Rebecca spoke at Yale on “Asian & Buddhist(?)”

On April 10, Rebecca was invited by the Yale Buddhist Sangha to speak at an event co-hosted with Asian American Cultural Center at Yale University.  She shared how she experienced being “Buddhist” and “Asian” in America, addressing many mistaken assumptions often made about her.  Through her experiences, she pointed out the inadequacy of the distinction between ethnic and convert Buddhists used in the U.S. to categorize Dharma practitioners, and advocated a more nuanced approach that can embrace the diversity of experiences among followers of the Buddha’s path.  Yale students, many of whom grew up in different parts of Asia though not all were Asian or Buddhist, shared their experience with Buddhism.  Questions regarding the violence in Myanmar led by Buddhist monks and the monastic sangha’s incorporation of LGBTQ concerns were raised.  It was a well-attended but intimate event of heartfelt sharing and thoughtful discussions.