TYPE + CODE Series

Social homelessness on US campuses since 2016
Social homelessness on US campuses is a multidisciplinary art and design research project to raise awareness of the Asian female faculty on US campuses being isolated and marginal. It began with interactive art, Being Ignored Version 1.0, to recognize the dignity and humanity of those who are homeless, being invisibly treated, and ignored, in Porter County, Indiana, which is relatively a wealthy county, compared with neighboring counties in Indiana. Later it was extended to the project, Social Homelessness on US Campuses. The title was inspired by the book, "Here I Am, Faith Stories of Korean American Clergy-women". It defines that the social homeless have no friends with whom they can associate or count on, they have no place to go. They seem to be very isolated and alienated [1]. Asian female faculty on US campuses may experience the highest levels of isolation, and marginalization on US campuses [2], compared with other minority faculty groups. Particularly the Asian female faculty from predominantly patriarchal Asian cultures may be deeply challenged to navigate where they belong between two distinguished communities, Asian, and American. For instance, their conventional social role as a full-time mother would be more supportive, inclusive, and welcoming in their traditional ethnic groups, but working as Asian female faculty may occasionally face less hospitable and somewhat harsh responses from the groups since their existence may impact negatively their patriarchal hierarchy led by men. Simultaneously the Asian female faculty may invisibly be demanded to be more persistent, dutiful, and non-complaining for extra service activities without compensatory supports on US campuses. Also, they may be subject to harsh teaching environments by student resistance and lower student evaluations on US campuses. It is routinely challenging for the Asian female faculty to find psychological comfort zones to rest between two exclusive communities, Asian, and American. It is a multidisciplinary art research project to raise awareness of the Asian female faculty on US campuses by using a series of self-portrait photographs with the software, Being Ignored 1.0.

The social homelessness on US campuses consists of Being Ignored 2.0, a series of selfies (self-portrait photographs) by the software, Being Ignored 1.0, site-specific art installation, public speaking, and Asian Female Scholars. The Being Ignored 2.0 is a generative selfie software system and documentation to portray Asian females on US campuses. The mobile version of Being Ignored 1.0, Being Ignored 2.0, is on the way of development to enhance public exposure and participation by using mobile phones and social media.
http://www.socialhomelessness.com

Asian Female Scholars
As a part of the multidisciplinary research, Prof. Yeohyun Ahn co-founded the Asian Female Scholars group with Mary Szto, a former law professor at Valparaiso University and currently at Syracuse University. It was a social group comprising around 40 Asian female faculty members, particularly in Indiana, USA, where white populations are relatively dominant in the academic world. The group provided regular workshops and social gatherings for mentoring, connection, networks, and resources such as pedagogical strategies for Asian female faculty to survive and succeed on US campuses. It was held at Valparaiso University and Purdue University Northwest since 2015.

ABOUT

ARTWORKS

PROJECTS

Book Publication

JOURNALS