Brenda Kwon
Editor and Actress Joins Monologues

Brenda Kwon is an instructor in language arts at Honolulu Community College and co-editor of YOBO: Korean American Writing in Hawai‘i, an anthology published by Bamboo Ridge Press. On Feb. 15, 2004, she took on an additional role as actress in a special performance of The Vagina Monologues to raise awareness and funds to reduce violence against women and girls. She talked about the experience with News@UH.

What drew you to this project?
Organizer Kathy Xian, a filmmaker and activist, asked me. I jumped at the chance to work with her because I was so impressed with what she'd done in the past with Girlfest, which helps organizations supporting women who are victims of violence. I had seen The Vagina Monologues before and, like many others, felt it was an incredibly important piece of work in terms of understanding different women's perspectives and how some of those perspectives shed light on our subjugation, while others lead to our strength.

What was it like working with the authors, DJs and social service providers on the cast?
What I love about this cast is that, while we are all living here in the islands, we come from so many different ethnicities and backgrounds. The ensemble includes really amazing writers, dancers, performers, community organizers, musicians and educators, all coming together because we believe that there is work to be done in supporting women both here and internationally. The rehearsals have been a lot of fun because I think, as different as we are, we're discovering that bond.

Have you had experience with violence against women personally or as an educator?
The awful truth is that most of us know women who have experienced violence. I see it everywhere, not only in the lives of our students but, for example, in Juarez, Mexico, where hundreds of women have been killed and mutilated, yet little effort has been made to solve or prevent the murders. Unfortunately, there is still the misperception that this kind of thing is a women's issue, that men don't really need to explore these problems, when in fact, the exact opposite is true.

To what do you attribute the violence?
The reason that every three seconds a woman is killed, beaten or raped is because she is perceived as less, a being over whom one exerts power. Unless we all understand that this perception has to change, the violence will continue. And that means, yes, our students will continue to feel it, as will we. I'm thankful that being an educator and writer puts me in a position to open up discussion, whether it's through a piece of literature, a student's essay or a poetry reading.

You've been teaching at Honolulu Community College for two years, after working at ‘Iolani School and Pasadena City College. What's your impression?
The students at HCC are really wonderful, as are many of the faculty I've met. A lot of the students have had to work hard and make large efforts to get into the classroom, and so learning takes on a different meaning here. They have a lot of life experience, and this makes what they bring to the table incredibly rich. I see a lot of earnestness and heart. That makes coming in to work each day something I like, not something I feel I have to do.

You collaborated with fellow actress Nora Keller, Manoa writer Gary Pak and others on YOBO. What are some of your other publishing activities?
I wrote Beyond Ke'eaumoku: Koreans, Nationalism, and Local Culture in Hawai‘i. Many of my publications have been academic--for instance, I recently published a chapter on the literature of Hawai'i for Blackwell Publishing's The Regional Literatures of America--but poetry and fiction are my first love. Some of my poetry has appeared in dis.Orient and Amerasia journals, as well as the anthology Making More Waves, and I'm working on a novel.