An Evangelical Theology of Hospitality

This chapter analyzes the theological arguments put forward by evangelical refugee and immigration activists, which is subsumed under the term “evangelical theology of hospitality.” Evangelical leaders drew on a myriad of commands, parables, narratives, and verses from both the Old and the New Testaments to argue that, as Christians, they were called to welcome all immigrants and refugees with open arms. This chapter makes the case that evangelicals—mainstream and progressives alike—made no distinction between refugees and legal immigrants on the one hand and undocumented immigrants on the other in their theology of hospitality, which they fleshed out during the Southeast Asian refugee crisis in the 1970s and applied to refugees and undocumented immigrants alike in the 1980s. All were viewed as the modern-day equivalent of the biblical “sojourners” or “strangers” whom they were called to love, provide for, and protect.

Love and Amateurism in Kelly Loves Tony

This essay reflects on Spencer Nakasako's groundbreaking video work with Southeast Asian refugee youth and explores Nakasako's significant role in media histories not just in relation to Asian America, but to American media culture writ large. It pays particular attention to the role and rhetoric of the “amateur” in Nakasako's work, and the ways in which Nakasako transforms low-resolution, independent videomaking into an aesthetic as well as political force. Nakasako's “video diary” series, often called the refugee trilogy, emphasizes the significance of making film with and about community through both content and modes of production. Highlighting the ways in which gender comes into play in Nakasako's work, this essay focuses on Kelly Loves Tony (often the least discussed of the trilogy), and also includes material from recently conducted interview with Spencer Nakasako on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of his trilogy.