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
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online event | San Jose State University | Thursday, May 6, 2021 | 7:00–8:15pm Pacific Time
Be the Refuge Virtual Book Event with Dr. Tamara HoI’m thrilled to be in conversation with Dr. Tamara Ho, Associate Professor in Gender and Sexuality Studies at UC Riverside, for this special event in celebration of Asian Pacific Island Desi American (APIDA) Heritage Month. Our program is co-sponsored by the SJSU Humanities Department, the Chao Te Lin and Avatamsaka Education Fund, the SJSU Mosaic Cross Cultural Center, and the APIDA Task Force. Special thanks to Profs. Todd Perreira and Funie Hsu—both of whom are featured in Be the Refuge—for moderating this conversation. Registration is free.
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online event | Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville | Tuesday, May 11, 2021 | 7:00–8:30pm Eastern Time
Virtual Sangha Visit: IMCCThank you to IMCC for choosing Be the Refuge for their inaugural All-Sangha Big Read, hosted by Liz Reynolds, on April 12th and April 26th. A Zoom link for this May 11th sangha visit will be made available here.
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online event | Making Visible | Wednesday, May 12, 2021 | 4:00–5:30pm Eastern Time
Building Community with Be the Refuge: Recentering Asian American BuddhistsThis online event is part of a three-month speaker series I’m curating on Asian American Buddhism; An Tran and David Woo will be presenting in June and July. This series aims to counter the marginalization, erasure, and stereotyping of Asian American Buddhists by celebrating the diversity of this group as indispensable stewards and shapers of American Buddhism. My presentation will offer a journey through Be the Refuge, a glimpse into some of the forms of community engagement that it’s sparked, and time for audience insights and questions. Registration is free.
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online event | Buddhist Church of Oakland | Saturday, May 15, 2021 | 2:00–4:00pm Pacific Time
Be the Refuge Virtual Book Discussion with Funie Hsu and BCO Junior YBA MembersI’m very much looking forward to this event at the Buddhist Church of Oakland, whose resident minister, Rev. Harry Bridge, moderated the book launch for Be the Refuge back in January. I’ll be in conversation with Funie Hsu (a major figure in the book) as well as members of BCO’s Junior YBA (Young Buddhist Association)—and there will be plenty of time for audience sharing. Registration is free.
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online event | KFPA 94.1 | Sunday, May 16, 2021 | 7:00–8:00pm Pacific Time
Talk-It-Out Radio with Marlene WillisMark your calendars for this live radio broadcast with host Marlena Willis, which will include a segment when listeners can call in. Tune in to KPFA 94.1 in Pacific, KPFB 89.3 FM in Berkeley, KFCF 88.1 FM in Fresno, and K248BR 97.5 FM in Santa Cruz—or listen online here.
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online event | Harvard Buddhist Community | Thursday, May 20, 2021 | 7–8:30pm Eastern Time
Reimagine: A New Generation of Asian American BuddhistsFor this special online event in honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, I’ll be joined by anthropologist Nalika Gajaweera. Bring a cup of tea and a snack (or meal!) and join us for this exploration of identity, language, lineage, generosity, affinity, and more. We look forward to your questions and insights during the audience Q&A portion of the program! I am honored to be the fifth speaker for Radical Re-Orientation: The 2021 Buddhism and Race Speaker Series, which features Larry Yang, Rhonda Magee, Duncan Williams, Ann Gleig, Shanté Smalls, and others. Registration is free.
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online event | Young Buddhist Editorial | Saturday, May 22, 2021 | 10:00am–3:00pm Pacific Time
Building Buddhist Communities: A Retreat Inspired by Be the RefugeThis special half-day online retreat will feature interactive sessions with many guest presenters/panelists around the four parts of Be the Refuge: Trailblazers, Bridge-Builders, Integrators, and Refuge-Makers. The retreat is open to people of all backgrounds. Registration is free, though the suggested donation of $10–$15 will support the guest speakers and YBE’s costs of operating the retreat.
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online event | Oregon State University | Wednesday, May 26, 2021 | 6:30–8:00pm Pacific Time
Be the Refuge Book Talk with Holly HisamotoWhat is lost when American Buddhist sanghas and meditation communities decenter our Asian heritage? This event, hosted by OSU’s Contemplative Studies Initiative, provides a space for honest exploration as we delve into this question and consider what it means to be a refuge for oneself and others. Informed by chaplaincy work, Holly Hisamoto and I will lift up themes of identity and culture, power and race, anger and grief, ancestors and ritual, and other topics from our perspectives as Asian American Buddhists. In the face of ongoing anti-Asian violence, we intend for our conversation to hold a space for connection, resilience, and healing. The registration link will be available soon here.
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online event | San Francisco Zen Center | Saturday, May 29, 2021 | 10:00am Pacific Time
Roots and Refuge: Asian American Buddhists Across Generations (with Rev. Dana Takagi)Stay tuned for more information about this Saturday morning Dharma talk at SFZC; Zoom link available here.
