Leslie Ishii, artistic director for Perseverance Theatre; Dennis Arashiro, Board President of the Alaska Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League; and Adriana Li, program coordinator and instructor for IMPACT; will be featured on a conversation panel that will be held in recognition of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. (Courtesy Photos)

Leslie Ishii, artistic director for Perseverance Theatre; Dennis Arashiro, Board President of the Alaska Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League; and Adriana Li, program coordinator and instructor for IMPACT; will be featured on a conversation panel that will be held in recognition of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. (Courtesy Photos)

Community conversation to spotlight Alaska’s AAPI community

“We have to take a look at how we humanize each other.”

Perseverance Theatre’s Asian American and Pacific Islander community conversation was always meant to be timely. But recent events have given it weight and relevance beyond coinciding with AAPI Heritage Month.

It comes amid a nationwide surge in anti-Asian hate crimes and the passage of a bill to address such crimes. It also comes on the heels of a mass shooting in Atlanta that killed eight, including six women of Asian descent, and months of racist pandemic-related rhetoric.

“We’ve all been conditioned and internalized some of these things,” said Perseverance Theatre’s artistic director Leslie Ishii, who is Japanese-American and will be a panelist in the conversation, in a video interview. “It’s an important time to make sure we interrupt this information.”

While recent events may have fanned the flames of anti-AAPI racism and brought it to public attention, both Ishii and Edric Carrillo, president of Filipino Community Inc. in Juneau who will also be on the panel, said it’s not a new phenomenon.

“This is not a new thing. Ever since Filipinos and the AAPI community have been in the U.S., they have faced acts of racism, to be perfectly blunt,” Carrillo said in a phone interview. “Juneau is a great community, and being born and raised here, I never really felt those overt acts of racism, but they exist.”

However, Carrillo said he had heard from family members who had been told to “go back to China” while shopping locally. He noted that’s wrong on multiple levels. And Ishii said she had recently been accosted while shopping in a grocery store.

“Racism doesn’t know boundaries,” Ishii said.

Carrillo and Ishii said they hoped the event would be a chance to learn about the cultures and people who are part of the community’s fabric, and Carrillo said he specifically intended to discuss the history of Filipino people in Juneau.

“I guess my takeaway for folks that listen is just reinforce we have a large Filipino community here in Juneau and Alaska,” Carrillo said. “We are open, we are welcoming of anybody who wants to learn about our culture.”

The conversation’s goals — emphasizing shared humanity, being mindful of representation and outreach — are generally part of what Perseverance Theatre aims to accomplish, Ishii said.

[Using art to transform experience: Exhibit focuses on work of Black Alaskans]

“We have to take a look at how we humanize each other,” Ishii said. “How do I continue to emphasize and prioritize the relationship building? How am I making sure that space is curated so that we absolutely value every human that walks through the door as fully human? I do think that’s part of the impact of having conversations like this.”

About the panelists, and their work

Ishii and Carrillo will be joined on the panel by Dennis Arashiro and Adriana Li.

Arashiro is a retired social studies teacher who taught in the Anchorage School District for 43 years, has chaired Social Justice at the Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship for the past 10 years and serves as Board President of the Alaska Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League.

“The Declaration of Independence identifies the unalienable rights of ‘Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness,’” Arashiro said in a news release announcing the event. “For many in the Asian American Pacific Islander community, our journey has involved the pursuit of acceptance. Our challenge is to identify what American dream to pursue.”

Ishii said in preparing for the conversation she was reminded of JACL’s long history of civil rights advocacy, and the work it continues to do.

Li, who is a mixed-race Chinese American, is a program coordinator and instructor for IMPACT, an organization that works to prevent violence and abuse through realistic training.

“In this time of increased violence and discrimination based on the excuse of the pandemic, I am deeply saddened and in fear of wanting to protect my community and my loved ones from this senselessness,” Li said in the release. “I am looking forward to engaging in more conversations to build awareness and continuing to teach self-defense strategies to hopefully connect us and truly put an end to this increasing divide.”

Ishii said she became aware of IMPACT’s deescalation, self-defense and bystander and upstander training through her work with CAATA, and she would like to bring such training to Juneau.

“It’s really good training to be a good neighbor and it builds awareness,” Ishii said.

Ishii said she’s eager to hear what panelists say as the conversation unfolds. She acknowledged some branches of the conversation may be difficult, but said it’s ultimately a discussion that can lead to good.

“I know it can sound heavy, but the impact of a healthier, healed community is a happier community that’s thriving,” Ishii said.

• Contact Ben Hohenstatt at (907)308-4895 or bhohenstatt@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BenHohenstatt

Know & Go

What: Asian American and Pacific Islander Community Conversation

When: 6 p.m., Wednesday, May 26.

Admission: The event is free and open to the public. It will be livestreamed on Perseverance Theatre’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/PerseveranceTheatre/ and YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/c/perseverancetheatre.

• Contact Ben Hohenstatt at (907)308-4895 or bhohenstatt@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BenHohenstatt

More in News

(Juneau Empire File)
Aurora forecast for the week of Nov. 27

These forecasts are courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute… Continue reading

Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire File
Even the Grinch got into the holiday spirit at last year’s Gallery Walk on Friday, Dec. 2, 2022.
An abundance of traditional and new ways to capitalize on this year’s Gallery Walk

More than 50 events scheduled Friday afternoon and evening from downtown to Douglas.

This view is from Wrangell on Sept. 11, 2022. (Photo by Joaqlin Estus/ICT)
Conservation group supports formation of new Alaska Native corporations

The conservation group the Wilderness Society has changed its position and now… Continue reading

From her hospital bed on Friday, Nov. 24, Christina Florschutz demonstrates how she pulled pajama bottoms that she found in the landslide debris over her legs, arms and head to keep warm. Her house was destroyed in the landslide, and after spending the night in the wreckage, she was rescued the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 21. (Caroleine James / Wrangell Sentinel)
Elementary school aide who survived Wrangell landslide calls circumstances a miracle

Christina Florschutz trapped overnight by landslide that killed at least 4 people, with 2 missing.

Lylah Habeger (left) and Jaila Ramirez lead the Konfeta Corps during a rehearsal of Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” at Juneau Dance Theatre. The ballet will be performed in the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.At.Kalé auditorium Friday through Sunday. (Photo courtesy of Juneau Dance Theatre)
‘Nutcracker’ tradition, with a twirl of new choreography

This year’s performances feature a cast of 93, ages 5 to 78

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
Police calls for Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
Police calls for Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

Rain at the National Weather Service Juneau station on Nov. 11 doesn’t exist as snow until hits the upper portion of nearby Thunder Mountain. So far this November has been both warmer and wetter than normal. (Photo by National Weather Service Juneau)
El Niño playing outsize role in Juneau’s warmer temperatures, according to National Weather Service

Early peek at numbers shows Juneau is 4.9 degrees warmer than average this November.

An emergency rescue vehicle parks in front of the Riverview Senior Living center at midday Monday after resident Nathan Bishop, 58, was discovered in the attic about 40 hours after he was reported missing. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Nathan Bishop found alive in attic of Riverview Senior Living complex after 40-hour search

Family members say they remain supportive of facility’s locally available assisted living services.

Most Read