On April 25, some members of the LGBT Asian/Pacific Islander group Invisible to Invincible ("i2i") attended the 31st Association of Asian American Studies Conference (AAAS) closing ceremony at Evanston's Hotel Orrington to receive the 2015 Community Organization Award.
The award honors a community organization that has done significant work in the Asian American community and upholds the mission and values of AAAS. i2i earned this award because of its commitment and passion to community organizing as well as its ongoing relationship with Asian-American studies, specifically at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where i2i has partnered with Asian-American studies and the Daley Library to establish the Queer Asian-American Archive project.
Additionally, many members have been guest lecturers and panelists for Asian American studies and other academic departments around Chicago and Midwest. For more information how i2i members can engage with Asian American Studies programs in the future, visit chicagoi2i.org .
In related news, i2i is hosting its annual open-mic event, "Story of My Pride," in collaboration with the Asian Pacific Islander American Spoken Word and Poetry Summit on Saturday, May 2, 4-6:30 p.m. It will take place at the Cambodian Association of Illinois, 2831 W. Lawrence Ave., and is free with a suggested minimum donation of $5.
Liz Thomson