Speaking to the World
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Tak Toyoshima
Creator, "Secret Asian Man" Comic
Biography
Tak Toyoshima is the artist/creator of the comic strip "Secret Asian Man." Starting as a two-page monthly in a Boston-based arts magazine, "Secret Asian Man" became a weekly comic strip for the next six years. Read More >
In the fall of 2006, "Secret Asian Man" was scouted by United Features Syndicate ("Peanuts," "Dilbert," and "Boondocks") and developed to launch in July of 2007 as the first Asian American comic strip since the days of Bruce Lee and Charlie Chan.
Toyoshima is also currently the art director for the award-winning alternative newsweekly Boston's Weekly Dig, as well as for the nationally distributed Beer Advocate Magazine.
Toyoshima was born and raised in New York City's Tribeca on the borders of SoHo, Chinatown, and Little Italy. This breeding ground for creativity and multi-cultural experiences provided a solid foundation for him to become the confused artist he is today. Read Less ^
Speech Topics
Asian Americans in the Mainstream
Asian Americans are an extremely diverse group with very different histories that inform their experiences; however, they do share some common struggles, including stereotyping, an "exoticized" identity, and a culture that seems to openly allow the mockery of Asians in TV, movies, and the media. In this candid keynote, speaker Tak Toyoshima opens up a discussion about the unique challenges that Asian Americans face in mainstream culture as it pertains to visibility, perception, and popularity.
