Date: 04/03/2025
Time: 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Location
Charles B. Wang Center Theatre
Description
“Mama, Are we Black or White?” and Other Intergenerational Conversations for Freedom
By OiYan Poon
Thursday, April 3, 2025 at 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Theatre
Free Admission
Dr. OiYan Poon, a nationally recognized scholar on race and education, will discuss how answering her daughter’s questions about race inspired her book Asian American Is Not a Color: Conversations About Race, Affirmative Action, and Family. Recognizing that even young children seek to understand complex issues, Dr. Poon emphasizes the importance of nurturing curiosity about race, gender, and oppression.
Amidst nationwide debates and restrictive policies targeting educators and librarians, Dr. Poon reflects on the challenges of parenting and teaching in this current political climate. She advocates for fostering intergenerational conversations about how communities and leaders resist marginalization and advance social justice. Her talk underscores the critical role of education in cultivating knowledge and understanding in a diverse society.
Presented in partnership with the AAPI Heritages Committee.
Co-sponsored by the Department of Asian & Asian American Studies, University Libraries, and the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Intercultural Initiatives.
About the presenter
Dr. OiYan Poon, the co-director of the College Admissions Futures Co-Laborative, researches Asian American racial politics, education access, and affirmative action. Her book Asian American Is Not a Color (2024) explores race relations and education policy through personal narratives and interviews. She is also the co-editor of Rethinking College Admissions (2022), which examines systemic inequities in admissions. An award-winning scholar, her work has been featured in the New York Times, NPR, and other media publications. Born in Massachusetts to Hong Kong immigrants, Dr. Poon lives in Chicago with her family, and enjoys baking, reality TV, and lakefront strolls.
For more information, please visit SB Engaged.
Timothy Kohn
