Getting Inspired at USC SCAPE’s InspirASIAN Event

By: Antonia Le ‘22

According to Murphy’s Law, anything that can go wrong will go wrong. As a woman of science and perpetual optimist, I’m usually the first to tell you that Murphy’s Law is absolute garbage. It’s not even a real scientific law! However, as an intern for USC’s Student Coalition for Asian Pacific Empowerment (SCAPE), I witnessed the effects of Murphy’s Law firsthand. On Thursday, February 28th, SCAPE put on its signature event, inspirASIAN. As part of my intern duties, I had to help the executive board make sure that everything went according to plan (spoiler alert! It did not.).

Yet, as I think back on that exhausting Thursday night, what sticks out to me the most is that fact that despite all the bumps along the way, the SCAPE E-board ended up putting together something pretty great.

Isha Sakhalkar performs. Picture credit to Alice Lee

You may be wondering, “What even is inspirASIAN?”. Firstly, it’s a really great pun. More importantly, it is a yearly event in which SCAPE invites various Asian-American professionals to USC and organizes a panel where these professionals can answer questions, tell their stories, and give advice to USC students. This year, the panelists were music producer Sammy Chand, radio DJ Richie Menchavez, spoken word artist Jenevieve Ting (who attended USC!), illustrator Brenda Chi, director Jess dela Merced, and community organizer Tanya Edmilao.

In addition to a panel, inspirASIAN also featured performances by singer-songwriter Isha Sakhalkar (another USC alum!) and Haneulsori, USC’s korean drumming group. Panelist Jenevieve Ting also performed two of their poems.

Jenevieve Ting performs one of their poems. 

Before becoming a SCAPE intern at the beginning of this semester, I had no idea who any of the panelists were. However, during the event, I was floored by each individual’s credentials and wisdom.

One of the panelists I was most impressed with was Sammy Chand. For the past two decades, Chand has been in charge of Rukus Avenue, North America’s first Indian-influenced record company. Throughout his career, he has provided music for various film and TV productions. In that time, he has also lent his music production talents to initiatives that helped raise awareness regarding bullying and human trafficking. With the prolific amount of work that Chand has done, it’s hard to imagine that he was ever hesitant about his future in the music industry.

However, during the panel, Chand noted that “There’s this string of secrecy that we [Asian-American creatives] all worked in” as we try to reconcile our Asian identities with our hopes and dreams. Asian-Americans are often discouraged from pursuing careers in entertainment, whether by our parents or the entertainment industry itself. Chand put into words an experience I have never been able to describe: wanting to be something, but feeling like it’s not what I’m supposed to be doing with my life. Hearing Chand, I felt seen. Because of his success, I felt hopeful—inspired, even.

(Left to right: Edmilao, Chand, Ting, Menchavez, Chi, dela Merced) 

The other panelists were inspirational in their own ways. For example, during a Q&A session with the audience, the panelists were asked why they pursued their various fields despite the barriers against them, to which Richie Menchavez answered, “I didn’t want to be 65 and regretful”. Menchavez’s words were extremely important ones for a group of college students to hear. In an environment as stressful as a college campus, it’s very easy to lose sight of why we strive to study and achieve. Menchavez’s words reminded me why I came to USC and why I do what I do.

Richie Menchavez. Picture credit to Alice Lee

Panelist Jess dela Merced had a different, equally valid perspective. Seeing the depressing state of Asian-American representation in the film industry helps drive her forward, despite the barriers; she said, “It’s a motivator for me.”

The panelists also addressed the various pressures put on Asian-Americans. “Asians are generally supposed to be smart,” said Brenda Chi, acknowledging the straight-A stereotype put on Asian-Americans. Chi also talked about how anyone who isn’t inclined toward subjects like science or math is often seen as having some sort of defect that needs to be fixed.

However, it is not only the world that puts pressures on Asian-Americans, but ourselves. “There’s that guilt [as children of immigrants] that makes us want to achieve,” said Tanya Edmilao. Every Asian in the United States is either an immigrant or comes from an immigrant. Knowing how much our forefathers struggled in their home countries, there is a pressure on Asian-Americans to succeed and make it up to the people that came before us. To Edmilao, “[My success is] not just me, it’s my community.”

Despite the often overwhelming need to succeed, the panelists made a point to acknowledge self care and bouncing back after setbacks. “Some things are never fully finished,” said Jenevieve Ting. To Ting, it’s important to remember that we are always growing and not to beat ourselves up for not being on top of our game all the time.

“I don’t succeed every day, and I don’t act like I do,” said Menchavez. Menchavez emphasizes stepping back and taking a break; he stated that on Sundays, he turns off his phone and does not do any work, instead spending time with himself or with his family.

Along with all the talk about personal success and work, the panelists also highlighted the importance of supporting others. Edmilao, a community organizer, is an expert at this, describing her job as “I get paid to help people see themselves as human”. Edmilao highlighted importance of not only believing in one’s own strength, but also giving back and helping others grow, too. Just because one Asian succeeds does not mean that another has to fail.

“Diversity is not a zero sum game,” said Ting.

“We gotta create infrastructure [to help Asian-Americans succeed],” stated Chand.

Works by Brenda Chi and Jenevieve Ting on display at inspirASIAN. 

As I watched the three fantastic performances and listened to each panelist’s inspiring words, it was easy for me to forget how stressful the few hours before the event were for the SCAPE E-board and interns. As a result of the LA traffic, several of the panelists arrived after the event was scheduled to begin, leaving myself and other SCAPE interns standing outside in the cold, waiting to help them find their ways to TCC 227, where the event was being held. While I shivered outside of the McCarthy Way parking structure, technological issues forced my friends to struggle in setting up a projector. Furthermore, the existence of other cool events on the same night prevented turnout from being as high as we had hoped. After seeing my friends stress out so much regarding the event, it was disheartening to see every plan go awry.

Picture credit to Alice Lee

In the end, however, inspirASIAN still achieved its goal; it inspired at least one person: me.

Though I’m not sure the event planning life is for me, I’m grateful for the chance to be a SCAPE intern, learn about what goes into creating a big event, and gain the wisdom of some really cool people.

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