This workshop explores the complex relationship between Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities and the systems that define citizenship and immigration status. Through the concept of “papers” as legal instruments that establish, deny, or condition citizenship, we will reflect on how documentation requirements have shaped access to opportunity, security, and recognition across generations. Rather than focusing on a single historical moment, the session examines how laws, administrative categories, and public narratives have structured understandings of who belongs and on what terms.

Through discussion, media reflection, and a collage activity inspired by Canvas of the Future, this workshop centers the experiences of immigrant API communities. Participants will explore the layered meanings of status and visibility. What does it mean when “papers” determine access to education, work, or stability? What happens to immigration policy and public understanding when the experiences and impact of API immigrant communities are overlooked in current discourse?