The Canopy: Tier III Workshops
For our third workshop series, we will be inviting gifted speakers to help form the bridge between our heritage, family traditions, and ethnicity with our local community and environment.
Stephanie Gray Chang - Taiwanese American Political Voice: Taking Root
The 2012 U.S. presidential election will go down in history for the importance of shifting demographics and particularly the rise of immigrant voters. What does this mean for Taiwanese American voters across the country and in the Midwest? What is the role for Taiwanese American young voters like us as the country moves forward? Are Asian American and Taiwanese American issues being addressed sufficiently in policy and in politics? Stephanie Gray Chang will explore some of these topics and invites you to share your views and questions!
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About the Speaker
Stephanie Gray Chang is the immediate past president of Asian & Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote-Michigan). APIAVote-Michigan is a non-partisan organization that serves the Asian Pacific Islander American community through civic participation, advocacy, and education. She previously served as the deputy director and then special projects coordinator for the Campaign for Justice, which is a non-profit organization fighting for legislative reform of Michigan’s public defense representation system. Stephanie served as an organizer for One United Michigan, building local volunteer-led coalitions to educate the public about affirmative action and mobilize voter opposition against Proposal 2 in 2005 - 2006. Stephanie is a 2011 David Bohnett Foundation Leadership and Public Service Fellow pursuing her Master of Public Policy and Master of Social Work degrees at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Asian Pacific Islander American Studies from the University of Michigan.
Joyce Pan - [Learn to] Love Your [Midwestern] City
Some say that the "West Coast is the Best Coast", others believe that the East Coast needs no proof that it is just all around better, and most states in between, well, are there. But what about the Midwest? What about the cities in the "Rust Belt"? What does it have to offer our community? And how do we use our unique gifts and talents as Taiwanese Americans to positively impact the greater community around us?
In this seminar, we will explore how to tap the great potential in our beloved Midwestern cities when we get rooted, invest in our cities, and work to create new exciting and emerging cultures.
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About the Speaker
Joyce Pan is a 2nd generation Taiwanese American college student organizer with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, a national college ministry that focuses on developing student leaders who engage the university and world through the lens of faith. She currently works with Asian American students at Case Western Reserve University as well as with a multicultural chapter at Oberlin College. Joyce grew up in upstate New York and attended college at the University of Michigan, where she majored in Sociology and Environmental Studies. She is truly Midwestern, having lived around 3 of the Great Lakes, and has a great secret plan to see Cleveland be repopulated.
Ho Chie Tsai - Mission Control: Launching our Communities into the Spaces We Envision
During this workshop, Ho Chie will share his thoughts and ideas about how our personal identities, values, and passions can be transformed into meaningful life paths. He will discuss influential leadership principles and community-building strategies that you can use everyday. Furthermore, he will guide participants into developing effective mission and vision statements for both personal achievement or for organizational/professional leadership roles. Ho Chie believes that each of you will play a role in defining the future of Asian America and the communities you care about, but it all starts with reflecting on your own personal passions and dreams. Got lofty dreamy ideas? Let’s reach for the stars.
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About the Speaker
Ho Chie Tsai has spent most of his life working to build organizations and networks that serve the Asian and Taiwanese American communities. A popular speaker among youth audiences, his personal mission is to inspire young people to discover their values and passions so that they can make a positive impact in the world. Ho Chie is often credited for helping to inspire a student movement, which resulted in the establishment of UIUC's Asian American Studies Program and Cultural Center. During his collegiate years, Ho Chie was actively involved with various pan-Asian organizations at UIUC. He served as Co-president (92-93) and Internal Vice-president (91-92) of the Asian American Association, co-founded the Taiwanese American Students Club (90-91), and organized the first successful Asian Pacific American Coalition (91-92). Today, Ho Chie is well-known as the founder of TaiwaneseAmerican.org, a national website dedicated to connecting and highlighting the new generation of Taiwanese Americans. In past years, he also helped to found the Taiwanese American Professionals San Francisco chapter, the Taiwanese American Medical & Health Professionals (NATMA) 2G chapter, and the grade school summer camp program of the Taiwanese American Foundation. Professionally, Ho Chie is a board-certified pediatrician on staff at the Children’s Hospital and Research Center of Oakland, which serves an ethnically diverse and mostly under-privileged patient population.
Rebecca Nelson - Growing Into Our Authentic Voices: Branching Out From Our Family Histories and Charting New Paths
Speaking what is true and deep in our hearts is an important component of leadership. What does it mean to speak with an “authentic voice” on issues of concern to Asian American Pacific Islanders? How can we take the stories, values, and upbringing from our families and heritage…and grow them into new directions of advocacy and development? How can we identify mentors and allies along this process? In this session Rebecca Nelson will share her family’s story of immigration, advocacy, and sideways alignments. Participants will be invited to explore their paths and next steps to building their “authentic voice”!
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About the Speaker
Rebecca Nelson serves as Program Director and Covener for Ohio State's Bias Assessment and Response Team at The Ohio State University. In her years of service at Ohio State, Rebecca has served as Assistant Vice President for Student Life and Director of the Multicultural Center, Program Manager for Community Development with The Ohio State University Medical Center, Assistant Director with the Office of Minority Affairs (now renamed the Office of Diversity and Inclusion), and as an Academic Adviser for Honors Students. Currently, Rebecca serves as a Commissioner with the City of Columbus Community Relations Commission, a member of the Ohio State Faculty Senate Diversity Committee and chairs the Ohio State Student Life Equity and Community Council. Rebecca received her BA in English and Political Science from Linfield College and her MA in Education from The Ohio State University.
