“Sakura: Cherry Blossoms and Japan” with Dr. Cynthia Bisson and Nozomi Takasu, Belmont alumna. Co-sponsored by Asian Studies and Japanese Culture Club.
Dr. Cynthia Bisson will speak about the cherry blossom as a symbol of the US-Japanese friendship and about the 2023 festival in Nashville on Saturday, April 15. Nozomi Takasu, a Belmont alumna and local performer, will sing Japanese songs and will reflect on what the sakura means for Japanese people.
"AAPI Food Festival."
Please join AAPI-affiliated student organizations for a celebratory time of food and fellowship.
“Belmont Undergraduate Research Symposium: Asian Studies Section.”
As an exercise in the Honors Humanities Seminar: Cultural Intelligence, four students will read their cultural autobiographies as a reflection on their personal relationship to their cultural heritage and community. Autobiographies will be read by Elena Amonette (Laotian), Sadaf Folad (Afghan), Ava Malaka Munyer (Lebanese) and Ana Flinton (Korean). A period of Q&A will follow. Advisor: Dr. Ronnie Littlejohn.
"Regenerated to Wholeness"
What does it look like to believe that we can be regenerated to wholeness? Globalization and rapid modernization often collide with traditional cultural and religious values. Many Asian American Christians and bicultural individuals struggle to fashion self out of conflicting values and dual existence. The conflicted, divided self is not unique to these groups, but a shared human condition.
“Thick Clients and Thin Therapists: Towards Understanding Psychotherapy as a Cultural Practice”
It is important to place modern psychology in its historical and social context and recognize psychotherapy contains a distinct moral character that reflects a particular culture and time. As such, it is imperative for clinicians in training to recognize the values underlying psychotherapy as a cultural practice. With rapid globalization, all therapists must engage in cultural learning more deeply and understand the cultural and social embeddedness of clients in a more complex and dynamic fashion. Implications for clinical training and professional development will be discussed.
“Asian Christianity”
Most Americans think of Christianity as a Western religion, but what does the history and the reality of world Christianity show us? We will engage this topic by hearing from Dr. Won Lee, Professor of Religion and Asian studies at Calvin University, and the editor of The Oxford Handbook of the Bible in Korea, which explores how faith communities in Korea and the Korean diaspora use the Bible in their religious, social, and political contexts.
“When a Korean American Reads the Bible ...?!”
As a first-generation of Korean American, I belong neither to my motherland nor the newly adopted home and yet I belong simultaneously part of two worlds. This seemingly contradictory state provides a context for introducing new insights that are vital to Christianity, an essentially contextual and pluralistic religion. The question is then whether the works of all diaspora be regarded as mere additions to or integral part of the traditional interpretation of the Bible.
“Reading the Bible from Multiracial Perspectives: Asia, Africa, Latin America, and North America.”
In connection with AAPI Heritage Month, several undergraduate research posters were on display in the second-floor atrium of JAAC. The posters were created by CTCM students in REL 3990 Multiracial Biblical Studies as part of their Final Project.
Please join us for a lunch discussion on building up the AAPI community at Belmont on April 7 from 12-2pm (Ayers 4th floor conference room).
The AAPI Heritage Month planning committee invites you to a lunch and panel discussion on building up the AAPI community at Belmont. The all-AAPI panel will discuss constructive strategies for fostering community and creating a supportive environment for AAPI faculty, students, and staff. The goal of this event is to celebrate the histories and contributions of Asian Americans and to identify ways to enrich the Belmont and broader Nashville community. The panel features Drs. Amy Crook, Kristi Oshiro, Stephen Hankil Shin, and guest panelist, Dr. Jordan Ryan of Wheaton College, and will be moderated by Dr. Gideon Wongi Park. This WELL Core event marks the inaugural celebration of AAPI Heritage Month at Belmont University.
The generous support of numerous campus partners—including, AAA, Asian Studies, CLASS, COB, CTCM, HOPE Council, Student Life, and the Provost's Office—is gratefully acknowledged.