Event to promote Asian culture

The Asian American Association is putting a spin on MTV’s “Diary” TV series this Friday at its annual fashion show.\nThe IU show, titled “The Diary of an Asian American,” will feature several types of dancing and runway modeling from different Asian organizations on campus.\nStarting at 7:30 p.m. in the Wilkie Auditorium, the show aims to educate and entertain, said Asian American Association President Aobo Zou. \nThough it’s still being called a fashion show, Alice Feng, the association’s vice president, said the event will be more similar to a variety show, with only one fashion walk featuring traditional Asian garb.\nThe show will feature break dancing from the IU Break Dancing Club and a traditional dance from the IU Vietnamese Student Association, Feng said. \nShe said being an Asian-American is different from other cultural backgrounds because one must find a balance between Eastern and Western cultures.\n“Specifically with Asian-Americans, you learn how to assimilate into Western society when you come from families of first-generation immigrants from Asia,” she said. “Dealing with the Eastern values and beliefs of your parents, and then at the same time trying to adapt to Western values, it’s kind of hard to find that medium. So a lot of times, Asian-Americans kind of have an identity crisis.”\nFeng said she chose the MTV “Diary” theme to break the stereotypes of Asians living in the library and being good at math and to incorporate Western culture. \nShe said American culture has a socially constructed view of what Asian is, but it’s usually not true.\nPeople from India, Turkey and Kazakhstan are considered Asian, she said.\nFeng described the event as, “Eastern cultures and Western cultures melted into one.”\nThe doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30. Admission is $3. Donations to the Timmy Foundation are welcomed.