We were unbelievably fortunate to have the premier Critical Mixed Race scholar, Dr. Weiming Dariotis, come to our class. Thank you so much for sharing the history of how you came into MR studies and how you and Laura Kina conceived of the "War Baby / Love Child" exhibit and accompanying text. I would have loved to hear more how you narrowed down your art selection and why you chose the specific pieces. That is a conversation for another time. Maybe we may have to skype you in. Thank you again for your time and it's always a pleasure to hear about your scholarship and activism.
Laura Kina and I strove for diversity and balance. We tried to link pieces together--to create a narrative thread throughout the show. However, we didn't want pieces that repeated each other too much. We also looked for pieces that were visually intriguing or exciting.
Thank you Dr. Weiming Dariotis for taking the time out of your sabbatical to come talk to my class. It was interesting to hear about all the little personal life history events that led to the conception of "War Baby / Love Child." I especially enjoyed learning about the controversy over the word "hapa." I would have liked to hear more about transracial adoptees and how they fit into the mixed race community. Thanks again for your time.
Scholarship is often quite personal, and academia is built on relationships as much as it is built on shared interests. Regarding Transracial Adoptees, I recommend this excellent blog: http://www.kiradonnell.com/ As well as Kira Donnell's MA thesis at SFSU. Jane Jeong Trenka also writes well on the topic.
To Wei Ming: I was never fully aware that there is a strong and growing mixed race community. I was especially stricken that Asians would marry Whites presumptuous that they would attain the same privileges as the Whites. However, the circumstances aren't so much favorable because society isn't so receptive and accepting of mixed race children especially mixed with White. I want to thank you for sharing some of your personal experiences as a mixed race person and I absolutely love and appreciate your unfiltered language.
Thank you for visiting us at UC Davis and giving us such a wonderful lecture on how "War Baby, Love Child" came to be. The process of creating an anthology such as this book is definitely no easy task. I enjoyed the discussions on specific artists and their works, particularly in why they made such pieces and how.
It was not until my class with Dr. Valverde this quarter that I appreciated how powerful art can be, and your lecture further supported that idea. Although I may not be of mixed race, I have gained even more understanding of their experiences through art.
You did mention that you are a Star Trek fan. Although I may not be such an avid fan, I would like to ask, what do you think these science fiction television shows and movies are really trying to convey to their audience? Because mixed race individuals have been marginalized in the past, and continue to be in some cases today, do you think the way they are seen today will shift again in the near future? (I learned that in the past mixed race individuals were greatly valued for their ability to form a bridge between two worlds; "Race Mixing: A Brief History with Maps" by Arwin D. Smallwood.)
Mixed race people are valued differently now than they have been even in the recent past, and this can be seen in the way Mr. Spock is depicted now vs. how his character was shown in the 1960s on the Star Trek: The Original Series. On ST: TOS, Spock was often referred to by his friends, jokingly, as a half-breed and a mongrel. In more recent Star Trek movies, Spock's struggle with his mixed race identity becomes a primary focus of the drama and is handeled with more respect. But, ultimately, being valued as a bridge builder has its problems, too.
Thank you so much, Dr. Wei Ming Dariotis, for taking time out of your day to come be a guest lecturer. I thought the discussion you brought to the class was eye opening. What specifically stood out to me was when you brought up how America hides the "forgotten war" on Philippines' land. I always knew that there are things countries hide from their people, I suppose the most common country being China, but I never knew the extent. Although you gave merely a brief look into what is being hidden from us, it goes to show that these incidents are way bigger than what they seem to be. Because of your discussion on this topic, it helped inspire my group for this week's project as we wanted to bring light to events that aren't so publicized that should be. Which leads me to wonder if you believe that if the general public should be informed about events such as these that have occurred and can occur in the future, or do you believe that in the long run, the privacy of such events are necessary?
