
MychildhoodwasfilledwiththeworryofhowAsian AmericanshadbeenwronglytreatedandI wonderedhowthesehistoricaleventswere whitewashedfromthecanonofAmericanhistory Myfamilyhistoryandchildhoodrealizationsshaped myunderstandingoftheAsianAmericanexperience andformedadeepdedicationtosharing,through dance,thediversestoriesofresiliencefromour communities.
MyfamilyimmigratedtoHawaiiin1903onthe steamshipGaelic.Theywereamongthefirst102 KoreanstoarrivetotheplantationsofHawaiiwhere theybecameindenturedagriculturalworkersonthe sugarandpineappleplantationsoftheDelMonte corporation Forthreegenerationstheyworkedthe fields WhenIwasachildIaskedmymotherabout thescarsonherhandsandsheansweredsimply,“I pickedpineapplesasachildandcarried50pound bagsoutofthefield”
IfirstlearnedabouttheimprisonmentofJapanese AmericanslivingontheWestCoastwhenIwastold thatmychildhoodneighborhoodinSantaFe,NM, wasbuiltoveraleveledJapaneseAmerican InternmentCamp.ExecutiveOrder9066(EO9066) imprisonedover120,000JapaneseAmericansand thosewithJapaneseheritageduringWWII.Many werefarmersonthewestcoastwhohadhelped buildAmerica'sthrivingagriculturalindustry Dueto EO9066theylosttheirlandandweresentto desolateprisoncampsspreadthroughoutsomeof theharshestenvironmentsofAmericaforthe durationofWWII Tounderstandthisimpact,priorto WWII,approximately90percentofagriculturalistsin CaliforniawereAsianAmerican,todaylessthan1 percentareAsianAmerican
Changeoccursthroughopenconversationand alliancesbetweencommunities Thehistoric collaborationbetweenFilipinoandMexican agriculturalworkersinthe1960’sledtotheDelano grapestrike,amajorlaborstrikeorganizedagainst tablegrapegrowerswhowereexploitingworkers. Thestrikelasted5years.ItbeganinSeptember1965 andinAugust1966,theAWOC,apredominantly FilipinolabororganizationandtheNFWA,a predominantlyMexicanlabororganizationmerged tocreatetheUnitedFarmWorkers(UFW) OrganizingCommittee InJuly1970,over10,000farm workersweregrantedvictoryfromthestrike, affordingthemsaferworkingconditions
Thiscooperationofculturalcommunities,positively changedthelandscapeofAmericanagriculture workingconditionsforever
Inthisproduction,you’ll:
ExperienceaperformancebyDanaTaiSoonBurgess DanceCompanythatexplorestheAsianAmerican experiencethroughadanceinthreesections,each ofwhichfocusonanAsianAmericanhistoricalevent
Explorethemesandconceptsfromtheshow,such astolerance,communication,activism,and collaboration
WhattoExpect: Performance
Thisdanceperformanceis approximately45-minutes longandfeaturesDanaTai SoonBurgessDance Company
Thestoriesaretoldthrough dance
Performers
Dancersusemovementand facialexpressionsto communicatethestoriesand emotions
Sound
Themusicthroughoutthe performanceislivepiano
TechnicalElements
Differentlightingeffects,video projection,andcostumesalso helptellthestory.
WhattoLookandListenfor:
SeedsofToil:Threestoriesof AsianAmericanResistance andResilienceisadancepiece thattellsthreedistinctstories thatreferenceimportantAsian Americanhistoricalmarkers andcelebratesthepresenceof AsianAmericansinthecanon ofAmericanhistory The movementsincludemodern dance,martialarts,anddance elementsthatevoketraditional dancesfromPhilippines, Mexico,andSpain.
Whilewatchingthedancers perform,lookfor:
Repeatedmovementsand patterns
Shiftsinmovementbasedon thetempoofthemusic Expressionsofjoy,sadness, andotheremotionsconveyed throughthemovement

ThePineapplePlantation
In1903KoreansarrivedtotheplantationsofHawaiiaboardtheshiptheGaelic;thefirst waveofKoreanstoimmigratetoAmerica.Theydreamedofanewlifefreefrom politicalandreligiouspersecution.ManyoftheseKoreansworkedasagricultural workerspickingsugarcaneandpineapples TheyendeduplivingontheHawaiian plantationsandworkingtirelesslyunderharshconditions.
Questionstoconsider:
Aretheremovementsthatsignifythatthedancersshareacommonbond?
Arethedancershappyorsad?
Whatarethepropsthatthedancerscarry?

ThePrisoner
ExecutiveOrder9066(EO9066)wasaUnitedStatespresidentialexecutiveordersigned byFranklinDelanorRooseveltonFebruary19,1942.EO9066createdapathforwrongful imprisonmentandlossofcivilrightsforover120,000JapaneseAmericansand individualsofJapanesedescentlivingpredominantlyonthewestcoastoftheUnited States.TheywereimprisonedindesolatelocationsinAmericaforthedurationofWWII. Theseindividualslosttheirhomesandtheirland.Manywereagriculturalistswhohad builttheCaliforniaagriculturalindustry.Thelastoftheseprisoncampswereclosedin March,1946.
Questionstoconsider:
Whodoesthefamilyrepresent?
Doesthemother,father,anddaughterseemscared?
Whyarethemaincharacters'costumesdifferentfromthechorus?
Doestheyoungwomantrytoreachoutforherfreedom?
Howwouldyoudescribethedaughter’ssolomovement?

Inthe1960’sgrapepickersinCaliforniaworkedinunsafe,underpaidconditions.Amajor coalitionbetweentheFilipinoandMexicanworkersoccurredthroughthecollaborative leadershipofLarryItliongandCesarChavez Together,theyorganizedastrikethus pressuringfarmownerstoraisetheirwagesandaddressunfairworkingconditions. TheDelanograpestrikewasamajorlaborstrikeorganizedagainsttablegrapegrowers whowereexploitingworkers.Thestrikelasted5years.ItbeganinSeptember1965and inAugust1966,theAWOCapredominantlyFilipinolabororganizationandtheNFWA,a predominantlyMexicanlabororganizationmergedtocreatetheUnitedFarmWorkers (UFW)OrganizingCommittee.InJuly1970,over10,000farmworkersweregranted victoryfromthestrike,affordingthemsaferworkingconditionsandbetterpay.
Questionstoconsider:
Whyisitimportantforcollaborationsbetweenculturalcommunitiestooccur?
DoesthemovementreflectbothFilipinoandMexicancultures?
Howwouldyoudescribethemusic?