friendships and business, as it now offers Bumble BFF and Bumble Bizz too. It has become more than just an app. It’s a movement.

Whitney Wolfe Herd is the leader of that movement with her courage to come forward and confidence to take on the responsibility of leading the way for the younger generation. She sounds proud and encouraging in her recent IG post after the news of Bumble going public, “Today has shown that barriers can be broken when we believe in a better way. Bumble is the outcome of a fiercely dedicated team who’s worked tremendously hard to show that women can, should, and will make the first move. When relationships are better for women, they’re better for everyone. To all the first movers, whether on our platforms, in business, or in life: you’re what today is about. Never take no for an answer, believe in yourselves, and turn your pain into purpose. Most importantly, treat people with kindness and dream big.”

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*This article is for entertainment, education and reference purposes only. Seismic Sisters and the author do not guarantee or endorse the Bumble Apps or Platforms mentioned in this article. Seismic Sisters is in no way affiliated or “materially connected” with the Apps or Platforms. Seismic Sisters has no responsibility for any of the Apps’ or Platforms’ operations and services or influence over any of the Apps’ or Platforms’ independent content and public commentary. Use the Apps or Platforms at your own risk.

The Comedy of Dhaya Lakshminarayanan

By Polina Smith

Dhaya Lakshminarayanan, www.dhayacomedy.com

Many say we’re living in the era of the multi-hyphenate. With the gig economy decentralizing the modern workforce and opening alternate avenues of employment, artists are increasingly finding ways to maximize visibility through a wide variety of disciplines and mediums. Comedienne storyteller, speaker, host, actor, and writer Dhaya Lakshminarayanan is no stranger to the world of the multi-hyphenate, an amazing woman with several different talents. Dhaya has embraced the hard-to-pin-down nature of her art. At one minute, she’s delivering a lively story on NPR’S Snap Judgment accompanied by restless avant jazz, and the next minute she’s writing in the San Francisco Chronicle about the importance of the library to her early childhood. Such is the life of an artist whose refusal to pigeonhole herself into one neat box has only increased her visibility. The indefinability of her craft widened the scope of her work, creating additive opportunities down frequently intersecting paths.

Dhaya Lakshminarayanan, www.dhayacomedy.com

As a comedienne, Dhaya tackles issues of geopolitical, racial, religious, and familial significance. She is unafraid to wade into dicey emotional territory, whether the subject resides on a global scale or sits right in her own backyard. This bravery translates to her storytelling as well, where she uses the candidness and vulnerability of her comedy as the baseline upon which she spools out both short and long form narratives for live audiences. 

Perhaps the unifying concept of Dhaya’s work is her ability to express herself openly and honestly in front of an audience. Staring out into the faceless void of anonymous bobbing heads with a blinding spotlight staring right back, Dhaya seems eminently at home. One might feel welcomed by her craft, as if taking a seat next to Dhaya on her living room couch over a steaming mug of tea. 

 It should come as no surprise that Dhaya Lakshminarayanan has collected a vast array of awards and honors including the Liz Carpenter Political Humor Award and being featured in “The Ultimate Comedy Challenge” by Comedy Central Asia. Additionally, she was named among twenty “Women to Watch” by KQED, one of “The Bay Area’s 11 Best Stand Up Comedians” by SFist, and one of “16 Bay Area performers to watch in 2016.”  Dhaya has opened for and been featured alongside such luminaries as Janeane Garofalo, Marc Maron, and Greg Proops, among many others.

Alongside her career in the arts, Dhaya is, in all senses of the word, a scholar and was a formidable presence in the corporate world. She is a two-time graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with a Bachelor of Science in Urban Studies and Planning, as well as a Masters in City Planning, specializing in energy economics and infrastructure finance. She has worked in the fields of strategy and management consulting, venture investing, brand strategy, and financial modeling, among other such disciplines. All told, Dhaya has incredible talents that span across many different arenas. 

For all of her disciplines, Dhaya is a bold and brave artist, tackling issues of great political and societal saliency across multiple forms. Rather than detracting from her art, the scope of her interests only reinforces the depth and primacy of her work. Such is the world of the intimidatingly proficient multi-hyphenate!

For more Dhaya comedy, see her Seismic Sisters ‘Presidential Inauguration Party’ performance 

Dhaya Lakshminarayanan comedy tribute on #InaugurationDay2021 celebrating new U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris! Seismic Sisters hosted this ‘virtual’ Presidential Inauguration Party featuring music, comedy, dance, performances and inspiring messages from political leaders and activists.

Watch her Seismic Sisters Show Interview

Stand-up comedienne Dhaya Lakshminarayanan sits down for a deep conversation with Seismic Sisters on ways to connect, build community and make progress during this transformational era of the COVID-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests. Dhaya talks about her journey of allyship and using her stand-up skills to tell stories that illuminate and motivate people to do something to contribute to positive change.