Asian American Arts and Media, Inc. (Washington, D.C.) Search this
Extent:
0.01 Linear feet (1 folder)
Container:
Box 1
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Brochures
Press releases
Picture postcards
Newspaper clippings
Place:
Washington (D.C.)
Date:
1982-1997
Scope and Contents:
Asian American Arts and Media, Inc., collection, which dates from 1982 to 1997 and measures .01 linear feet, documents an early era of Asian American art activism in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. The collection includes flyers, photo postcards, clippings and newsletters, which highlight the organizations' activities aimed "to promote more positive and realistic images of Asian Pacific Americans through the arts and humanities, and to develop a greater appreciation ans awareness of Asian Pacific American art forms." Among the holdings is a program book from the first Annual Asian American Film Festival cosponsored by Gold Mountain Radio Collective and the Organization of Pan Asian American Women, Inc.
Historical:
In 1982, Wendy Lim (1956- present) and Theodric Feng organized Washington
D.C.'s first Asian-American film festival. Following the success of the film festival, Lim
and Feng created the Asian American Arts and Media, Inc. This nonprofit based in
Washington, D.C. was designed to help promote and support creative expression in
Asian-American communities through design, media, literary, visual, and performing
arts. Asian American Arts and Media, Inc. established memberships and donation
processes to fund local Asian American artists as well as spread awareness about
Asian American experiences through printed materials, such as pamphlets, newsletters,
and flyers. The nonprofit was active through the late 1990s.
Biographical:
Wendy Lim (1956- present) is a Chinese American community organizer, whose
work centered on supporting and encouraging Asian American art and media in local
communities. Lim was born in 1956 in Hong Kong and moved to the United States in
1959. Her father worked as a laborer in several locations around the United States
before making a career as a chef in the Washington D.C. area. Wendy's mother worked
at home, raising Wendy, her brother, and her two –half-brothers from her father's first
marriage.The family lived in an apartment above Lee's Groceries in northeast
Washington D.C., for a time. The Lim children grew up speaking primarily Mandarin,
but they understood basic Taishanese and Cantonese.
In the late 1960s, Lim and her family moved to Oxon Hill, Maryland, where Lim
and her younger brother attended middle and high school. Wendy graduated from high
school in 1975, and entered the East Asian Study program at Oberlin College. While at
Oberlin, Lim joined the Asian American Alliance and attended talks and workshops
about the experiences of Asian Americans. After graduating from Oberlin in 1979, Lim
met Franklin Chao and learned about "Gold Mountain D.C.," a WPFW radio show that
discussed Asian-American issues. Lim, Theodric Feng and Mariko Yamada (1950-
present) took over the running of the show until 1982.
In 1982, Lim and Feng organized Washington D.C.'s first Asian-American film
festival, which became an annual event. The Asian American Arts and Media Inc.
nonprofit was created to help Lim and Feng continually fund the annual film festival, and
to facilitate donations in support of Asian American art in their communities. During this
time, Lim also volunteered with the Organization of Pan-Asian American Women and
was the president of the organization for one year. In 1990, Lim joined the committee
that helped create the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist at ACMarchives@si.edu
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
