GYE Themes and Workshops
In the Global Youth Exchange program we worked with local artists, young leaders and scholars from the Southeast Asian and Asian Diaspora Twin Cities community and explored the following themes; U.S. and Vietnamese History and Culture, Art and Storytelling, Identity and Narrative, and Empathy and Perspective.
What do we already know about history and culture in Vietnam and the United States? What do we remember? What have we learned? Whose stories are we missing?
In January 2020, we participated in a workshop with Saengmany Ratsabout of the University of Minnesota’s Immigration History Research Center (front row, right), where we learned about Southeast Asian (SEA) history and the SEA diaspora community.
Beginning Our Journey: Here and There
In workshops with local scholars from the University of Minnesota and the Southeast Asian Diaspora Project, we learned about SEA history that was often left out of American textbooks. We also explored the power of storytelling through art-making.
“I personally thought it was so interesting, educational, and mind blowing because in my eleven years of school I can’t remember this information being shared. It helped me connect with other things that have happened in history and follow patterns and decisions by the United States.” —Inayah
“Southeast Asian history, specifically, is often left untouched by most American scholars: Was it because of the mistakes made and shadows of guilt? Is it an issue of pride and an omission based on shame? Or is there a reason as to why there was erasure? From pieces of history that both SEAD and Saengmany were able to share, it gave substance to the Southeast Asian experience.” —Maxwell
Janet and Inayah collaborating and brainstorming about their collage project in the first GYE art-making session with the SEAD Project.
Molly and Sachan engage in a “memory mapping” exercise, which highlights the SEA historical timeline.
Inayah and Molly enjoyed Vietnamese banh mi from Minneapolis restaurant Jasmine Deli, during a GYE session lunch break in February 2020.
What is the story we want to tell through our art? How can we express our stories through art?
Janet and Inayah collaborating and brainstorming about their collage project in the first GYE art-making session with the SEAD Project.
Nouchi worked on her hanging sculpture in the constellation art-making workshop.
Sachan created a hanging sculpture in Anh-Hoa Nguyen’s art-making workshop.
Exploring identity and narrative: what are the communities, histories, lived experiences, and heritages that make up who we are?
In late February 2020, we participated in an art-making workshop with local artist and activist Akiko Ostlund (back row, fourth from left), which focused on critical thinking and narrative building.
“It was a lot of fun diving into the art workshops and being guided through making art but also being supported and listened to by artists in context of putting our own personal spin or art on their ideas. I was reminded constantly to ‘just do it’ and put my ideas on paper and actually bring them to life, which inspired me even in my own artwork process” —Inayah
“I think exploring the different mediums of art was really beneficial; we were able to see forms of self-expression for individual intents and purposes. Through art, from mobiles to collages to drawings or poetry, you are able to honor a person, fight a society, persuade a community, teach others on an overlooked subject. You do it all through the expression of yourself. It’s a language told through images, and we explored many ways of it.” —Maxwell
“What I was able to take away from these workshops was that art is anything creative that could explain/express how you’re feeling, I was able to learn that not all art needs to have a description; just the image itself can hold up so many different stories! These workshops have helped me view other people’s art in different ways than before.” —Christina
“The workshops that involved creating art helped me express my thoughts and improve my skills in storytelling the message behind my art.” —Nouchi
“Art is essential to storytelling. It is all about perspective, even for some of us who are more right brained, or claim they are not artistic. Art is for everyone.” —Asharia
“What I took away from the workshops is that art is shaped by perspective and it allows you to share your own perspective but also leave room for the audience to perceive it as they choose. I learned how to focus on the narrative I am trying to tell and how to express myself through art.” —Sachan
Empathy and Perspective: How do we focus on humans? How do we feel for, connect with, and understand one another?
In March 2020, we participated in a workshop with the University of Minnesota’s Vietnamese Student Association of Minnesota (VSAM), where we learned about Vietnamese customs, traditions, and manners.
Artistic associate and dancer at Ananya Dance Theatre Kealoha (Kea) Ferreira led us in a movement workshop. She asked us to answer the question “Where are you from?” using only our body movements.