“Asian Americans” Live Screening and Panel Discussion Part 2

Please join us for Part 2 of our panel discussion and viewing on August 27th at 7:00 PM.

Our first ASIAN AMERICANS screening & chat was so popular, we’re doing it again! We’ll look at PBS’s ASIAN AMERICANS film and talk with a diverse panel from Erie’s Asian community - about America’s fastest-growing racial group, Asians in entertainment, growing up between cultures, and more - plus the premiere of our new "Erie Eats" video featuring a local Asian American restaurateur!

From the first wave of Asian immigrants in the 1850s to modern refugee crises in a globally-connected world, an epic new film from PBS examines Asian Americans’ contributions to our country’s past, present, and future. Join us for the online screening and live panel discussion with a diverse panel from Erie’s Asian community. "Asian Americans" is presented in partnership with the Erie Asian Pacific American Association (APAA) WQLN Public Media, Erie’s NPR and PBS affiliate station, and Erie Arts & Culture.

We encourage our followers to tune into the screening to learn about how Asian Americans have helped shape America - from the first wave of Asian immigrants in the 1850s to modern refugees - and get a new perspective on what it means to pursue the American dream. The full documentary is available for viewing online now and it has also aired on WQLN. During the panel discussion, we will screen excerpts from the documentary to frame specific conversations.

Panel Discussion: August 27th at 7:00 PM:

Please register on Eventbrite here

About "ASIAN AMERICANS":

"Asian Americans" is a new five-hour film series from PBS that examines the lives and personal stories of what the 2010 US Census identifies as “the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the United States.”  The film delivers a bold, fresh perspective on a history that matters today, more than ever. As America becomes more diverse, and more divided, while facing unimaginable challenges, how do we move forward together? Told through intimate and personal stories, the series casts a new lens on U.S. history and the ongoing role that Asian Americans have played in shaping the nation’s identity. 

Watch the documentary online on PBS Passport

The release of this series is timely. 2020 is a Census year, and the City of Erie and Erie County are working diligently to ensure a full count. You can participate in this year’s count by telephone (844-330-2020) or online. The current self-response rate in the City of Erie is only at 54%, with the response rate in Erie County at 63%.  And unfortunately, the majority of Census Tracts within the urban core are reporting only between 30 and 50%.  We need everyone living in Erie - every infant and child, college student and senior citizen, foreign and U.S. citizen - to be counted. 

Meet the panelists:

Archana Kumar

Daughter of immigrants from India, Archana was born and raised in Erie, PA. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Management and Marketing from Case Western Reserve University in 2011. Currently, Archana is the U.S. Communications Manager at Alstom. Archana is also active in Alstom’s diversity & inclusion network and is a regional leader in the Alstom Women of Excellence. Previously, Archana served as a Commissioner in the Pennsylvania Governor’s Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs and held various positions such as President, Entertainment Chair and Marketing & Social Media Manager for the Erie Asian Pacific American Association (Erie APAA).

Zareen Khan

Zareen is the daughter of immigrants from Bangladesh, born in State College PA and raised in Erie, PA. She attended kindergarten-12 school through Millcreek Township School District. Currently, Zareen is a rising junior at the University of Pennsylvania double majoring in neuroscience and political science. On campus, Zareen is involved as a neuroscience research assistant, a member of Penn's tap team, and a member of an international health and service NGO, MEDLIFE. She is also active in the Philadelphia community advocating for education equity with the organization Philadelphia Jobs with Justice and as a mentor for elementary school students.

Sophie Tan

Sophie was born and raised in China. She graduated from South China Normal University with a degree in International Tourism Management. She met her husband in Fuzhou, China. They got married and moved to the United States. Sophie has two children, Daniel and Demi. Sophie is one of the owners of Chopstix Restaurant. She is also the treasurer in the Erie Asian Pacific American Association (Erie APAA). She also enjoys spending time with her family and exploring all Erie had to offer.

Priya Maccaferri

Priya is a mechanical engineer who moved to Erie, PA after graduating college at The Ohio State University. Now 9 years later, she calls the area her home with her husband, Marty, and cat, Bella. Priya was the first person in her family born in America and as a toddler she would unknowingly switch between English and Tamil from sentence to sentence. As an adult she has found a balance between her Indian heritage and her American identity, serving for 2 years as the Erie lead for GE’s Asian Pacific American Forum and currently leading Wabtec’s involvement with the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE).

Ashutosh Deshmukh

Ashutosh immigrated to the USA from India, for higher education. He completed his MBA from the University of Alabama and a Ph.D. in accounting from The University of Memphis. He has worked at Penn State Behrend for the last 25 years. He is currently a Professor and Department Chair of Accounting & MIS. He has published over 40 papers, written two books, and presented at 50 conferences across the world. His wife, Hema, has two master’s degrees and taught statistics at Mercyhurst University. They have one son, Ameya, who is in the fourth year of medical school. Ashutosh and Hema love to travel and visit new places. They, and their extended family, love Erie lake and Romolo chocolates!

Walter Ang

Walter Ang is the author of "Barangay to Broadway: Filipino American Theater History." Currently, he covers the Filipino American Theater for Inquirer.net. His writing has appeared in Philippine Daily Inquirer, Asian Dragon Magazine, Metro Magazine, and other publications. Ang consults on marketing communications (public relations, social media, event management, advertising, etc. across online, print, broadcast, and on-ground media).

Major funding for ASIAN AMERICANS is provided by Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB); Public Broadcasting Service (PBS); Wallace H. Coulter Foundation; Ford Foundation/JustFilms; National Endowment for the Humanities; The Freeman Foundation; The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations; Carnegie Corporation of New York; Kay Family Foundation; Long Family Foundation; Spring Wang; and California Humanities.

Erie Arts and Culture is a proud fiscal sponsor of the Erie APAA. The Erie APAA was also a recipient of Erie Arts & Culture's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award. 

For more information about The Erie APAA, follow their Facebook account here.