TONIGHT'S MAIN EVENT:
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
The Public Square at the Illinois Humanities Council presents: The Exotic and Mysterious Other:
Orientalism, the Legacy of Colonialism and the Complexities of Desire and Interracial Dating
September 13th, 5:30-7:30 PM, dinner in included.
72 East Randolph
Co-sponsored by Applied Research Center, the Asian American Leadership council of the Chicago Foundation for Women, the Asian American Artists Collective, and the Center for Asian Arts and Media at Columbia College.
Please join us or an in depth exploration of the complex, personal and political topic of interracial dating. The event promises to be an engaging evening of intellectual and visual stimulation mixed with delectable food, drink, and empowerment. Guest Speakers will include, Rinku Sen and Mae Ngai. THere will also be a short performance by Rupal Soni and friends, and a short film by Kip Fulbeck.
Love may be blind, but can it be color-blind? The romantic vision of the Middle East and Asia held by the West has been defined by the activist & intellectual Edward Said as a mixture of racist assumptions, intertwined with and underpinned by colonialist desire to conquer the so-called "Other." The exotification of the mysterious Asia was a preface to conquering and dominating Eastern civilizations by the West.
Today in the U.S., statistics show that the largest group of interracial couples consists of white men and Asian women. How do representations of the East in popular culture and in the contemporary consciousness shape western male desire and inform our ideas of romance?
How are the historical and political reconciled within intimate relationships? How do we resist exotification, ensure equity and simultaneously demand legitimacy for interracial relationships?
This event is part of The Public Square at the IHC's series called Artists, Activists and Authors After Hours (AAAH). These events are intimate, informal discussions and meals that allow for meaningful exchanges among people who are engaged in similar projects and struggles. Since coalition building is one of the cornerstones of social change, AAAH programs are structured to give individuals a chance to meet one other and create intellectual community.
Reservations are necessary and required and places are limited. Please email info@thepublicsquare.org or call 312-422-5580 to make a reservation.
