The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center and Flickr issued the following announcement of “A Day in the Life of Asian Pacific America.”
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Somewhere in Asian Pacific America,
a child cries;
a father cooks breakfast;
a mother dresses and goes to work.
A thousand tasks get done.
A thousand dreams are born.
“A Day in the Life of Asian Pacific America” seeks to capture the particulars of everyday life and piece them together to compose the ultimate wide shot. By looking at life from multiple angles, curated from the visual documentation of amateur photographers and videographers as well as professional documentarians and photojournalists, we can reveal the bigger picture. Through this online exhibit hosted by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center (APAC) at http://apa.si.edu, we celebrate our common joys, empathize with our sorrows, and appreciate all that we mean to each another.
We are asking thousands of people to take photographs and shoot video about Asian Pacific American life on May 10, 2014. We chose this date because it falls on the 145th anniversary of the Golden Spike ceremony that marked the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. This historical joining of the continent was marked with a photograph that excluded the Chinese workers who were critical to the building of the railroad and the industrial modernization of America.
Once erased from historical consciousness, Asian Pacific Americans are now visible in profound ways.
We are seeking professional and amateur photojournalists and filmmakers of all ages and backgrounds to contribute submissions to the online exhibit.
Let’s document Asian Pacific American life. Here’s how you can be part of this exhibition.
1. Request an invitation to the SMITHSONIAN APAC: A DAY IN THE LIFE Flickr group by sending an email to [email protected]. Please send the email via your registered Flickr email address, or include your Flickr username in the email. Please also include your full name, and location you plan to be* on May 10, 2014 (the day of content capture).
2. Take your photographs and/or videos on May 10, 2014. Content must be captured between 12 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. on your current time zone. You may submit up to 5 photos OR up to 5 videos with a total run time of 3 minutes. This exhibition is based on global Asian Pacific American experiences. Although you do not have to identify as Asian Pacific American or be located in the United States, please keep your content consistent with the exhibition theme.
3. Upload the photographs or video to the Flickr group by 11:59 p.m. EST on May 14, 2014. Please provide a short biographical statement and your contact information. The works you submit may be used by the Smithsonian for the exhibition, publicity purposes and an e-book. All photos or videos selected for the project will credit the contributing artist.
A group of curators will select and assemble the exhibit by May 26, 2014. The exhibit will be available online at http://apa.si.edu, with all qualified submissions available for public view via the Flickr group.
Please tell your friends about “A Day in the Life of Asian Pacific America” and join us today. Your work is an important part of sharing the diversity of APA life with the world.
For more information about the project, contact Eddie Wong, guest curator, at [email protected] and Adriel Luis, curator of digital and emerging media, at [email protected].
* Planned location is for curatorial survey purposes. You will not be bound to that location should your plans change.