‘Visible People’ to showcase Asian-American, Pacific Islander cultural diversity

Mary McHenry and Jared Ortaliza came up with the idea for the show “Visible People” while eating dishes of pad thai and pad see ew. McHenry, a third-year ethnomusicology student and Ortaliza, a second-year pre-human biology and society student, had both been thinking independently about putting together a showcase of Asian-American and Pacific Islander artists. […]

Documentary, Q&A aim to discuss South Asian representation in American culture

The massive popularity of “The Simpsons” means the racist stereotypes written into its character, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, a South Asian convenience store owner, have permeated American culture. “The Problem with Apu,” a documentary starring comedian Hari Kondabolu, builds upon critiques of Apu to examine limited South Asian representation in Hollywood, as well as the real-world impacts […]

Marathon Reading adds novel dimension to reading, ties literature to today’s issues

The 2018 Marathon Reading is part endurance race, part relay. Over the course of 24 hours, readers will take turns reading the entirety of “Jane Eyre” and “Wide Sargasso Sea,” passing around books rather than a baton. The event will begin Tuesday at 9 a.m. and will continue until the two books are complete, with […]

Student play layers fantasy, reality to subvert racial stereotypes

Characters inspired by Yoruban gods will layer with the gritty realism of an impoverished Louisiana town to create the mythical world of the upcoming play, “In the Red and Brown Water.” Jayongela Wilder, graduate student in directing and the play’s director, said the duality of magic and realism was one of the many ways that […]

Second Take: ‘Fresh Off the Boat’s’ representational significance merits its renewal

“Fresh Off the Boat” is sending out an SOS – “save our show.” With potential cancellation on the horizon, the fate of the ABC sitcom hangs in the balance in this year’s television renewal season, when networks decide whether to continue or cut their shows. ”Fresh Off the Boat” is a vital piece of representation […]

Reel Representation: Inclusion riders a step in right direction to diversify Hollywood

This year’s trending Oscars buzzword wasn’t #OscarsSoWhite – instead, everyone was talking about the inclusion rider. Frances McDormand ended her Best Actress acceptance speech at the Oscars with the term, referencing a provision actors and actresses can put in their contracts to stipulate specific representation standards for films that are proportionate to real-world population breakdowns. […]

Movie review: ‘A Wrinkle in Time’

Audiences should go see “A Wrinkle in Time” with an open mind and a lot of patience. The adaptation of the classic sci-fi book is at times frustrating, simply because its narrative is so unconventional. The film doesn’t spoon-feed the plot to audience members, instead making them work to understand, but that’s part of what […]