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online event | San Francisco Zen Center | Saturday, June 26, 2021 | 6:00–8:00pm Pacific Time
Reflections on the National Buddhist Memorial Ceremony for Asian American Ancestors (with Duncan Ryuken Williams and Funie Hsu)This panel discussion will feature reflections on the significance of the National Buddhist Memorial Ceremony for Asian American Ancestors from this national gathering’s three co-organizers. We will discuss the historical roots of religious bigotry and racial animus toward Asian American Buddhists, the power of communal ritual for healing our national racial karma, and the importance of coming together as Buddhists to speak out against systemic violence. Registration information is available here.
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PAST EVENTS
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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.
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online event | Institute of Buddhist Studies | Thursday, January 28, 2021 | 1:00–2:30pm Pacific Time
Be the Refuge Virtual Book Launch 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.
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online event | Elliott Bay Book Company | Tuesday, February 2, 2021 | 7:00–8:30pm Pacific Time
Be the Refuge Virtual Book Event 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.
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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).
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online event | Books & Books | Thursday, February 18, 2021 | 7:00–8:00pm Eastern Time
Be the Refuge Virtual Book Event 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, and read a condensed version of our conversation on Tricycle.
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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.
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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 with Wanwan Lu and Andy SuIt 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 for helping to organize this special event.
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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.
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online event | Insight Meditation Center | Sunday, February 28, 2021 | 1:00–2:30pm Pacific Time
Open House & Be the Refuge Book Discussion 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.
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online event | Philips Academy Andover | Tuesday, March 2, 2021 | 4:30–5:30pm Eastern Time
Virtual Classroom Visit: Asian ReligionsWhat an inspiration to speak with Andy Housiaux’s class on Asian religions: our lively conversation covered Buddhist teachings, race and religion, ecological justice, writing as spiritual practice, and the sharing of merit. I was wowed to see high school students from around the world engaging so energetically with the themes in Be the Refuge.
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online event | San Mateo Buddhist Temple | Wednesday, March 3, 2021 | 7:00–9:00pm Pacific Time
Be the Refuge Book Discussion with Juliet Bost, David Chin, Hailey La Monte, Michiko Mukai and others It was a privilege to hear Hailey La Monte, Juliet Bost, David Chin, Michiko Mukai, and others share about their Buddhist journeys in this intergenerational event with members and friends of the San Mateo Buddhist Temple for an intergenerational conversation. Special thanks 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.
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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 with Dr. Jane IwamuraIt was a delight to be speak with Professor Jane Iwamura, since insights from her scholarship—including her pioneering book, Virtual Orientalism: Asian Religions and American Popular Culture—are woven throughout Be the Refuge. Thank you to Professor John Kieschnick for moderating the Q&A, to audience members for your excellent questions, and to Dr. Irene Lin for organizing this HCBSS event. You can watch a recording of the conversation portion of the event here.
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online event | Southeast Asian Service Leadership Network (SEALNet) | Saturday, March 6, 2021 | 6:00–7:30pm Pacific Time
Be the Refuge through a Southeast Asian LensThough this might be easy to overlook at first glance, Be the Refuge is indebted to the region and diasporas of Southeast Asia. So it was a great joy to join SEALNet members for this multi-stranded conversation on “AsAm Buddhist” and “SE Asian” as identities-in-the-making, majority/minority dynamics in SE Asia and in diaspora, finding belonging in comfort and challenge, and the karma of our creations.
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online event | Zen Center North Shore | Thursday, March 11, 2021 | 7:15–8:30pm Eastern Time
Be the Refuge Virtual Book Event with Rev. Joan Amaral and Dr. Kate FarringtonWhat a treat to tap into not only the painful and challenging portions but also the playful and creative aspects of Be the Refuge at this this virtual book event. Thank you to ZCNS Founder Joan Amaral, Asian Art and Philosophy Professor Kate Farrington, and everyone who attended. A recording is available here.
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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 ViewIn the wake of the tragic mass shooting in Atlanta that killed eight people, including six women of Asian descent, I drew solace from this dialogue with Prof. Duncan Ryuken Williams on the themes of names, ritual, pain, and storytelling. We ended the evening with a ceremony in honor of lives cut short by anti-Asian violence. A recording of the event is available here.
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online event | University of Michigan | Monday, March 22, 2021 | 2:30–4:00pm Eastern Time
Virtual Classroom Visit: Buddhism in AmericaThank you to Prof. Benjamin Brose for the opportunity to center Asian American Buddhist histories and voices in this guest lecture and Q&A session with the undergraduate students in his “Zen Master, Dharma Bums, & Drag Queens: Buddhism in America” course. It was poignant to connect Be the Refuge with the anti-Asian violence that weighs heavily on many of us during this time.
