The 2011 NYCAASC Theme: eMerging Profiles
The theme this year for the 5th annual New York City Asian American Student Conference (NYCAASC) is “eMerging Profiles.” Keeping in mind how new media has been a catalyst to many vast social and political movements today, we play on the wording “eMerging” to convey the dynamic processes of merging and emerging and opt to highlight tangible “profiles” rather than the often hard-to-grasp concept of “identities.” In these fast-paced times, blogs, YouTube and other forms of new media have been helpful in reaching across physical boundaries, increasing the accessibility of resources, and connecting with those that seek commonality and recognition. Social networking, both online and in person, has been the forefront in the ability to establish who we are as social creatures.
This year's conference will be a place to merge different perceptions of Asian Americans, to reveal the clashes as well as the similarities of the many views out there. We will closely examine the multi-layered relationship we as individuals have with the term “Asian American,” by delving into what it means to be Asian, to be American, and to be Asian American. From there, we will bring to light our different emerging profiles and reinvent ourselves in order to educate, communicate, organize and build coalitions for broader movements of social and political change.
We recognize that our choice of the word “profile” may come off as a surprise to some, since over the years, the word “profiling” has acquired negative connotations such as profiling people by their race, immigration status, gender, sexuality, and other social categories. We are working to move beyond this rigid interpretation of what is expected of our identities and are taking an alternative approach by returning to the original root of the word “profile” itself. From Latin the word “profile” comes from pro and filare – “to make an outline out of thread,” reminding us of the agency that Asian Americans possess to form and shape our own identities.
As we self-reflect, we will weave together the strands of knowledge we have shared with one another and emerge to shape a prominent, legitimate presence.