I think education and uncovering histories that have been deliberately ignored is critical. We have to tell the truth and then live it if we truly want to achieve reconciliation. Regarding the US Philippine war, I highly recommend this book: http://www.asiabookcenter.com/store/p225/The_Forbidden_Book%3A_The_Philippine-American_War_in_Political_Cartoons.html
Thank you so much Dr. Weiming Dariotis to come all the way to Davis to talk about the past and current mixed race issue. The story of the journey of how you become who you are right now and pursue the career inspired me as much as the book "War Baby, Love Child". The story of how the name of the book has come into place was very unfortunate and I wish there were more understanding within the communities now than back then. I enjoyed a lot hearing the story of how you put the book together with Laura Kina. Knowing more about the ideas behind the process of binding the book with arts within was very refreshing and I learned how important artwork can be within academia world as well. I would like to hear more about how we should keep promoting the correct idea of mixed race community, and how we can improve on identity issues that some of them might have because of their experiences. Thank you so much for your time and hope we can heart about more in the future.
Dr. WeiMing Dariotis: I would like to thank you so much for giving up some of your time to be a guest lecturer for our class. It was a pleasure to hear about the history behind making the book and your experiences of being part of the mixed race community. From taking this class and the reading of your book has inspired me to appreciate art a lot more. If you were teaching mixed race class today, what would be the first piece of art you would use as the introduction for people who are not or do not understand the history of mixed race to the class and why? You also talked about how some events or kept away from publicity such as the forgotten war, another question is, what happens when it does reach the public? Do you believe there will be a huge revolt against the government?
There are a number of pieces from the book that are visually arresting, but I think I might start with Lori Kay's "Heir to Rice," a bronze sculpture of a rice farmer's straw hat (photo is in the book). People who saw it in the exhibit often imagined their own face under the hat, but I think they would have been surprised to see the artist, who looks very white. I've known Lori for many years, and she has often told me a story about being a small child in a stroller pushed by her white mother, when a white woman came up to her and shook her finer, yelling, "You are a sin" and the young Lori. It was common in the '60s and '70s to see interracial unions as against the plan of God.
Thank you Dr. WeiMing Dariotis for taking some time to visit UC Davis and talk to us about your book. Not everyone has the opportunity to meet the author of one of the books they are reading in class. I found your discussion about your experiences as a mixed race person to be very interesting. Our class is very honored to have met the author of such a great book. Thanks again for your time.
Thank you so much Dr. WeiMing Dariotis for taking the time out of your busy schedule to discuss with us about your book and your personal experiences being mixed race. It was a pleasure to hear about the different topics you touched upon during the discussion session. As a non-mixed race person, I was able to take a lot away from your talk about mixed race people. One question that I have for you is through sharing your experiences and knowledge, what is the ultimate takeaway that you would like people to understand and think about? Thank you so much for sharing your stories with us again! It was a pleasure to meet you!
I think critical mixed race can be a lens that is useful for all people to help them understand their position in the world, because we are all between cultures, negotiating boundaries, and trying to forge our own path while trying to understand where we come from.
Thank you Dr. Dariotis for taking the time to come to our class and discuss your book as well as some of your history. I have immensely enjoyed reading your book, and it was great to meet one of the masterminds behind the piece. I enjoyed your presentation and learning about some of the behind the scenes things that went into you making the book.
One question I have been thinking about that I wish I could have asked you is: Do you think it is problematic for a bunch of monoracial people taking a class about mixed race people? And how should conversations be facilitated when a majority of the class be monoracial?
Again thank you so much for coming to our class. It was a honor, and I look forward to your next work.
See my answer above--I'm glad to see so many monoracially people interested in mixed race. Maybe you imagine you will have mixed children one day, or perhaps you have mixed family members already. Or you plan to go into teaching or social work and you know there will be many mixed race children in your future. I am glad that you are learning about the issues of this community so you can be better prepared. Similarly, I think non-Black people should talk Africana Studies, non-Asians should learn about Asian Americans, etc. It is our obligation as a members of a diverse society--and it is so interesting!
