Online Exhibition
An American Vocabulary: Words to Action is a collaborative project by visual artist Audrey Chan and rapper jason chu. The flashcards portrays figures, events, and practices rooted in community, care, and action.
Check out the accompanying activity guide developed by JANM’s Education Department and a list of organizations focused on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander advocacy and anti-Asian hate.
An American Vocabulary: Words to Action is a collaborative project by visual artist Audrey Chan and rapper jason chu. This set of flash cards portrays figures, events, and practices rooted in community, care, and action.
Through these words and images, the artists invite you to participate in a shared vocabulary of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) agency and unity in the fight for justice, healing, and understanding.
AANHPI communities often have a complex relationship with language, both English and heritage tongues. These cards symbolize the ways AANHPI communities have had to translate their inimitably American histories across linguistic, cultural, and imaginative gaps.
They raise questions about American identity: Must one discard the language of previous generations to be perceived as “fully American”? What is lost—or gained—in translation? What words will we use to tell our stories?
An American Vocabulary: Words to Action also includes educational activities created by JANM’s Education department. The project was launched October 8, 2022, with a public art event on the JANM Plaza in Little Tokyo that included live music, an art demonstration, and community organizations.
Audrey Chan and jason chu are participating artists in the Artists At Work initiative in Los Angeles County 2021-2022, a collaboration between the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy at the Japanese American National Museum and Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California.
Artists At Work in Los Angeles County is produced by THE OFFICE performing arts + film and made possible with generous support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, Asian Arts Initiative, and the Ford Foundation.
An American Vocabulary: Words to Action is proudly supported by:
National Center for the Preservation of Democracy at the Japanese American National Museum (NCPD@JANM). Located in the Little Tokyo Historic District of downtown Los Angeles, the NCPD@JANM will further reinforce JANM’s mission and examine the rights, freedoms, and enduring fragility of American democracy through educational programming that includes exhibitions, media arts presentations, public programs, conferences, and civic dialogue/public forums.
Advancing Justice-LA is the nation’s largest legal and civil rights organization for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI). Founded in 1983, Advancing Justice-LA serves more than 15,000 individuals and organizations every year. Through direct services, impact litigation, policy advocacy, leadership development, and capacity building, Advancing Justice—LA focuses on the most vulnerable members of Asian American and NHPI communities while also building a strong voice for civil rights and social justice.
An American Vocabulary: Words to Action is a collaborative project by visual artist Audrey Chan and rapper jason chu. This set of flash cards portrays figures, events, and practices rooted in community, care, and action.
Through these words and images, the artists invite you to participate in a shared vocabulary of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) agency and unity in the fight for justice, healing, and understanding.
AANHPI communities often have a complex relationship with language, both English and heritage tongues. These cards symbolize the ways AANHPI communities have had to translate their inimitably American histories across linguistic, cultural, and imaginative gaps.
They raise questions about American identity: Must one discard the language of previous generations to be perceived as “fully American”? What is lost—or gained—in translation? What words will we use to tell our stories?
An American Vocabulary: Words to Action also includes educational activities created by JANM’s Education department. The project was launched October 8, 2022, with a public art event on the JANM Plaza in Little Tokyo that included live music, an art demonstration, and community organizations.
Audrey Chan and jason chu are participating artists in the Artists At Work initiative in Los Angeles County 2021-2022, a collaboration between the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy at the Japanese American National Museum and Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California.
Artists At Work in Los Angeles County is produced by THE OFFICE performing arts + film and made possible with generous support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, Asian Arts Initiative, and the Ford Foundation.
An American Vocabulary: Words to Action is proudly supported by:
National Center for the Preservation of Democracy at the Japanese American National Museum (NCPD@JANM). Located in the Little Tokyo Historic District of downtown Los Angeles, the NCPD@JANM will further reinforce JANM’s mission and examine the rights, freedoms, and enduring fragility of American democracy through educational programming that includes exhibitions, media arts presentations, public programs, conferences, and civic dialogue/public forums.
Advancing Justice-LA is the nation’s largest legal and civil rights organization for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI). Founded in 1983, Advancing Justice-LA serves more than 15,000 individuals and organizations every year. Through direct services, impact litigation, policy advocacy, leadership development, and capacity building, Advancing Justice—LA focuses on the most vulnerable members of Asian American and NHPI communities while also building a strong voice for civil rights and social justice.
Exhibition Resources
JANM Activity Guide
This activity guide was developed by the Education Department of the Japanese American National Museum to accompany the An American Vocabulary: Words to Action flashcards.
Advocacy
Act to Change
Act to Change works to address bullying, including in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California
Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California advocates for civil rights, provides legal services, and builds coalitions to positively influence and impact Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, and to create a more equitable and harmonious society.
Hate Is a Virus
Hate Is a Virus amplifies, educates, and activates Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) to stand for justice and equality in solidarity with other communities by mobilizing the AAPI community to participate in campaigns, create safe spaces for dialogue and education, and provide actionable steps and funding with community leaders and organizations.
Stop AAPI Hate
Stop AAPI Hate advances equity, justice, and power by dismantling systemic racism and building a multiracial movement to end anti-Asian American and Pacific Islander hate.
Training and Education
Real Soul
Real Soul makes the past present and accessible through ready-made visual stories and lesson guides for educators.
Right To Be
Right To Be builds a world where everyone has the right to be who they are, wherever they are, a world that’s free of harassment and filled with humanity.
Justice
The Christina Alliance
The Christina Alliance honors the legacy of Christina Yuna Lee with meaningful action, including advocacy efforts for causes that were important to her that have the power to ensure that what happened to Christina will not happen to anyone else.
Justice for Angelo Quinto
Justice for Angelo Quinto fights for justice for Angelo Quinto and hopes that the circumstances of his death, which drew national attention, reforms how the police respond to mental health situations.
Justice for Christian Hall
Justice for Christian Hall fights for justice for Christian Hall and inspires and promotes impactful police reform inclusive of a strategized medical response to mental health calls for help.
Justice for Vicha
Justice for Vicha raises awareness to stop hate against Asians and to ensure that what happened to Vicha Ratanapakdee will not happen to other community members.
Mental Health
Entwine Community
Entwine Community trains the next generation of Asian, Asian American, and multicultural mental health students and professionals and advocates to provide culturally-sensitive services to Asian, Asian American, and multicultural communities who lack access to mental health and other social services.
Changing Tides
Changing Tides normalizes mental health in the Japanese American community through events, services, outreach, education, and open conversations.
Yellow Chair Collective
Yellow Chair Collective practices culturally responsive, trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, and LGBTQIA-affirming counseling and psychotherapy services.