Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 2001)
Autobiographical speeches bear witness to prejudice ■ Personal tales of prejudice cap a three-week workshop brought to campus by APASU By Arlene Juan For the Emerald Nine students expressed their concerns surrounding the issue of discrimination toward minori ty groups and explored intimate details of their lives through dra matic autobiographical pieces Sunday in “My Own Story,” the final product of a three-week in tensive student workshop. “I commend their courage for bringing to light the most impor tant issues that choke the minor ity community today,” said Jeanne Ebuen, a junior pre-busi ness administration major and audience member. Critically acclaimed director and actor Alex Luu returned to the University for a second year from Los Angeles to coordinate the special student show, which was held in the Ben Linder Room. He performed last year, and the Asian/Pacific American Student Union and others want ed to bring him back this year for students to work with him. Luu said his goal for the stu dent workshops and the final event was to “liberate the human spirit, especially for the Asian community whose identity has been underrepresented and for gotten.” Each of the nine performers composed his or her story and Luu helped them shape the deliv ery techniques. They revealed their thoughts, emotions, politi cal beliefs, struggles and tri umphs. With only photographs as props and using limited auxil iary sounds, the performers ex pressed their private pain and anger. “This presentation is meant to entertain the audience but also to leave a mark on their conscience and make them aware of the real ity surrounding them,” Luu said Friday. Daniel Duong, a Vietnamese American, began the program by describing the discrimination he has experienced in a community dominated by Caucasians, “We are all supposedly made equal under the eyes of God,” he said. “That’s not true in America ... In my own home country I am an alien because of my slanted eyes and brown skin.” Duong cited the dating pool on campus as an example of this dis crimination. “Girls overlook my potential to be boyfriend material because white people have generalized Asian males to have a small penis and to be less manly,” he said. “If we are all equal, I have yet to see it.” Noelle Miller, a Korean Ameri can, illustrated the stereotypical attitudes she encountered from some Americans. “English is the only language I know, and yet white people speak to me with a slow and sim plified speech as if I don’t under stand a word,” she said. The experiences these students face were not limited to America. Christie Cruz presented a story of her life as a Filipino-Japanese American growing up in what she said was a racist environment in Japan. “Filipinos were seen as trash; the women as whores, nannies or maids,” said Cruz. “Japanese men would walk up to me saying, ‘five thousand yen, five thousand yen’ assuming I would give them easy sex because I was Filipino. I was only fourteen.” Throughout the presentations the audience laughed and cried, and during a question-and-an swer period after the show they praised the performers. “I hope there are more oppor tunities like this available to the campus’s growing yet silent com munity,” Ebuen said. “I would love to see Alex come back again every year.” Participants in the perform ance said the experience was en riching. “I think the most valuable gift this opportunity gave us was the chance to say whatever we want ed without being judged,” said Phuc Nguyen, a Vietnamese American performer. “Some of the things we said tonight may have been offensive to others, but we expressed what was inside and told our story.” All Ways Travel •Last Day of Sale!!!* Ft. Lauderdale - $198.00* Providence - $198.00* Honolulu - $377.00* Maui - $437.00* ♦tax not included, restrictions may apply. Subject to change without notice. Saving Students $ since 1990! E-mail: awt@luv2travel.com ALLDAY TUESDAY ALL YOU CAN EAT EVERY TUES! includes Garlic Bread 11:30am-10pm pizza : PETffr 2673 Willamette • 484-0996 Virtual Office Systems Inc. In Partnership with The University of Oregon Bookstore 3131 West 11th Ph. 343-8633 Open Mon-Sat 10-6 AMD K7 Athlon 800ThunOerbirO $1099.99 • Microstar MS 6330 Board • 32 MB GeForce 2 MX • 20 GB 7200 RPM Drive • 128 MB 100 MHz RAM • 17”.27SVGA Monitor With Athlon 900, $1149.99 With Athlon 1000, $1189.99 With a 19”Monitor $1229.99 VOS, AMD, and UO Bookstore Supporting Women’s Basketball. Spectacular Give-away see our Website for Details. www.voscomputers.com Celeron®600HHi “Workhorse” $599.99 • Intel CA 810e Board • On Board Intel Video • 10 Gig AT A 66 Drive • 64 MB 100 MHz SDRAM • Monitor Additional W/Pentium III 700, $699.99 Upgrade to 20 Gig, Add $10 Add LG 32x8x4 CDR, $150 All systems include ATX case, Windows 98 SE or ME, 52X CD, 56K v.90 modem, mouse, keyboard, floppy, sound, speakers, 1 Year parts/ 2 Years labor VOS Inc. Systems are also available at the UO Bookstore. Parts available only at VOS Inc. l’l ices good through 02 l(v()l. AMD. K(>. KJ- and Duran are trademarks of AMD. Ine. Specs subject to change ««\\ \ oscomputers.com Undecided About Your Major? Explore UO majors at MAJOR DECISIONS an informational fair about UO majors and related careers Wed., February 21 11:30 AM -1:30 PM EMU Concourse Concurrent Events: What My Major Has Done For Me 11:00 AM - Noon EMU Alsea Room An alumni panel from various disciplines will discuss their career paths and how their choice of an academic major has affected their lives. The Future Room 11:00 AM-2:00 PM EMU Owyhee Room Tools, resources, and hands-on activities will be available ... for you to explore different majors and career options. CAREER $[f T^ieringer JKemoriaf Service cS/s/er andClrienrf to JKany £ Gancffefiyfif Gtiyif (candles wifif>e provided) Gfay ward fdiefd IfOednesday, ffedruary 21 ai 6:30 p. m. IPfease feel free io caff434-2488 wit/i any questions SponsoredBy ^University of Oreyon IHousiny ancf DCappa T)efta Sorority \^ 1711 Willamette (next to Blockbuster) 343-3330 MEDIUM PEPPERONI OR CHEESE PIZZA little Caesars
