Career Pathways in Asia: Panel & Mixer was an enlightening evening that bridged the gap between seasoned professionals from NABEA and students in Georgetown University's MA in Asian Studies (MASIA) program.

Co-hosted by the Korea Foundation USA and the National Association for Black Engagement with Asia, the event offered an enlightening networking dinner and presentation that explored transpacific connections between Black liberation struggles in the United States and anticolonial movements in Korea. This event featured a keynote presentation by Dr. Jang Wook Huh, Associate Professor of English at Seoul National University, titled, Echoes of Resistance: "Afro-Korean" Relations in the Twentieth Century.

NABEA partnered with National Committee on United States-China Relations to offer an exclusive information session to our members about the Public Intellectuals Program, which is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of China specialists.

Since the early history of the United States, America has been engaged in Asia and home to Asian Americans and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. The arc of the United States’ history is filled with legacies of both rising opportunity for and deepening discrimination toward AAPI communities that often intersected with shifting tides in U.S. foreign policy toward Asia. As the United States emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic—and the spike in AAPI hate crimes that came with it—and adopts a more assertive foreign policy towards China, how can the U.S. foreign policy community further counter AAPI hate and discrimination?

NABEA hosted a chat with Ryan Alexander Holmes, a Chinese-African American Content Creator and Actor with over 52,000 followers across the U.S. and Asia. Ryan shared his incredible story growing up in a Black and Chinese family, discussed how he navigates these two cultural spaces, and offered best practices for generating content that celebrates harmony and multiculturalism. The event was moderated by Leland Lazarus, Special Assistant-Speechwriter at United States Southern Command.

Panelists discussed how South Korean popular music, or K-pop, has become a global phenomena in the past decade, and the ways in which it has been influenced by Black culture, and how the K-pop industry and its fandom have engaged with the Black diaspora over the years. 

CSIS and the National Association for Black Engagement with Asia (NABEA) hosted a conference on U.S. leadership in Asia. The first panel on diplomatic engagement was moderated by Dr. Michael Green, and will feature former Ambassador Charles Ray, former Ambassador Aurelia Brazeal, and former Ambassador Harry Thomas. The second panel on economic statecraft was moderated by Mr. Matt Goodman, and will feature Mr. Marc Mealy, from the US-ASEAN Business Council, and Ms. Terri Batch, from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The State of Racial Discourse in China focused on attempting to assess the mainstream understanding of race and racial identity within China and reflecting on how the gaps between American and Chinese perceptions of these issues may continue to impact how Beijing is viewed abroad.

Black Identity in the Context of Chinese History explored how China’s culture and history relate to Black identity and the broader understanding of race. Panelists also provided insight into how being in China can shape views of one’s own Black identity.

This co-sponsored conversation with US JETAA and author Karen Hill Anton celebrated the publication of her latest book, The View from Breast Pocket Mountain. The event featured an introduction to the book, Karen reading a book excerpt, and a Q&A session.

How does Chinese society society define racial identity? How do you engage with people that do not understand the history of African-Americans, or see yourself in Chinese society?

Given the increased interest in careers in government on the political appointment career path during government transition periods, NABEA hosted an event on how the political appointment process works. The event helped attendees better understand political appointment careers and the political appointment process through three experts who have experience participating in the process and have served at senior levels of government.

NABEA co-sponsored EngageAsia’s discussion of the film Beyond the Wall, an independent documentary about four DC Public School (DCPS) high school students who were selected for a six-week Chinese language and culture program in Beijing during the summer of 2009. The documentary makes a powerful statement about the value and impact of global exposure and study abroad, particularly for students in underserved schools and communities.