Issue date: 4/30/07 Section: News

Giles Li

American education excludes a great deal of immigrant culture, and Asian Americans such as Son-Ca Lam can attest to that.

"Asian American history, although crucial in American history, is often neglected and overlooked in all my years of taking American history classes in high school," said Son-ca Lam, a transfer student in her second semester at UMass Boston. "It was not until I came to UMass Boston that there was a department devoted to this area of Asian American Studies."

Now UMass Boston will further devote itself to that ideal for diversity when the Asian American Studies program hosts a ten-day celebration for Asian Pacific American (APA) Heritage Month. The week-long event for APA Heritage Month, called "Stories from Asian America," will host a series of events with subject matters ranging from the UMass Boston students' rebuilding effort on the Gulf Coast, to a spoken-word series composed by two noted Asian American poets. The series will be held from May 1-10 on the Campus Center's second floor terrace.

"In our efforts to highlight these stories, I and several other UMass Boston students have organized 'Stories from Asian America,' and art installation and event series, including spoken word performances, an iMovie showcase, and teach-ins on issues relevant to Asian Americans. We want our UMass Boston community to realize that APA history is our shared multicultural American history."

The two-week long program will aim at fostering awareness about heritage, culture, and current social issues faced by Asians and Pacific Islanders to the UMass Boston and local community.

"They strive to promote understanding and dialogue across racial and ethnic boundaries for a more cohesive and culturally inclusive campus community," said the Asian American Studies event press release.

Also featured throughout the week will be an art installation by commissioned artist, Tri V. Quach, highlighting specific stories from Asian American history, such as the Japanese Internment experience during World War II and South Asian experience post 9/11. The opening of the installation will be held on the Campus Center's second floor terrace on May 1, between 4:30-6:30p.m. The collection of stories will be printed on fabric and hung on the exhibit's clothesline structure, and will be available for viewing between May 1-16.

The "Stories from Asian America" will include an exhibit on Asian American Media Literacy on Wednesday between 2:30-5:30 p.m. in the Campus Center Alumni Lounge on the second floor, the "Dialogue on UMB Students' Rebuilding Efforts Within the Gulf Coast Vietnamese American Communities" on May 7 in the Campus Center Seminar Room 3540, from 2:45-4 p.m., as well as two spoken word performances featuring Bao Phi and Giles Li held in the 2nd floor Alumni Lounge at 4 p.m. on May 10. And while these "Stories from Asian America" will end on May 10, teach-ins will proceed throughout the campus until May 16.

More than 1,500 people from the UMass Boston and local community are expected to attend the two-week celebration of APA Heritage Month, which has been celebrated every May since becoming nationally recognized by federal law in 1990. APA Heritage was recognized by Congress in 1977, but was only granted a federal allotment of two weeks for every May. It was only in the past 15-17 years that ACA Heritage Month became nationally recognized, but the hope of some is that Asian and Pacific heritage will be recognized beyond the single month.

"We want to make people realize that the history and contributions of Asian people in America should be acknowledged, honored, and celebrated beyond only one month," said Janet Vo, a student organizer.

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Asian American Studies Program presents:

"Stories from Asian America"
An Art Installation
May 1 - May 16
Campus Center Terrace 2ed Fl.
Come celebrate Asian Pacific Islander American Heritage Month with us!

May 1 @ 4:30pm-6:30pm
Campus Center Alumni Lounge 2ed Fl.
Art Installation Opening Reception

May 2 @ 2:30pm-5:30pm
Campus Center Alumni Lounge 2nd Fl.
ASAMST 370 Presents "Connections":
An Asian American Media Literacy
Exhibit

May 7 @ 2:45pm-4:00pm
Campus Center Seminar Rm 3540
ASAMST 294 Presents "Dialogue on UMB students' Rebuilding Efforts within the Gulf Coast Vietnamese American Communities"

May 10 @ 4:00pm-6:00pm
Campus Center Alumni Lounge 2ed Fl.
Featuring Bao Phi & Giles Li.


For more information or disability accommodation, contact the Asian American Studies Outreach Program at 617-287-5671 or email Janet Vo at vo.janet@gmail.com

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