Triad and Tested
There has never been a story as intriguing and heartwarming as the one of a son of a Chinese mafia and his high school sweetheart. In CASA's 16th annual culture show, the group put on a play featuring the story of Andy Lau, the son of a Hong Kong triad boss. Faced with the problem of not having a green card, he fakes a marriage with his American best friend Kelly. However, their seemingly simple plan quickly turns into a story of love and adventure filled with family problems, problematic gangs, and immigration officers. The whole audience was kept on their feet as they watched Andy escape a life of organized crime and Kelly get away with fraud.
Intermixed within this charming love story are traditional and contemporary cultural groups such as the Trogons, USC's own East Asian Acapella group, Traditional Chinese Dance, CASA's Hip Hop Dance Project and last but not least, WuShu Nation. Their talents ranged from singing to popular Chinese songs, dancing to beautifully choreographed moves, rocking out to upbeat, modern music and mastering the art of sword movements. All these groups culminated into an awesome show filled with Chinese culture and history that fascinated the entire student body of USC.
Even though this event only happens once a year, it is a good reminder to all Asian American students of what their heritage and culture means. It is so easy to lose track of what traditions Chinese people partook in thousands of years ago, but to see that history reenacted through the different performances we had, students were able to relate back to their culture once again. Although presented in a cheerful manner, the issues highlighted in the play still remain problematic for some Asian Americans today. Lack of green cards, immigration biases and even gang violence ring true for many Asian Americans. It's necessary to recognize these problems so that in the future, we as an Asian Pacific American community can tackle those issues together. All in all, it was awesome seeing so many Asian Americans and non-Asian Americans come out and support such an Amazing show put on by a group of students who had been working on this show since May of 2014. I'm excited for what they have in store for us next year! And of course, fight on!
Check out CASA's fb page!
Jamie Intern