Hip Hop Workshop

From AAA Wiki

Overview

In this workshop, Ryan Takemiya explored problems in how the public currently perceive Asian Americans, and set forward his own take on how to approach the problem. He argued that the most effective way to change people's perceptions at a more fundamental level is through the influence of popular culture.

His definition of popular culture is very wide, stretching from the usual--music, film and television--to anyone or anything in the public spotlight, including politicians, lawyers and wealthy businessmen. He pointed out that while the political right in America has effectively harnessed popular culture to suit its own aims and project its own messages, liberals still tend towards more concrete, less exciting methods to express themselves, particularly political activism and legislation.

While acknowledging the useful, indeed crucial roles that political activists still have to play, Ryan, a self-proclaimed Asian American activist, insists that activism alone is clearly not working; instead, what is needed is a deeper-rooted change in perceptions at a more fundamental level. Having conducted research on Hip Hop across Asia, where he was surprised at just how much Asian kids had changed Hip Hop and made it their own, Ryan began to ask--why not the same here in America? For him, Asian American Hip Hop is just one of many possible avenues to be explored, presenting many exciting opportunities for the future.

Event Evaluation

While Ryan's message was an optimistic one and in many ways well-thought out and reasoned, at times he could be vague and unclear, glossing over important subtleties in his argument and thus leaving the audience confused and with the wrong impression. This became clear at the end of his presentation, when numerous members of the audience started angrily attacking his views and arguments, particularly what they (incorrectly) viewed to be his disdain for political activism.

While it is easy to see why he might have annoyed certain members of the audience, the hostile response he received was unnecessary, particularly given that in principle we are all fighting for the same goals and given that he'd kindly agreed to come and talk for free, despite usually speaking for an honorarium of $400. The Q&A session was a disappointing end to what might otherwise have been a pretty smooth-running event, and Ryan, who had been very excited to talk at Columbia, expressed his immense disappointment after the talk and in a follow up e-mail.

The Ryan Takemiya Hip Hop workshop was organized by Jeremy Tapp