Asian American Voices

photos by Brian Minami

For the past couple of months, students from the Claremont Colleges, through the Intercollegiate Department of Asian American Studies (IDAAS), have partnered with the Literacy for All of Monterey Park (LAMP) program at the Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library in a course titled “Asian American Voices.”

photos by Brian Minami

Pitzer College professor Dr. Kathleen S. Yep (right) and interdisciplinary artist and community organizer Traci Akemi Kato-Kiriyama (left) co-created the course, which brought together students from the Claremont College and adult ESL learners from the LAMP program.

photos by Brian Minami

Throughout the course, both Claremont College and the LAMP students shared personal narratives of silence and empowerment, reflecting on the relationship between self and society. They learned from each other’s experiences and helped to maintain a supportive space in which each woman could express her voice through both writing and dialogue.

photos by Brian Minami

On May 2, 2011 they made their voices heard by sharing their experiences in front of a crowd of 95 people at the Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library. If you would like to read the collection of poems written by the students through this collaboration, click here.