The heart artist-Gaohong bilingual (English and Mandarin) , multimedia picture book project
Gaohong is a Pipa player, a teacher at Carleton College, Chinese. Recently, the mayor of St. Paul named April 3rd, 2022 Gaohong Day. I was touched by Gaohong's story: the hardship, the joy, the courage to bridge the gaps. I put together this interactive writing process with Gaohong, educators and students in Chinese immersion schools for a picture book. I wish this project could answer: Who are we in the history and in the current curriculum? Who do we want to be in the future?
2022-2023 Cultural Heritage and Community Identity Grants - Spring 2022
Real project based learning process for the students!
Language: Students will be able to use Mandarin language in a meaningful way. I will show students Gaohong's story and how to revise a story, and the publishing process. Advocacy: I will learn towards students, trust and listen to what they want to do about it: it could be making a poster to promote what's the interesting part to other immersion schools that not in town, how to make the book inclusive for all the readers to enjoy, or asking questions to their principal what they want to be included in their own reading and writing class?
Identity: By seeing who Gaohong is, hopefully, we can all see a mirror to ask, who are we? Who do we want to be? I hope to bring a pause, a sense of pride and an inspiration in their own culture and ethnic identity work.
The project restarted by the end of Jan, with a pause for two weeks in between due to unresolved circumstances with the past fiscal sponsor. Within this amount of time, the following things happened:
* I interviewed Gaohong and a few community members who knew her well;
* I listened to her concerts twice.
* I drafted a manuscript in English and Mandarin and currently in the editing process.
* I interviewed four and chose one Hmong illustrator. She is so great.
* While our Ideal plan was to complete the editing process before starting the illustration, we have shown great adaptability and resilience. Despite time constraints, we are effectively 'building the train as we are training it ', ensuring progress continues unabated.
* I recruited five Chinese teachers, mostly in K-3rd grade level, to give advice on how the book can be used in the classroom and come up with a vocabulary list;
* I made a contract with Gaohong to compose the song;
* Made connection to do the final project;
* Talked with Wise Ink.