Michigan Heritage Grant

Our Stories, Our Voices: Growing Up Asian American

We Wove a Net: Metro Detroit premiere

We Wove a Net flyerCouncil of Asian Pacific Americans (CAPA) is proud to announce the Metro Detroit premiere of its documentary film project, “We Wove a Net.”

We Wove a Net, funded by a grant from the Michigan Humanities Council, comes out of a year long storytelling project that brings together youth and elders within the Asian American immigrant community in southeast Michigan to share their experiences of migration to and growing up in this region. Through conversations with four families in metro Detroit, we hear our community’s stories of immigration and pursuing the American Dream. Through these stories, we learn about their journey of coming to this country; we explore how to navigate life in between worlds; and we heal together.

The film debuted at the United States of Asian America Festival in San Francisco, California and will screen in metro Detroit on May 31 and June 4.

These screenings are free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided.

Dearborn, MI:

May 31, 2017 at 6:00 PM
Documentary Screening and Talk Back
Arab American Museum
13624 Michigan Ave,
Dearborn, MI 48126

Troy, MI:

June 4, 2017 at 2:00 PM
Documentary Screening and Talk Back
Du Pont Automotive
950 Stephenson Hwy,
Troy, MI 48083

Please click here to RSVP for the screening.

Click here to read more about We Wove a Net – Metro Detroit premiere

Metro Detroit Premiere Recap

The Council of Asian Pacific Americans premiered its documentary film on Wednesday, May 31 at the Arab American museum in Dearborn, MI followed by a second screening on Sunday, June 4 at Du Pont Automotive in Troy, MI.

Both of the screenings were a huge success, drawing over 80 people including representatives from families we interviewed for the film. Thank you everyone for your support and help throughout the year. Read more >>>

Council of Asian Pacific Americans is collaborating on a short documentary film about youth growing up in immigrant households and their families. Funded by a grant from the Michigan Humanities Council, we are bringing together generations to understand each other and our roots through storytelling.

To learn more about our project visit ourstories-ourvoices.com and follow us on Instagram @ourstoriesourvoices.

Click here to view the press release.

Click here to view photos.

We want to hear from Asian American immigrant families with youth ages 16 and up!

Sign up to:

Sign up here.

Questions? You can reach us at film@capa-mi.org.

Click here to view photos from various workshops and conferences.

01/21/2017 – University of Michigan’s South Asian Awareness Network Conference

On Saturday, January 21, CAPA’s documentary film project, Our Stories, Our Voices, held an audio visual exhibit at the University of Michigan’s annual South Asian Awareness Network conference. Funded by a grant from the Michigan Humanities Council, this project connects generations through storytelling.

Over 100 participants attended from variety of ethnic backgrounds, Sri Lankan, Singaporean, Indian, Pakistani, Iraqi, Lebanese, and Vietnamese among others. Participants watched clips from the documentary, shared where their family immigrated from, and responded with stories of their own family’s experiences with assimilation and immigration.

We will be incorporating feedback from the students as we continue to put together the documentary.

02/28/2017 – Youth dialogue with students at Troy High School

On Tuesday February 28, CAPA’s documentary film and intergenerational storytelling project, Our Stories, Our Voices, held a youth dialogue with students at Troy High School.

Thirteen students from diverse backgrounds came together to talk about their family’s stories of migration and their experiences growing up in the United States. Please see CAPA board mem-ber Ricky Young’s reflection below:

The little stories which are untold in our lives are often the most exciting, intriguing, joyful, and sometimes a little painful. At Troy High, students are often seen in a single facet – academically – especially in the Asian community; however this community dialogue has offered an unprece-dented experience to share our stories.

Whether it was Kaitlyn Hao’s bombastic youth in China where she fell from her bunk bed or Lueda’s first hand experience of learning how to live in America or Tiffany’s stories of her grand-father’s diligent perseverance in resettling all of his family, the narrative of each speaker’s life spoke to the cultural diversity we find just in Troy!

04/08/2017 – Midwest Asian American Student Union conference at the University of Michigan

On Saturday, April 8, Our Stories, Our Voices held a workshop at the Midwest Asian American Student Union conference at the University of Michigan.

We had over 40 students attend from across the Midwest. Students represented a variety of eth-nic backgrounds including Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, Indian, Thai, Filipino, Taiwanese, Hmong, and Mexican among others.

We watched clips from the film and talked about how these stories of sacrifice, migration, and aspiring to the American dream play out in our own lives. Students also created a workbook of ways to initiative and have difficult conversations across generations and within our families.

05/05/2017 – We Wove a Net – A documentary movie

Council of Asian Pacific Americans (CAPA) is proud to announce debut of its documentary film, “We Wove a Net.” The film will screen at United States of Asian America Festival in San Francisco, CA on Friday May 5th and Saturday May 7th; and in Detroit on Wednesday May 31st and Sunday June 4th.

“We Wove a Net” is a short film about what it means to grow up as an Asian American woman in Michigan. Through talking with four immigrant families in metro Detroit, we seek out our community’s stories of immigration and pursuing the American Dream. We explore what meaning these narratives hold for us and confront where they fall short.

Click here to read more about We Wove a Net – A documentary movie