EUGENE–Oregonians can gain insights on multi-culturalism in Asia through a series of four free lectures in Eugene, Portland and Bend.

The University of Oregon Center for Asian and Pacific Studies is the sponsor of the series, titled "Discovering Multi-ethnic Asia." The talks, which are for a general audience, explore the question of how Asia’s rich cultural diversity is both a source of instability and a force fostering creativity and dynamism.

The Freeman Foundation, which supports programs to enhance cross-cultural understanding between the United States and Asian countries, is providing funds for the lecture series. The private, non-profit foundation is based in Vermont.

The speakers will present each lecture in three separate regions of the state. Portland State University and Central Oregon Community College are hosting the Portland and Bend lectures.

The series kicks off Wednesday, Feb. 24, in Bend, where all lectures will be held from 7—8:30 p.m. in the Oregon Room of the Library at Central Oregon Community College, 2600 N.W. College Way.

In Portland, where the series opens Thursday, Feb. 25, all lectures will be held from 5:30—7p.m. at Portland State University in Room 298 of the Smith Memorial Building, 1825 S.W. Broadway.

The first lecture in Eugene will be held from 2—3:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 26, at the Chiles Business Center, 925 E. 13th Ave. on the UO campus. All other Eugene lectures will be from
7—8:30 p.m. in Room 110 of Willamette Hall, 1371 E. 13th Ave.

Dates, topics and speakers are:

• Feb. 24—26: "Multi-Ethnic Japan," by John Lie, professor of sociology, University of Illinois.

• April 6—8: "Race and Ethnicity in the Politics of the Nation State: The Cases of Malaysia and Indonesia," by Leonard Y. Andaya, professor of history, University of Hawaii at Manoa.

• May 4—6: "The University, Culture, and Globalization: The United States and Japan," by Masao Miyoshi, Hajime Mori Professor of Japanese, English and Comparative Literature, University of California at San Diego.

• June 1—3: "Contested Identities: Muslims, Minorities and Other Subject Peoples of China," by Dru Gladney, academic dean at the Asia-Pacific Center and professor of Asian studies and anthropology, School of Hawaiian, Asian and Pacific Studies, University of Hawaii at Manoa.

For more information, contact the UO Center for Asian and Pacific Studies, (541) 346-5087; the Central Oregon University Center in Bend, (541) 383-7526; or the PSU Institute for Asian Studies in Portland, (503) 725-8571.

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