“Asian-ness” in Iowa: A Conversation about Identity

A facilitated discussion on the issue of identity (dismantling stereotypes and myths, assimilation, straddling both fences, etc.). The goal of this workshop on May 16th is to begin the conversation with hopes that participants will continue the discourse with others. The workshop will be led by Mira Yusef, co-founder and executive director of Monsoon United Asian Women of Iowa. She has a master’s degree in social work with specialization on community organizing, and a master’s in Southeast Asian studies from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She was a recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship from 2004-2005 to pursue research on Muslim Filipina domestic workers working in Muslim households in the Middle East. She was also a recipient of the Department of Education Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship, Community-Based Initiative (CBI) Fellowship, and the Non-Profit and Public Management Support Award.