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online event | Insight Meditation Community of Washington | Thursday, March 25, 2021 | 7:30–9:00pm Eastern Time
Be the Refuge Virtual Book Event with IMCW LeadersThank you to everyone who attended this special program: Mongolian-born artist Urana Heart opened and closed our evening with hauntingly beautiful music; La Sarmiento (Guiding Teacher of IMCW’s BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ Sanghas) moderated my conversation with Luana Long, Anna Johns (Co-Founders of IMCW’s Asian Sangha), and Trisha Stotler (IMCW Executive Director of Programming); and Léo Guillemin lent his tech wizardry to support our evening together.
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online event | Insight Meditation Community of Washington Asian Sangha | Sunday, March 28, 2021 | 3:00–4:30pm Eastern Time
Virtual Sangha Visit: IMCW Asian SanghaGrateful for this opportunity to dialogue with other people of Asian descent about grief and fear, anger and action, food and celebration, culture and belonging. As one of our group members beautifully put it, “It’s a resource to have this diversity—I love our togetherness.”
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online event | University of California Berkeley | Thursday, April 1, 2021 | 10:00–11:00am Pacific Time
Virtual Classroom Visit: The Second-Generation Asian American ExperienceWhen I wrote Be the Refuge, I hoped college students would find it readable and relatable. I was really touched to hear that students in Dr. Carolyn Chen’s class on second-generation Asian Americans found this to be the case. It was such a privilege to engage with their reflections and questions on the book.
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online event | Northwestern University | Monday, April 5, 2021 | 9:00–10:30am Central Time
Virtual Classroom Visit: The Second-Generation Asian American ExperienceThis brown bag seminar was my first chance to have a substantive discussion with graduate students and faculty in religious studies about Be the Refuge. Special thanks to Ray Buckner for facilitating such an energizing conversation. I particularly enjoyed the chance to talk with PhD students about the transformative process of writing a hybrid work.
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online event | Kenyon College | Tuesday, April 6, 2021 | 7:00–8:30pm Eastern Time
Virtual Classroom Visit: The Second-Generation Asian American ExperienceThe Asian and Middle Eastern Studies Table, a regular gathering of students and faculty at Kenyon, offered a warm and welcoming space for the discussion of Be the Refuge. I am grateful to Prof. Joy Brennan for guiding us through an exploration of the skillful use of anger, the intertwined dynamics of language and immigration, and the co-constitution of Buddhism and race.
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online event | University of the West | Thursday, April 8, 2021 | 4:00–5:30pm Pacific Time
NextGen Buddhism: A Conversation with Dr. Drew BakerProf. Jane Iwamura, UWest’s Chief Academic Officer, conceived of and moderated this conversation on the intersections of Be the Refuge and Dr. Drew Baker’s book Be the Refuge Converting American Buddhism: Second-Generation Buddhist Americans, Orientalism, and the Politics of Family Religion. A recording of our discussion on the confluence of race, age, discrimination, and religious belonging in American Buddhism will be available soon.
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online event | Banyen Books | Wednesday, April 21, 2021 | 7:00–8:00pm Pacific Time
Be the Refuge Virtual Book Event with Dr. Jessica MainThank you to the attendees from far and wide—Canada and the USA as well as Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, India, Korea, Mexico, Sweden, and Taiwan—for attending my first international virtual event, hosted by Banyen Books in Vancouver, Canada and co-sponsored by UBC’s Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhism and Contemporary Society. A recording will be available soon for those who missed my conversation with Dr. Jessica Main and the audience’s beautiful questions.
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online event | Ancient Dragon Zen Gate | Sunday, April 25, 2021 | 10:10–11:30am Central Time
Be the Refuge Virtual Book Event with Howard RuanAround the time I began researching Asian American Buddhists, I took a class on the Lotus Sutra with Dr. Taigen Dan Leighton—a class I still remember with fondness and appreciation. I’m grateful to Rev. Leighton, ADZG’s Guiding Dharma Teacher, for the opportunity to speak with his Chicago-based sangha. Special thanks to Howard Ruan, leader of ADZG’s Hyde Park group, for asking such thoughtful questions on two Buddhisms, chaplaincy, practice, and privilege. Deep bows to everyone in attendance for staying engaged even when the topics felt like a hot rock in our hands!
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online event | Eastwind Books and University of California 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)What fun to return to Berkeley (even if virtually) for this lively conversation with Dr. Carolyn Chen. A huge thank you to Eastwind Books for hosting this event, and to the following units at UC Berkeley for co-sponsorship: Program in Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies, 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. We couldn’t have asked for a better audience—thank you all for your support! A recording of this event is available here.
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special event | Tuesday, May 4, 2021 | 1:00pm Hawaii Time / 4:00pm Pacific Time / 7:00pm Eastern Time
May We Gather: A National Buddhist Memorial for Asian American Ancestors
This historic event brought together Asian American and ally Buddhist leaders in a response to anti-Asian violence. The 90-minute ceremony powerfully manifested our resilience and interconnectedness. Marking the 49th day after the Atlanta shootings, the service was hosted at Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple in Los Angeles and livestreamed to an audience of over 1,700 people. You can view the video and learn more about May We Gather at www.maywegather.org
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