Asian American Heritage Month

Hello, Columbia College Chicago!

I am proud to announce our celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2012! We have an outstanding lineup of programs that honor our community’s vibrance and contributions to the arts and media.

For us, “Asian Pacific American” can mean many things: Southeast Asian, West Asian (Arab or Middle Eastern), South Asian, East Asian, Pacific Islander, Central Asian, Hapa, and those who identify as multiracial. We want everyone to understand that Asia and the Pacific Islands stretch from the Philippines to Palestine, and Hawa’ii to the United States. We are just as diverse as we are united—in our traditions, our history, and our experiences in this country.

This month we explore topics as varied as APAs at the heart of Chicago’s art scene, the North Korean refugee crisis, Asian cinema, LGBTQ experiences, and independent hip hop. On April 12 we celebrate the work of our very own Columbia students at the Asian Student Organization’s annual A² Art Fair.

It’s going to be an amazing month! We hope you’ll join our APA faculty, staff, and students on April 3 for a FEAST to kick off the festivities!

With gratitude,