FALL 2008
This semester was filled with class visits and class trips. Classes taught at Hunter were Multicultural American Literature; Arab American Literature; and Asian American Gender and Genre.
The class with the most class speakers was Asian American Gender and Genre in which two video artists, one activist, and one performer/activist/singer, came to speak to my students.
September 9, 2008:
Students from all three classes came to listen to Moustafa Bayoumi, author of How Does it Feel to be a Problem? (winner of the 2008 American Book Award), read from his book and talk about the Arab American experience. Yasmin Dwedar, who was one of the interviewees for the book came to speak as well. Yasmin later continued the conversation with my students by visiting all three classes and speaking to them about her experiences as a young Arab American woman who veils.
Author, Moustafa Bayoumi
Moustafa Bayoumi and Yasmin Dwedar
Zohra, Moustafa and Yasmin
Just before the reading, Yasmin (L) chats with students Pina, Moniba and Hannah (R). In this photo are also: Rong, Julie and Julian.
Student, Hannah, plays with the interactive art exhibit pieces at EFA Gallery.
November 6, 2008:
Class trip with my Multicultural American Literature class to ABC No Rio to see an exhibit by Thai-American artist, Chanika Svetvilas:
- Campbell soup cans on one side, Thai coconut milk cans on the other.
- Bean sprouts in the can symbolizing the transplanted immigrant experience.
- Hunter students study the exhibit and listen to Chanika Svetvilas (R)
- Student, Maryam, takes notes as Chanika Svetvilas shares her early experience as the only Thai American in her Upstate New York neighborhood.
November 7, 2008:
Artist and co-founder of SAWCC (South Asian Women’s Creative Collective), Swati Khurana was generous enough to come spend an afternoon sharing her work with Asian American Gender and Genre class. The students were delighted by her visit. At the end of class, she was even presented with a rose by lovely student, Eunae.
- Swati Khurana wakes up the class.
- This class was 46 students strong!
- Swati Khurana connects her work to the readings they had completed: Edward Said and Ella Shohat.
- Indian American artist shares these photos of herself at age 5, growing up in suburban New Jersey and her red & gold colored Easter egg.
- Bindi as birth control pills.
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Eunae presents Swati with a rose after her talk!Please see: www.swatikhurana.com for more of her artwork.
November 14, 2008:
Emmy Catedral visited this same Asian American Gender and Genre class to talk about her work, a history of Queens, the beauty of trees and childhood games. No photos were salvaged from this visit. Emmy Catedral’s work can be seen here on her website: www.notadancingbear.com
November 25, 2008:
The Tongan-American actress/poet/singer/activist, Vaimoana (Moana) Nuimetolu came to perform selections from her one woman show “Tongue in Paint.” The students in Asian American Gender and Genre had never met a Tongan-American before and were thrilled by her performance of Paradise, a model who walks out of a Gaugain painting at the Met, and by her performance of Big Julio, a Tongan-American father. Moana distributed her cd “Speak the Fire” by her band Mahina Movement: www.mahinamovement.org
- Moana Nuimetolu introduces herself to the class.
- She spells out her name (patiently) and even draws a map of where the island kingdom of Tonga is in relation to New York.
On this day, Arab American director, Bandar Albuliwi also came to visit the class right after the one Moana visited. Students in Arab American Literature class were treated to the 20 minute short film, Broadway Bound, written, directed and starring the young director. The short was featured at the Cannes Film Festival (2008).
Here is a trailer of the film:
Here is the plot summary of the film:
Set against a political backdrop, Broadway Bound tells the story of Ali Sulliman (Bandar Albuliwi), an aspiring Arab-American actor struggling to survive in post-9/11 New York City. Abandoned by his father, he turns to his talent agent (Louise Lasser) for support and guidance as she sends him out on stereotypical auditions.
Though Ali is brilliant, dynamic, and serious about his acting craft, he spends his time outside of the audition room on the edge of consciousness. His disappointments and disillusionment have desolated him from the rest of society, sinking him into a deep depression. After being evicted from his dilapidated Brooklyn apartment, he finds himself homeless on the streets of New York City. Depending on which road he takes, and the choices he makes, his life will forever change.
- Bandar speaks to students after the screening.
- The 23 year old director answered everyone’s questions (and there were lots!)
December 9, 2008:
The last speaker for this semester, Andre Degas, who is of mixed Egyptian-American descent shared his film, The Kitchen (PBS 2001):
The Kitchen
Produced by Jodi Lahaye, directed by Andre Degas
The KITCHEN is the story of Jamal (Jason Raize), a first generation Egyptian-American who struggles to strike a balance between his personal aspiration of “making it” in the music business and the responsibilities his immigrant father, Farid (Mark Margolis), forces upon him. The two are confined together in Farid’s bodega located in the multi-cultural neighborhood known as Hell’s Kitchen. Jamal views the bodega as stagnation, and Farid, who doesn’t approve of Jamals’ bandmates or his older girlfriend, views his son’s music career as a dangerous pipe dreamThe students had a lively Q&A session and had wonderful comments about his film. The film featured a young Arab American and it appealed to all of them.
- Filmmaker and producer at CBS, Andre Degas
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