Be the Refuge is a book that’s rooted in conversations—and it’s a book that hopes to spark more conversations at the nexus of race, religion, and other topics. If you’d like to invite me to speak about Be the Refuge at your sangha, educational institution, reading group, or other communities, please feel free to reach out.
UPCOMING EVENTS
|
online event | San Mateo Buddhist Temple | Wednesday, March 3, 2021 | 7:00pm Pacific Time
Be the Refuge Book Discussion with Juliet Bost, David Chin, Hailey La Monte, Michiko Mukai and othersIt’s a privilege to be in conversation with Juliet Bost, David Chin, Hailey La Monte, Michiko Mukai and other San Mateo Buddhist Temple members for this online event around Be the Refuge. Thank you to Rev. Henry Adams for inviting me to take part in SMBT’s longstanding tradition of hosting Institute of Buddhist Studies alumni to speak about their publications. You can sign up for the registration link here.
|
|
online event | Ho Center for Buddhist Studies at Stanford | Thursday, March 4, 2021 | 7:00–8:30pm Pacific Time
Be the Refuge Virtual Book Event: Chenxing Han with Dr. Jane IwamuraIt’s a delight to be speaking with Professor Jane Iwamura for this online HCBSS event, since insights from her scholarship—especiallyVirtual Orientalism: Asian Religions and American Popular Culture—are woven throughout Be the Refuge. Professor Paul Harrison, Co-Director of The Ho Center for Buddhist Studies and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at Stanford University, will serve as moderator for the audience Q&A. Registration is free.
|
|
online event | Zen Center North Shore | Thursday, March 11, 2021 | 7:15–8:30pm Eastern Time
Be the Refuge Virtual Book Event: Chenxing Han with Rev. Joan Amaral and Dr. Kate FarringtonFor this virtual book event, hosted by Zen Center North Shore in Beverly, MA, I’ll be in dialogue with ZCNS Founder Joan Amaral and Asian Art and Philosophy Professor Kate Farrington. More details, including registration information, are available here.
|
|
online event | Barre Center for Buddhist Studies | Sunday, March 21, 2021 | 7:00–8:30pm Eastern Time
Buddhism, Race, and American Belonging: An Asian American ViewFor this virtual event, Prof. Duncan Ryuken Williams and I will discuss how centering Asian Americans helps expand our understandings of race, identity, and belonging in American Buddhism. There will be ample time for audience Q&A. It’s an honor to be in dialogue with Dr. Williams, who will draw from his groundbreaking book American Sutra: A Story of Faith and Freedom in the Second World War during our conversation. Registration is free.
|
|
online event | Insight Meditation Community of Washington | Thursday, March 25, 2021 | 7:30–9:00pm Eastern Time
Be the Refuge Virtual Book Event: Chenxing Han with IMCW LeadersFor this online celebration of Be the Refuge, I’ll be in conversation with Luana Long and Annama Johns (Co-Founders of IMCW’s Asian Sangha) as well as Trisha Stotler, IMCW Executive Director of Programming. The audience Q&A will be moderated by La Sarmiento (Guiding Teacher of IMCW’s BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ Sanghas), and the evening will also feature music by Mongolian-born artist Urana Heart. Registration is free.
|
|
online event | Banyen Books | Wednesday, April 21, 2021 | 7:00pm Pacific Time
Be the Refuge Virtual Book Event: Chenxing Han with Dr. Jessica MainFor this virtual event, hosted by Banyen Books in Vancouver, Canada, I’ll be joined in conversation with Dr. Jessica Main of the University of British Columbia. The event is co-sponsored by UBC’s Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhism and Contemporary Society. Registration is free.
|
|
online event | Ancient Dragon Zen Gate | Sunday, April 25, 2021 | 9:30–11:30am Central Time
Be the Refuge Virtual Book Event: Chenxing Han with Howard Ruan and Rev. Taigen Dan LeightonSave the date for this online book event, hosted by Ancient Dragon Zen Gate in Chicago, IL; more details to come.
|
|
online event | UC Berkeley | Wednesday, April 28, 2021 | 2:00–3:00pm Pacific Time
Centering Asian American Voices in American Buddhism: Anger, Refuge, Solidarity (with Dr. Carolyn Chen)Be the Refuge is indebted to the work of sociologists of religion such as Carolyn Chen, so it’s a real privilege to be in conversation with Prof. Chen for this online event, co-sponsored by Eastwind Books and the following units at UC Berkeley: Program in Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies, Asian American Research Center, Berkeley Center for the Study of Religion, and the Center for Buddhist Studies. Registration is free.
|
|
online event | Buddhist Church of Oakland | Saturday, May 15, 2021 Pacific Time
Be the Refuge Virtual Book EventStay tuned for more information about this online book event, hosted by the Buddhist Church of Oakland.
|
|
online event | Harvard Buddhist Community | Thursday, May 20, 2021 | 7–8:30pm Eastern Time
Radical Re-Orientation: The 2021 Buddhism and Race Speaker SeriesStay tuned for more information about this online event in honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Learn more about this speaker series, which will feature Larry Yang, Rhonda Magee, Duncan Williams, Ann Gleig, and Shanté Smalls, here.
