Anthony Ocampo is a scholar and writer who focuses on issues of immigration, race and ethnicity, and gender and sexuality. He is the author of The Latinos of Asia: How Filipino Americans Break the Rules of Race. He is working on his second book, To Be Brown and Gay in L.A., chronicling how gay men of color from immigrant families negotiate race, gender, and sexuality within their families, neighborhoods, schools, and mainstream LGBT spaces. Ocampo has co-edited two major collections in race and ethnic studies: Contemporary Asian America: A Multidisciplinary Reader and Asian American Society: An Encyclopedia. He has also been featured as a commentator for local and national news outlets, including CNN, 60 Minutes, and The San Francisco Chronicle, and he has a regular segment “All Things Fil-Am with Dr. O” on Kababayan Today, a daily talk show for and about Filipino Americans. Programs are free and open to the public and take place at Allen Hall, 1005 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana.
Monday, March 4, 7:00 p.m. - To Be Brown and Gay in the USA (South Rec Room): Immigration, race, and LGBTQ rights have been headline issues the past few decades, but the experiences of individuals whose identities cut across all three issues have remained invisible to most. Dr. Ocampo explores why this is and addresses the struggles that LGBTQ people of color face in order to be seen, not just by the public, but also by their immigrant families, ethnic communities, and the mainstream gay community. Drawing on the experiences of Latino and Asian American gay men, Dr. Ocampo chronicles the creative strategies that they employ to embrace their identities and to create community.
9:30 p.m. – Tea Time: Race Beyond Black and White (guest apartment): Informal discussion. Tea and snacks provided.
Tuesday, March 5, 7:00 p.m. - The Latinos of Asia: How Filipino Americans Break the Rules of Race (South Rec Room): Is race only about the color of your skin? Dr. Ocampo looks at Filipino Americans to show that what “color” you are depends largely on your social context. Filipino Americans are officially classified as Asian, but share many cultural characteristics with Latinos. Are they “becoming” Asian or Latino? Dr. Ocampo will discuss how their racial identities “change” depending on the communities they grow up in, the schools they attend, and the people they befriend. We’ll explore both the racial consciousness of everyday people and the changing racial landscape of U.S. society.
9:00 p.m. – Tea Time: Asian American students (guest apartment): Come chat about what it’s like being an Asian American student on campus. Tea and snacks provided.
Wednesday, March 6, 7:00 p.m. - Intersectionality is More than a Buzzword (South Rec Room): The whole point of college is to meet people from all walks of life, but research shows that most people, including college students, tend to form friendships with people of similar backgrounds. Part of the challenge is that schools don’t do the best job of teaching us how to empathize with others across difference, whether it’s race, gender, or socioeconomics. Through a series of small and large group discussions and exercises, we will develop a better understanding of the way race, gender, and sexuality shape the everyday lives of students at UIUC.
9 p.m. – Tea Time: Let’s talk about immigration (guest apartment): Informal discussion. Tea and snacks provided.
