Dear Friends of the ACC:
Nationally observed in May, Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPIHM) is celebrated in April at Indiana University to allow the entire campus and community to take part in the activities before the semester ends. As part of IU’s tradition of honoring the history, culture, and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) as well as recognizing the issues affecting the AAPI community and in the diaspora, we would like to invite you to join us by participating in our 2022 AAPIHM programs.
Thank you and we look forward to connecting with you.
2022 AAPIHM Theme:
Renew and Rebuild: Our Communities and Beyond
Profound impacts of the pandemic stretch across culture, religion, and identity. In order to continue building partnership and resilience in minority communities, it is necessary to explore how groups might uplift one another during times when POC live with a heightened sense of “otherness”.
With this in mind, the Asian Culture Center at Indiana University presents this year’s Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month theme: “Renew and Rebuild: Our Communities and Beyond”. Featured events this year include Pacific Islander week, a Black and Asian solidarity workshop, and a short film festival at the Buskirk Chumley Theater in Bloomington.
Topics will examine how participants can show up as agents of change, with emphasis on continuing the work done with previous AAPI issues. However, the need for change extends past the boundaries of AAPI. Oppression of one minority group eventually oppresses all of them - establishing and showing solidarity with other marginalized groups is requisite to overcoming oppressive sentiments about the AAPI community. How can we become the best allies to ourselves, as well as others?
Please consider supporting AAPI Heritage Month by hosting an educational program that promotes a dialogue about the theme and the rich cultural traditions of Asian Americans and immigrants in the United States. Potential activities could include a panel and/or group discussion, photo or art exhibit, film screening, storytelling, lectures, and/or cultural performances from your organization or from student groups you work with. We will be advertising all our events through website, social media, and a printed events calendar. You may submit your event anytime, however, if you would like your activity to be included in the printed calendar and press release, please submit your event by February 4, 2022. Events received after this date will still be included in our AAPIHM 2022 website.
We look forward to including your event in the 2022 Asian and Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPIHM) is a month-long celebration which recognizes the contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islanders. In 1977, congressional lawmakers proposed bills for the creation of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. After passing a law for a 7-day commemoration in 1978, Congress passed Public Law 102-450 in 1992 which annually designated May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. Nationally celebrated in May, AAPIHM is celebrated in April at Indiana University to allow the entire campus and community to take part in the activities before the semester ends.
The Asian Culture Center is the heartbeat of the Asian/Asian American/Pacific Islander Community here at IUB. Partnering with the ACC on various events and activities has energized Asian American Studies by drawing new audiences and extending our impact throughout the campus into Bloomington and beyond. We are so grateful for the synergy and dynamism of the ACC!
Ellen Wu, Associate Professor, History Department