May 2019: Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Grossmont College hosted a series of events starting with a May 1st campus mixer and continuing through May 16 with lectures, dance, food trucks and more.
This marks the second year that Grossmont College, with a nearly 10 percent enrollment of Asians and Pacific Islanders, is paying homage to the generations who have added to the nation's rich tapestry and continue to contribute to its multicultural success. The events are coordinated by the API Student Club and API Committee, and sponsored by the World Arts and Cultures Committee and Student Affairs. The events was free and open to the public.
Wednesday, May 1:
- 1-3 p.m.: A kickoff mixer for API students, faculty and staff in the Student Center Common Ground, Bldg. 60, Room 206
Monday, May 13:
- 9:30-10:45 a.m.: "The Model Minority Myth" lecture and discussion by May Fu, Ph.D., chair and associate professor of Ethnic Studies at University of San Diego, in Griffin Gate, Bldg. 60
Tuesday, May 14:
- 9:30-10:45 a.m.: "The Things We Don't Talk About: API Identity, Roots, Celebrations and Struggles" by Kirin Macapugay, assistant professor of Human Services at San Diego City College and founder of the local nonprofit Asian Pacific Islander Community Actions, in Griffin Gate, Bldg. 60
- Noon-12:45 p.m.: Japanese Fashion Show and Dance by the San Diego Kimono Club in the Main Quad
- 2-3 p.m.: Buddhism talk with Interfaith Chaplain Noriko Kawai in Griffin Gate, Bldg. 60
Wednesday, May 15:
- 10-11 a.m.: Tinikling Dance, the traditional Philippine folk dance utilizing bamboo poles, by Boone Elementary School in the Main Quad
- 11 a.m.-noon: Indian dance by Rudraprasad Swain in the Main Quad
- 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: API food trucks and vendors in the Main Quad
Thursday, May 16:
- 9:30-10:45 a.m.: "Mental Health and Racial Micro-aggressions in the API Community" panel discussion led by Judy Patacsil, professor/counselor and international education coordinator at Miramar College, co-author of "Filipinos in San Diego" and immediate past president of the Filipino American National Historical Society, in Griffin Gate, Bldg. 60
The commemoration of API Heritage originally began in 1978 when a joint resolution signed by President Jimmy Carter designated the first 10 days of May as Asian/Pacific Heritage Week. These dates were chosen to mark two important anniversaries: the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants in the United States on May 7, 1843, and the completion of the transcontinental railroad in part by Chinese laborers on May 10, 1869. In 1990 President George H. W. Bush expanded the commemoration to the entire month.
Posted on April 29, 2020, Contact: Della Elliott, https://www.grossmont.edu/posts/asian-pacific-islander-month-april-29-2019.html