Evening of Asian Poetry Berkeley Poster Zellerbach Hall 1972 Janice Mirikitani

  

Unusual poster for an evening of Asian Poetry which was also a seminal event in Asian-American culture whereby the participants banded themselves under the name New Asian Nation, as described below which I copied from an online tribute by Russell Leong to the late Janice Mirikatani. Was it 1972, on a foggy night at UC Berkeley's Zellerbach Hall? It was also the 29. We all had long black hair and brown skin. Green army flak jackets, skinny bodies and loud voices.

Filipino Igorot dances, Chinese music and Japanese mask dance. Japanese-the first reading of poets of the New Asian Nation. The term-new Asian nation-reflected the political thrusts of the times, including the movement by some Blacks towards establishing a "Black Nation, " and the call for a "United Front of Asians in America" by community activists. Some called the evening a celebration of Asian cultural and spiritual nationalism. Those who read: Nanying Stella Wong. I remember Lawson asked if you would prefer reading before him, because, as everyone knew, anyone who read after him-the main male show-would surely be eclipsed. "But no, " you smiled back at him, I can hold my own. (Actually, I think he did not want to read after you). Heralded a decolonized Africa, a rising China, grass roots movements in Central America. That night, collectively, we called ourselves "The New Asian Nation". Within this nation of S. Bay area students, activists and poets, you taught us poise, pitch, and how to make poetry matter even more. We believed in poetry FROM the people, and poetry FOR the people.