To Dr. Wei Ming Dariotis, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to come talk to us about your amazing book War Baby/ Love Child - we all know how busy you are; teaching, working on an anthology with Dr. Valverde, etc. Like you, I’ve always had a deep appreciation for art and I believe art is in the eye of the beholder but sometimes, people misunderstand the underlying message. So for you to interview these artists and for them to provide a first-person perspective, not only will it allow the main message to get across clearer but also connect the audience to the artwork more.
Thank you, this is exactly our motivation for this project. In the two exhibits, we also provided a great deal of information about each art piece to help provide context. Art relates to the society from which it comes, it is made in a complex context, and should be seen with as much understanding of that as possible.
Thank you Dr. Dariotis for your guest lecture at UC Davis. Your discussion on the cultural appropriation and use of the term "hapa" by non-Hawaiian mixed race people was thought-provoking. My question is: how can non-Hawaiian mixed race artists and Hawaiian mixed race artists collaborate together to create an exhibit that reinforces an inclusive understanding of the word hapa and show how the word hapa has helped non-Hawaiian mixed race individuals find comfort and peace in their mixed race/heritage identities?
Thank you so much for sharing your life with our class and offering us such wonderful insight to the nature of mixed race people in America. "War Baby/love Child: Mixed Race Asian American Art" has been a great read and I love the amalgamation of fine art and race relations, it help me as an artist and person of color further understand these problems that have become so dissuaded by the general population. Do you think the works included in your book fall under the category of "degenerate art"? Is it "too modern" or "too contemporary" and read as contrived garbage? I've taken your work as an editor to heart, as I have received this type of criticism with the works I've produced and I would love to know your take on artistic integrity when represent oneself or race. Thank you so much once again for your guest lecture.
The art industry/art world is exclusive and elitist, occasionally letting token representatives of groups of color in only to be used as "ethnic cover." From my perspective, the only crime in art is imperialist Orientalism, which has been largely the province of the traditional art world.
We were unbelievably fortunate to have the premier Critical Mixed Race scholar, Dr. Weiming Dariotis, come to our class. Thank you so much for sharing the history of how you came into MR studies and how you and Laura Kina conceived of the "War Baby / Love Child" exhibit and accompanying text. I would have loved to hear more how you narrowed down your art selection and why you chose the specific pieces. That is a conversation for another time. Maybe we may have to skype you in. Thank you again for your time and it's always a pleasure to hear about your scholarship and activism.
ReplyDeleteLaura Kina and I strove for diversity and balance. We tried to link pieces together--to create a narrative thread throughout the show. However, we didn't want pieces that repeated each other too much. We also looked for pieces that were visually intriguing or exciting.
DeleteThank you Dr. Weiming Dariotis for taking the time out of your sabbatical to come talk to my class. It was interesting to hear about all the little personal life history events that led to the conception of "War Baby / Love Child." I especially enjoyed learning about the controversy over the word "hapa." I would have liked to hear more about transracial adoptees and how they fit into the mixed race community. Thanks again for your time.
ReplyDeleteScholarship is often quite personal, and academia is built on relationships as much as it is built on shared interests. Regarding Transracial Adoptees, I recommend this excellent blog: http://www.kiradonnell.com/
DeleteAs well as Kira Donnell's MA thesis at SFSU. Jane Jeong Trenka also writes well on the topic.
To Wei Ming: I was never fully aware that there is a strong and growing mixed race community. I was especially stricken that Asians would marry Whites presumptuous that they would attain the same privileges as the Whites. However, the circumstances aren't so much favorable because society isn't so receptive and accepting of mixed race children especially mixed with White. I want to thank you for sharing some of your personal experiences as a mixed race person and I absolutely love and appreciate your unfiltered language.
ReplyDeleteDear Dr. Wei Ming Dariotis,
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting us at UC Davis and giving us such a wonderful lecture on how "War Baby, Love Child" came to be. The process of creating an anthology such as this book is definitely no easy task. I enjoyed the discussions on specific artists and their works, particularly in why they made such pieces and how.
It was not until my class with Dr. Valverde this quarter that I appreciated how powerful art can be, and your lecture further supported that idea. Although I may not be of mixed race, I have gained even more understanding of their experiences through art.
