Night of Ideas: How Our Racial and Ethnic Identities Connect – and Divide – Us

Earlier this month we brought some of our favorite Forum guests – a poet, a novelist, a sociologist and a musician – who all work with themes of cross-cultural identity for a conversation, and live music and readings, before an audience. We discussed the complexities of racial and ethnic identity and how the hyphens we sometimes use to bridge our identities – Mexican-American, Chinese-American etc – can serve to both connect and divide us. It was all part of Night of Ideas, an annual public event bringing together artists and thinkers at the San Francisco Public Library.

Guests:

Mimi Tempestt, poet and multidisciplinary artist - Tempestt's latest book of poetry is titled "the delicacy of embracing spirals"

G. Cristina Mora, associate professor of sociology and Chicano/Latino Studies and the co-director of the Institute of Governmental Studies, University of California, Berkeley - and author of the book, "Making Hispanics"

Jonathan Escoffery, author - his debut short story collection, "If I Survive You," was released in September of 2022

Kishi Bashi, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist - Bashi's latest LP "Music from the Song Film: Omoiyari" is a companion to his documentary film that explores his identity and the WWII experience of Japanese incarceration. The album comes out on November 17. Bashi is based in Santa Cruz