Southeast Asia

Geographic coverage

Noel Shaw Papers

APA Staff
Date Range: 1992 – 2003
Survey Conducted: Thu, 2010-11-11
Creator: Shaw, Noel

History: Born in 1961 in New York City, Noel Shaw is a filmmaker and writer whose work explores the experiences of the Filipino diaspora and highlights the diversity within it. Most recently, he directed, produced, and wrote the short Kundiman (Pinoy Noir Films, 2008), which illustrates the impact of politics on an individual’s life. His work has been screened at the London Film Festival, Brussels International Independent Film Festival, the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, and the Asian American International Film Festival in New York City. He served as the Distribution & Marketing Director at Third World Newsreel from 1999 to 2001 and as the Publications Director at the Asian American Writers’ Workshop from 2001 to 2004.

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Khmer Legacies Records

APA Staff
Date Range: 2007 – 2011
Survey Conducted: Fri, 2011-11-11
Creator: Khmer Legacies Records

History: A non-profit organization founded by Socheata Poeuv in 2007, Khmer Legacies’ mission is to document testimonies of Khmer Rouge survivors to create an archive as an educational resource for researchers, students and the global community. Poeuv’s vision for Khmer Legacies was inspired by her family-based documentary, New Year Baby. The film explores the historical legacy of the Khmer Rouge through Poeuv discovering her family’s formation and her parents’ experience during the Khmer Rouge. Despite historically being one of the largest mass genocides in modern history where over 2 million people were killed, the Khmer Rouge remains a largely unwritten topic. Khmer Legacies is meant to address these informational gaps in history through building an archive as an educational tool to heighten awareness and work towards preventing future human atrocities. Read more →

Filipino American Human Services, Inc. Records

APA Staff
Date Range: 1992 – 2010
Survey Conducted: Thu, 2010-03-04
Creator: Filipino American Human Services, Inc.

History: Founded in 1993, Filipino American Human Services, Inc. was the first social services organization to serve the Filipino and Filipino American community in New York City. Recognizing that Filipino Americans were underserved in the realm of social services, the Asian American Federation (AAF), under the consultation of its two Filipino board members at the time, Dr. Jean Raymundo Lobell and Attorney Reuben Seguritan, organized the Filipino American Planning Initiative Forum in November 1992. It was a result of this forum and funding from AAF that FAHSI was founded. Read more →

Asia Pacific Forum Records

APA Staff
Date Range: 1998 – 2011APF logo
Survey Conducted: Fri, 2011-01-28
Creator: Asia Pacific Forum

History: Broadcasting on WBAI 99.5 FM and streaming live on the web every Monday from 9-10 pm, Asia Pacific Forum (APF) is “a progressive pan-Asian radio show” based in New York City focusing on culture and politics. APF’s broadcasts cover underreported stories from Asia and Asian America and explore topics including activism, civil and human rights, foreign policy, immigration, history, labor, literature, pop culture, and the performing arts. WBAI is part of the Pacifica Foundation, a non-commercial and listener-sponsored national radio network founded in 1946 with about 50 additional affiliates in Houston, Los Angeles, Berkeley, Washington, D.C., and other cities across the United States.
APF has operated as a collective since its founding. Current core collective members are Zhaleh Afshar, Saara Azadi, Olivia Canlas, Mijounga Chan, Michelle Chen, Aniruddha Das, Naved Husain, Danny Kim, Aruna Krishnakumar, and Hyun Lee.

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Arkipelago Records

APA Staff
Date Range: 1994 – 2007
Survey Conducted: Sat, 2009-04-18
Creator: Arkipelago

History: Arkipelago is a New York City-based volunteer-run cultural organization that promotes critical dialogue and community engagement in issues of concern to the Philippines and the Filipino Diaspora. Arkipelago grew out of a one-night commemoration in December 1993 of Human Rights Day through songs, poetry, and dances planned by Susan Quimpo, other older Filipino activists and Youth for Philippine Action (YPA). The event was named “Arkipelago,” the Tagalog translation of the word “archipelago,” which brought to mind the Philippines archipelago and its inhabitants’ displacement by recent diasporas. The entirely Filipino community funded event, which drew more than two hundred Filipino and Filipino Americans, turned into a venue for community members to talk about immigrant rights, AIDS (which disproportionately affected Filipinos), generational gaps and problems, and racism. The event’s success prompted Arkipelago’s steering committee to continue its community building and organizing work.

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