You did mention that you are a Star Trek fan. Although I may not be such an avid fan, I would like to ask, what do you think these science fiction television shows and movies are really trying to convey to their audience? Because mixed race individuals have been marginalized in the past, and continue to be in some cases today, do you think the way they are seen today will shift again in the near future? (I learned that in the past mixed race individuals were greatly valued for their ability to form a bridge between two worlds; "Race Mixing: A Brief History with Maps" by Arwin D. Smallwood.)
Again, thank you for your time.
Mixed race people are valued differently now than they have been even in the recent past, and this can be seen in the way Mr. Spock is depicted now vs. how his character was shown in the 1960s on the Star Trek: The Original Series. On ST: TOS, Spock was often referred to by his friends, jokingly, as a half-breed and a mongrel. In more recent Star Trek movies, Spock's struggle with his mixed race identity becomes a primary focus of the drama and is handeled with more respect. But, ultimately, being valued as a bridge builder has its problems, too.
DeleteThank you so much, Dr. Wei Ming Dariotis, for taking time out of your day to come be a guest lecturer. I thought the discussion you brought to the class was eye opening. What specifically stood out to me was when you brought up how America hides the "forgotten war" on Philippines' land. I always knew that there are things countries hide from their people, I suppose the most common country being China, but I never knew the extent. Although you gave merely a brief look into what is being hidden from us, it goes to show that these incidents are way bigger than what they seem to be. Because of your discussion on this topic, it helped inspire my group for this week's project as we wanted to bring light to events that aren't so publicized that should be. Which leads me to wonder if you believe that if the general public should be informed about events such as these that have occurred and can occur in the future, or do you believe that in the long run, the privacy of such events are necessary?
ReplyDeleteI think education and uncovering histories that have been deliberately ignored is critical. We have to tell the truth and then live it if we truly want to achieve reconciliation. Regarding the US Philippine war, I highly recommend this book: http://www.asiabookcenter.com/store/p225/The_Forbidden_Book%3A_The_Philippine-American_War_in_Political_Cartoons.html
DeleteThank you so much Dr. Weiming Dariotis to come all the way to Davis to talk about the past and current mixed race issue. The story of the journey of how you become who you are right now and pursue the career inspired me as much as the book "War Baby, Love Child". The story of how the name of the book has come into place was very unfortunate and I wish there were more understanding within the communities now than back then. I enjoyed a lot hearing the story of how you put the book together with Laura Kina. Knowing more about the ideas behind the process of binding the book with arts within was very refreshing and I learned how important artwork can be within academia world as well. I would like to hear more about how we should keep promoting the correct idea of mixed race community, and how we can improve on identity issues that some of them might have because of their experiences. Thank you so much for your time and hope we can heart about more in the future.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDr. WeiMing Dariotis: I would like to thank you so much for giving up some of your time to be a guest lecturer for our class. It was a pleasure to hear about the history behind making the book and your experiences of being part of the mixed race community. From taking this class and the reading of your book has inspired me to appreciate art a lot more. If you were teaching mixed race class today, what would be the first piece of art you would use as the introduction for people who are not or do not understand the history of mixed race to the class and why? You also talked about how some events or kept away from publicity such as the forgotten war, another question is, what happens when it does reach the public? Do you believe there will be a huge revolt against the government?
ReplyDeleteThere are a number of pieces from the book that are visually arresting, but I think I might start with Lori Kay's "Heir to Rice," a bronze sculpture of a rice farmer's straw hat (photo is in the book). People who saw it in the exhibit often imagined their own face under the hat, but I think they would have been surprised to see the artist, who looks very white. I've known Lori for many years, and she has often told me a story about being a small child in a stroller pushed by her white mother, when a white woman came up to her and shook her finer, yelling, "You are a sin" and the young Lori. It was common in the '60s and '70s to see interracial unions as against the plan of God.
DeleteThank you Dr. WeiMing Dariotis for taking some time to visit UC Davis and talk to us about your book. Not everyone has the opportunity to meet the author of one of the books they are reading in class. I found your discussion about your experiences as a mixed race person to be very interesting. Our class is very honored to have met the author of such a great book. Thanks again for your time.
