The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s Central Regional Conference is underway in Minneapolis. The event, “Honoring the Past, Shaping the Future,” is being hosted by the Minnesota Asian Pacific American Bar Association (MNAPABA).

The event opened on Friday evening with “A Man of Quiet Bravery: A Reenactment of the Fred Korematsu Case” at the United States Courthouse in Minneapolis. The presentation featured local lawyers and judges in an adaptation of the Peter Irons play on the late civil rights leader’s life and legal experience. Karen Korematsu, Fred Korematsu’s daughter, was in attendance and provided moving first-hand accounts of her dad’s story.

On Saturday, Professor Erika Lee of the University of Minnesota delivered the event’s lunch keynote presentation. Professor Lee is the director of the Immigration History Research Center at the U of MN and is the Rudolph J. Vecoil Chair in Immigration History.

Professor Lee shared findings and reflections fromher new book, “The Making of Asian America: A History” (September, 2015), an account of the fastest-growing minority group in the United States. The book’s release is timed to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1965 Immigration Act and has already received starred reviews from Library Journal and Kirkus Review, which calls it “a powerful, timely story told with method and dignity.”

Professor Lee shared historical anecdotes from her book including stories about her grandparents, who opened the very patriotic New Deal Chow Mein Inn in New York in the early part of the 1900s.

Professor Lee recalled a California history class during her early years. It was late in life for her, as she recalls, because it was the first time she had ever learned about anti-Asian American sentiments in United States history.

Her first question, she said, was “why haven’t I ever heard of this?”

Professor Lee said her piqued curiosity quickly transformed the question into: “why are Asian Americans invisible?” she said. “The search for these hidden histories put me on the path to becoming a writer, historian, and teacher.”

Professor Lee said that these early questions have driven her professional career. Professor Lee was on hand to sign copies of her new book following her presentation.

“What I try to do in my teaching and my writing is fix this problem—fix this problem by writing Asian Americans back into history.”

The Central Regional Conference continues Saturday afternoon with continuing legal education breakout sessions at the law firm of Faegre Baker Daniels, an event underwriter. Following the afternoon sessions, the annual MNAPABA Gala will take place at the Marriott in Minneapolis featuring CRC keynote speaker Jenny Yang, Chairperson of the EEOC.