More than 100 University of Michigan students, faculty and staff gathered to hear Cathy Park Hong, Pulitzer Prize finalist and one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2021, speak at the University of Michigan Museum of Art on Wednesday.
Hong’s talk kicked off the “(Re)Emergence: Asian American Histories and Futures” series, which is a collaboration between the Institute for the Humanities and Asian American studies scholars focusing on diverse Asian American histories and how scholars, activists and others can learn from them to shape the future. Hong spoke about her book, “Minor Feelings,” an essay collection about her life and identity as an Asian American. In a conversation with Peter Ho Davies, Charles Baxter Collegiate professor of English language and literature, Hong discussed her movement from poetry to prose along with her thoughts on identity and race.
Victor Mendoza, interim director of the Asian/Pacific Islander American Studies program expressed his enthusiasm for having Hong at the University.
“She’s kind of a dream guest,” Mendoza said. “I’ve been wanting to invite her to campus for a long time.”
In an interview with The Michigan Daily, Manan Desai, attendee and associate professor of Asian/Pacific Islander American Studies, said he was impressed by the large audience.
“I’ve been in this room for many years to see a number of different speakers,” Desai said. “I think this was one of the most impressive turnouts.”
Hong wrote “Minor Feelings” in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and amid rising hate toward Asian Americans. Hong said while the state of the world has changed, the fight against anti-Asian racism is not over.
“We’re still in a dangerous moment,” Hong said. “We can’t burn out. We can’t give up.”
While Hong is best known for her work as a poet, she said she wrote “Minor Feelings” in an essay format because she felt a…
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