Note from the Instructor

The title of this class and this publication reflects my desire to encourage all of us to move beyond stereotypes and pop culture images to real voices and representations.  Each time I read work by Asian American authors or watch films by Asian American filmmakers, I am reminded of the importance of these voices and how they are often silenced, mocked, or altered to such a degree that they are not identifiable.  I am also reminded of the fact that much of my formal early education did not include these voices or images, and how fortunate we all are to be able to have them today.

The work contained in these pages is produced by some of the students from this semester�s class.  They were asked to submit a piece of writing that reflected some of the themes we�ve addressed in our reading, writing, and class discussion.  What you�ll see is a mixture of poetry, prose, and adaptations of Genny Lim�s poem, �Yellow Woman�.  You�ll also see great honesty, thoughtfulness, and intriguing ideas.

Many thanks go out to these students for their courage, interest in increasing their awareness, and contribution of their voices.

Contents:

• Interpretations of Genny Lim's "Yellow Woman"
• Responses to Assigned Reading
• Original Poetry
• Personal Writing

English 18 student writers back row, left to right:Daniel Moore, Catherine Bui, Marie Obille, Jillian Monteleone, Willis Calkins.  front row, left to right:Christina Hoes, Akiko Sugihara, John Chau. Camera shy contributing writers:Sheila Dickey,  Anna Kim, Alejandra Lezama.