ReplyDeleteYou are very welcome. Don't forget, many of your professors are also authors of books!
DeleteThank you so much Dr. WeiMing Dariotis for taking the time out of your busy schedule to discuss with us about your book and your personal experiences being mixed race. It was a pleasure to hear about the different topics you touched upon during the discussion session. As a non-mixed race person, I was able to take a lot away from your talk about mixed race people. One question that I have for you is through sharing your experiences and knowledge, what is the ultimate takeaway that you would like people to understand and think about? Thank you so much for sharing your stories with us again! It was a pleasure to meet you!
ReplyDeleteI think critical mixed race can be a lens that is useful for all people to help them understand their position in the world, because we are all between cultures, negotiating boundaries, and trying to forge our own path while trying to understand where we come from.
DeleteThank you Dr. Dariotis for taking the time to come to our class and discuss your book as well as some of your history. I have immensely enjoyed reading your book, and it was great to meet one of the masterminds behind the piece. I enjoyed your presentation and learning about some of the behind the scenes things that went into you making the book.
ReplyDeleteOne question I have been thinking about that I wish I could have asked you is: Do you think it is problematic for a bunch of monoracial people taking a class about mixed race people? And how should conversations be facilitated when a majority of the class be monoracial?
Again thank you so much for coming to our class. It was a honor, and I look forward to your next work.
See my answer above--I'm glad to see so many monoracially people interested in mixed race. Maybe you imagine you will have mixed children one day, or perhaps you have mixed family members already. Or you plan to go into teaching or social work and you know there will be many mixed race children in your future. I am glad that you are learning about the issues of this community so you can be better prepared. Similarly, I think non-Black people should talk Africana Studies, non-Asians should learn about Asian Americans, etc. It is our obligation as a members of a diverse society--and it is so interesting!
DeleteTo Dr. Wei Ming Dariotis, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to come talk to us about your amazing book War Baby/ Love Child - we all know how busy you are; teaching, working on an anthology with Dr. Valverde, etc. Like you, I’ve always had a deep appreciation for art and I believe art is in the eye of the beholder but sometimes, people misunderstand the underlying message. So for you to interview these artists and for them to provide a first-person perspective, not only will it allow the main message to get across clearer but also connect the audience to the artwork more.
ReplyDeleteThank you, this is exactly our motivation for this project. In the two exhibits, we also provided a great deal of information about each art piece to help provide context. Art relates to the society from which it comes, it is made in a complex context, and should be seen with as much understanding of that as possible.
DeleteThank you Dr. Dariotis for your guest lecture at UC Davis. Your discussion on the cultural appropriation and use of the term "hapa" by non-Hawaiian mixed race people was thought-provoking. My question is: how can non-Hawaiian mixed race artists and Hawaiian mixed race artists collaborate together to create an exhibit that reinforces an inclusive understanding of the word hapa and show how the word hapa has helped non-Hawaiian mixed race individuals find comfort and peace in their mixed race/heritage identities?
ReplyDeleteGreat idea! I would suggest deferring to the sovereignty and leadership of Native Hawaiians.
DeleteThank you so much for sharing your life with our class and offering us such wonderful insight to the nature of mixed race people in America. "War Baby/love Child: Mixed Race Asian American Art" has been a great read and I love the amalgamation of fine art and race relations, it help me as an artist and person of color further understand these problems that have become so dissuaded by the general population. Do you think the works included in your book fall under the category of "degenerate art"? Is it "too modern" or "too contemporary" and read as contrived garbage? I've taken your work as an editor to heart, as I have received this type of criticism with the works I've produced and I would love to know your take on artistic integrity when represent oneself or race. Thank you so much once again for your guest lecture.
ReplyDeleteThe art industry/art world is exclusive and elitist, occasionally letting token representatives of groups of color in only to be used as "ethnic cover." From my perspective, the only crime in art is imperialist Orientalism, which has been largely the province of the traditional art world.
Delete