Established 1826 — Oldest College Newspaper West of the Alleghenies

Asian-American Association brings ‘fusion’ to campus

By Hannah Fierle, For The Miami Student

Miami University's Asian-American Association (AAA) will host, "Fusion Presents, True Life: I'm an Asian Student at Miami" at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 19.

The performance is a vibrant, dynamic cultural experience, boasting traditional and modern dance performances and an eclectic selection of music exclusive to Japanese and Chinese cultures.

"As its name implies, the performance is a fusion of several different cultures in Asia, expressed through the art of dance," said Alan Hu, a performer in "Fusion" and president of AAA. "There are a variety of traditional dances from different cultures, such as China, Vietnam and Korea to name a few, but also modern hip hop dances as well."

Hu choreographed one of the senior dances for the show, performs in several other dance numbers and helped with the organization and planning of the show.

This year's theme is "True Life: I'm an Asian Student at Miami." While the show utilizes skits and dialogue between dance performances to bring comic relief and create a unifying context throughout the show, the show's cast and participants hope the theme resonates with the audience on a deeper level.

"This year's theme is unique because instead of the skit of the show just being entertaining, it will address the lack of diversity issues here at Miami and the stereotypes that many of our fellow Asian students have faced due to the lack of cultural understanding," said senior Mimi Guo, a dancer in the performance.

Anna Johnson, the performance's co-chair, recognized the controversial nature of picking a theme with such relevance to Miami's campus, but still wanted to bring awareness, along with a sense of humor, to the show.

"My co-chair and I wanted to bring a more serious tone this year that highlights the cultural divide that is very much present on Miami's campus while still keeping our humorous side," said Johnson. "We hope that this show will help in reversing some stereotypes in the audience's minds that we are more than just another math geek or Maserati owner."

This annual performance is particularly special to the members of the Asian-American Association, something they look forward to each year that brings their team together.

For Hu, this performance is especially sentimental as it is his last with the organization before graduation in the spring.

"I have been a participant in Fusion every year I have been in college and the reason that it is my favorite event of the year is because of the way it brings the members of the Asian-American Association together," said Hu.

With the show becoming bigger and more dynamic each year, the cast hopes the audience can see the growth their organization has experienced over the years.

"Fusion means a lot to every individual, both in the show as well as some of our audience who come every year just to see how much we have grown," said Johnson.

Tickets for "Fusion" can be purchased for $5 in the Armstrong Student Center or at the Box Office in the Campus Avenue Building.