OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION:

Origination/Creator: MediaRites

Title of Collection: Crossing East Oral Histories, Interviews and Transcripts

Date of Collection: 2004 January 1-2006 February 1

Size:  more than 200 hours of interviews

Format:  mp3

Language: The material is in English

Repository: Crossing East, http://www.crossingeast.org/

Media Rites, Portland, OR, http://mediarites.org/

Abstract: The Crossing East Oral Histories, Interviews and Transcripts presents a view into the lives of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans throughout United States history. The collection contains the digital interviews and transcripts collected during 2004-2006 for the Crossing East public radio series of eight original one-hour documentaries that aired on 230 public radio stations nationally from 2006-2007.

RIGHT AND RESTRICTIONS:

Access Restrictions: Collection is open for research.

Copyright: The copyright interests in this collection remain with MediaRites Productions. Collection materials are for nonprofit, educational purposes only. For broadcast and reprint uses, contact MediaRites for permission.

ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY NOTE:

In 1984, MediaRites Productions was established as a nonprofit organization operating out of Portland, Oregon. They strive to promote an understanding among diverse communities through the arts, education and media projects.  MediaRites Productions focuses on creating and distributing original work that tells true life stories and how those stories can, by increasing understanding across communities, ultimately improve society for us all. Their award-winning work focuses on unrepresented peoples such as recent immigrants, disabled youth, the homeless, or those with terminal illness.

SCOPE AND CONTENT:

The records of the Crossing East Asian and Pacific Islander American history series include audio and transcripts of interviews and oral histories with scholars, community experts, elders and community members. The interviews were conducted between January 1, 2004 and February 1, 2006. The records contain more than 200 hours of interviews which were used to create the Crossing East public radio series of eight original one-hour documentaries that aired on 230 public radio stations nationally from 2006-2007. The audio and transcripts for interviews is organized by radio show and segment. Also included in the collection, unaired interviews not included in the programs and the music accompaniments.

Interviews range from scholar accounts of historical events to personal stories and histories. Notable interviews include those with actor, George Takei and with scholars and experts: Judy Yung, Jeffrey Barlow, Dia Cha, Catherine Ceniza Choy, Bill Ong Hing, Franklin Odo, Gary Okihiro, Jaideep Singh, Ronald Takaki, Linda Trinh Vo, Ji-Yeon Yuh, Jack Tchen, Ah Quon McElrath, Barbara Kawakami, Bill Puette, Lee Tonouchi, Valarie Kaur, Bruce LaBrack, Professor Dawn Bohulano Mabalon, Betty Tisdale, Nguyen Qui Duc, Senator Mee Moua, Alberta Lee and family of Wen Ho Lee, Helen Zia, Reverend Norman Fong, Edward Chang, Angela Oh, Aqueela Sherrills, Sharmala Rudrapa, Shavali Shah, and Yuri Kochiyama.

Musicians’ performances in the collection include: Angelo Pizarro (guitarist and composer), Wilma Pang (Professor at San Francisco City College), Ledward Kaapana (Master Slack Key Guitarist), Russel Baba and Jeannie Aiko Mercer of Shasta Taiko , Jared Rehberg (Singer/Songwriter), Jon Jang (Jazz Pianist), Daran Kravanh (Accordionist) and Aishwarya Venkataraman (Violinist).

ARRANGEMENT:

Program One: First Contacts Program One: Segment One: Unsung Sailors

 

Program One: Segment Two: Kanaka Village

 

Program One: Segment Three: Manila Men

 

Program One: Segment Four: Bitter Strength

Program Two: Frontier Asians Program Two: Segment One: Ing “Doc” Hay

Program Two: Segment Two: Frontier Women

 

Program Two: Segment Three: Asians in Agriculture

Program Three: Raising Cane – Program Three Segment One: Hard Labor

 

Program Three Segment Two: Picture Brides

 

Program Three Segment Three: Strength & Resistance

 

Program Three Segment Four: Plantation Life

 

Program Three Segment Five: Pidgin English

Program Four: Exclusion and Resistance Program Four: Segment One: Angel Island

 

Program Four: Segment Two: Paper Sons

 

Program Four: Segment Three: Defining America

Program Four: Segment Four: Seeds of Citizebship

 

Program Four: Segment Five: Cambodian Deportation

Program Five: Brides and Children Program Five: Segment One: Military Brides

Program Five: Segment Two: The Story of Ok Cha Yang

 

Program Five: Segment Three: I Am

 

Program Five: Segment Four: Unanswerable Question

 

Program Five: Segment Five: Baby Pictures

 

Program Five: Segment Six: Where I’m From

Program Six: Post ’65 Generation Program Six: Segment One: A Grocer’s Life

 

Program Six: Segment Two: The Family Business

 

Program Six: Segment Three: In Her Own Words

Program Six: Segment Four: The Teahouse

Program Six: Segment Five: The Paradox of the Fujianese

Program Seven: Refuge from War Program Seven: Segment One: Scholar Interview

 

Program Seven: Segment Two: Home is Always Somewhere Else

 

Program Seven: Segment Three: Refugee Dreams Revisited

 

Program Seven: Segment Four: Hmong in America

Program Eight: New Waves and New Storms Program Eight: Segment One: New Movement for Civil Rights

 

Program Eight: Segment Two: Sai-I-Gu

 

Program Eight: Segment Three: Taxi Turmoil

 

Program Eight: Segment Four: H1B Blues

 

Program Eight: Segment Five: Racial Profiling Then & Now

Relations:

Music Feature: