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Asians, Pacific Islanders Reveal How HIV Affects Their Lives, Communities in New Digital Story Series
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) May 13, 2013 - To commemorate May 19th, 2013-the 9th annual National Asian
& Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day-the Banyan Tree Project is hosting a series of Twitter chats throughout
the month premiering twenty new digital stories from Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AAs and NHPIs) living
with or affected by HIV. The Twitter chats are co-hosted by partner organizations across the nation and facilitate thoughtful
online conversations about the ways we are all affected by HIV.
In the first Twitter chat on Thursday, May 9th, the Banyan Tree Project and partner organization theBody.com showcased stories
of AAs and NHPIs living with HIV. Jaimie, a community advocate and mother of two, shared a video love letter to her
sons whose unconditional support allowed her to stay sober and help others living with the disease.
"I knew I wasn't a perfect mom," aimie says. "You gave me space to be me, to make mistakes, to love you.I know I'm still
alive
today because of your unconditional love."
In " Courage to Live On ," Martin-a gay Chamorro man from
Guam diagnosed with AIDS-tells us how the secrecy of his status complicates his health. For Martin, openly sharing his story
inspires him to keep going.
"Each time I share my story," Martin says, "something within me is lifted. A weight taken away, enabling me to go on living."
In the Twitter chat, community members called the stories "moving," "powerful," and "inspiring." Debates evolved over
whether or not it's fair to expect people living with HIV to fight stigma by sharing their stories. Many participants felt that
stigma is a community issue and addressing it requires all members-positive or negative-to speak out without shame.
Some of the stories in "Taking Root" are by people who are HIV-negative, like Sincera Fritz , a health
care provider in Chuuk, FSM. She bravely describes her personal struggle in discriminating against people living with HIV. In Sincera's
case, HIV education and powerful personal stories moved her from fear to compassion. Sincera is now a fierce HIV advocate in her community.
As the U.S. works to make an "AIDS-free generation" a reality, engaging communities in ending HIV stigma becomes more important
than ever. For all communities, stigma is a powerful barrier preventing people from getting HIV tests or accessing treatment. For the
AA and NHPI community-where the CDC estimates that 1 in 3 people living with HIV doesn't know it and over two-thirds have never been
tested for HIV (National Health Interview Survey, 2009)-addressing the shame and fear that haunts the disease is imperative.
"As a community, it is critical that A&PIs talk about the issues that impact us, including our relationships, sexuality
and the impact that HIV has on our families and loved ones," said National Minority AIDS Council Executive Director Paul Kawata.
"National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is an important opportunity to start that dialogue and Taking Root
is a beautiful and powerful example of how to do so. Hearing stories from individuals like Jaimie and Martin is incredibly
important, not only because it highlights the continued toll that this epidemic has on our community, but also our
amazing resilience and spirit."
"Taking Root: Our Stories, Our Community" can be viewed at http://www.banyantreeproject.org . The
stories are produced in partnership with the Center for Digital Storytelling.
The Banyan Tree Project is hosting a series of Twitter chats to showcase the stories and HIV discussion topics every
Thursday at 5pm Eastern/2pm Pacific from now through June 9th. Co-hosts include theBody.com, USA Positive Women's Network, Life
Foundation, National Minority AIDS Council, and Youth, the Arts, HIV & AIDS Network (YAHAnet).
Follow @BTPMay19 to tweet about HIV on the #BTPchat.
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About the Banyan Tree Project
The Banyan Tree Project-a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded national community mobilization campaign-uses innovative strategies to engage
Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AAs and NHPIs) in HIV prevention and stigma reduction. The Banyan Tree Project
produces Taking Root digital stories and anti-HIV stigma materials, the National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
(May 19th), and provides capacity building assistance to community-based organizations serving AAs and NHPIs in the U.S. and six
U.S.-affiliated Pacific Island Jurisdictions. The Banyan Tree Project is led by Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center
in San Francisco. Regional partners include Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team (Los Angeles, CA), Life Foundation
(Honolulu, HI), and Massachusetts Asian & Pacific Islanders for Health (Boston, MA). For more information
visit www.banyantreeproject.org.
About the Center for Digital Storytelling
The Center for Digital Storytelling (CDS) surfaces authentic voices around the world through group process and participatory media creation.
CDS programs support people in sharing and bearing witness to stories that lead to learning, action, and positive change. Over the past
ten years, digital storytelling has emerged as an important participatory media production method used in a variety of community,
health, educational, and academic research settings. Since beginning this work in the early 1990s, the Center for Digital
Storytelling has drawn from well-established traditions in the fields of popular education, oral history, participatory
communications, public health, and, most recently, what has been called "citizen journalism," to train and work with
small groups of people around the world, on the process and production of short, first-person video pieces that
document a wide range of culturally and historically embedded stories. For more information please
visit www.storycenter.org .
Reproduced with permission - "The Banyan Tree Project"
The Banyan Tree Project
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