|
PAST EVENTS
|
online event | After Hope, Asian Art Museum | Thursday, October 22, 2020 | 5:30–6:30pm Pacific Time
Building Sanctuary, Being RefugeIt was an honor to be in dialogue with Zen priest and author Zenju Earthlyn Manuel at this online event, moderated by Dr. Padma Maitland and hosted by the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco’s After Hope program. You can listen to an audio recording of our conversation here. Read more about the incredible After Hope program in this Hyperallergic article by Emily Wilson.
|
|
online event | Institute of Buddhist Studies | Thursday, January 28, 2021 | 1:00–2:30pm Pacific Time
Be the Refuge Virtual Book Launch: Chenxing Han with Dr. Scott MitchellA huge thank you to everyone who joined us for Be the Refuge’s virtual book launch, hosted by the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley, California—my alma mater and the birthplace of this book. If you missed my conversation with IBS Dean Scott Mitchell, moderated by Rev. Harry Bridge, you can read about the event on the IBS blog and view the video directly on Vimeo.
|
|
online event | Elliott Bay Book Company | Tuesday, February 2, 2021 | 7:00–8:30pm Pacific Time
Be the Refuge Virtual Book Event: Chenxing Han with Dr. Sharon Suh Deep bows of gratitude to Rick Simonson and Karen Maeda Allman of Elliott Bay Book Company for hosting this event, Dr. Sharon A. Suh for being such a thoughtful and honest conversation partner, and everyone in the audience for your heartfelt questions and comments. This virtual event was co-presented by Seattle University College of Arts and Sciences. You can watch a recording here.
|
|
virtual visit | Asian Dharma Circle, Insight Meditation Center | Sunday, February 14, 2021 | 1:00–2:30pm Pacific Time
Virtual Sangha Visit: Asian Dharma Circle, Led by Ying Chen and Lilu Chen Thank you to the members of IMC’s Asian Dharma Circle for welcoming me to their bimonthly online group. Our discussion of safety, trust, and refuge felt fitting for a time of both fear (with violence against Asian Americans in the news) and hope (as we usher in the year of the ox).
|
|
online event | Books & Books | Thursday, February 18, 2021 | 7:00–8:00pm Eastern Time
Be the Refuge Virtual Book Event: Chenxing Han with Dr. Ann GleigWhat a joy to talk autoethnography, race, intersectional Buddhism, purple sweaters, and more with Professor Ann Gleig at this online event hosted by Miami’s Books & Books. Dr. Gleig’s work in and beyond academia are an inspiration to me, and it was a delight to celebrate Be the Refuge together. You can watch recording of our hour together here.
|
|
virtual visit | Developing Virtue Secondary School 培德中學 | Friday, February 19, 2021 | 11:15am–12:00pm Pacific Time
Virtual Classroom Visit: DVSS Girls SchoolThanks to Bhikshuni Jin Jr for the invitation to speak at DVSS, the first Buddhist high school founded in the United States. We discussed why race might matter to Buddhists, how to bridge generational gaps with our elders, why some of us have kept our Asian names, how to lift Asian American Buddhist perspectives in solidarity with other BIPOC voices, and more. Meeting with this group of Gen Z students has this old millennial feeling hopeful for the future.
|
|
online event | BOCA Youth Group | Saturday, February 20, 2021 | 4:00–5:30pm Pacific Time / 7:00–8:30pm Eastern Time
Building Asian American Buddhist Community: Featuring Wanwan Lu, Andy Su, and Chenxing HanIt was a dream come true to be part of this panel with filmmaker Wanwan Lu and educator Andy Su, both of whom are featured in Be the Refuge. We were deeply touched by the dozens of participants who zoomed in from New York to Hawai‘i, including interviewees from Be the Refuge and the parents of our late friend Aaron J. Lee. Thank you all for sharing your stories with such openness and care. Special thanks to John Gill of the BOCA Youth Group in Rosemead, CA helping to organize this special event.
|
|
online event | Buddhist Community at Stanford | Saturday, February 27, 2021 | 10:00–11:30am Pacific Time
Be the Refuge Book Discussion with the BCAS CommunityAs someone who first joined the Buddhist Community at Stanford when it was a much smaller organization during my undergraduate days, it was a joyful homecoming to connect with the diverse, tight-knit, and now much larger BCAS community for an intimate dialogue around Be the Refuge. Thank you to everyone for reading the book in such an engaged way, and for asking such perceptive questions.
|
|
|
online event | Insight Meditation Center | Sunday, February 28, 2021 | 1:00–2:30pm Pacific Time
Open House & Be the Refuge Book Discussion: Chenxing Han with Ying Chen and Lilu ChenThe Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, CA was one of the first sanghas I attended as an undergrad just beginning to explore Buddhism, so it was very meaningful to be part of this book discussion and open house, hosted by IMC’s Asian Dharma Circle. I especially appreciated hearing people’s perspectives on the importance of creating refuge and practicing in culturally engaged ways.
|
