There’s a saying in Vietnamese, “Uống nước nhớ nguồn” that translates to “when you drink from a river, remember its origins.” Throughout the month of May, KCTV will feature local AANHPI leaders each week to see how their past is connected to the present.

Week two features Shawn Wong, a Chinese-American University of Washington professor and author. When Wong was coming up as a young writer in the 1970s, he wanted to know: Where are all the Asian American authors? Fifty years later, through publishing, writing and teaching, Shawn has worked to make Asian American literature an essential part of the English literary canon. You can see the Facebook video here and YouTube video here. 

Watch for upcoming features including artist Erin Shigaki, and UW Professor Raissa DeSmet and students from the Southeast Asian Pasts and Futures (SEAPF) program. There will be a live online viewing event May 27 of all the features, details coming soon.