In April, the Center for Race, Ethnicity & Diversity Education (CREDE) commemorates the achievements and contributions of people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent in the United States.
CREDE would like to announce the celebration of Asian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month during the entire month of April.
A rather broad term, Asian/Pacific Islander encompasses all of the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of: Melanesia (New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji and the Solomon Islands), Micronesia (Marianas, Guam, Wake Island, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru and the Federated States of Micronesia) and Polynesia (New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Rotuma, Midway Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia and Easter Island).
API Heritage Month is typically celebrated in May to commemorate the achievements and contributions of people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent in the United States. Like many other colleges and universities, Elon celebrates API Heritage Month in April due to activities related to the end of the academic year and commencement during May.
In 1978, Congress passed a joint Congressional Resolution to celebrate Asian-American Heritage Week during the first 10 days of May. This date was chosen because two important anniversaries fall during this time: the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants in the United States on May 7, 1843, and the completion of the transcontinental railroad by many Chinese laborers on May 10, 1869. In 1990 President George H. W. Bush and Congress voted to expand the celebration, and since 1992 May has been designated as API Heritage Month.
This year, the planning committee has developed the theme for the month of “Where we have been, where we are, and where we are going.” Programs will reflect this theme either in scope or content. We will also highlight programs that, though not executed by the CREDE, fall under the umbrella of Asian/Pacific Islander identity.
The schedule of events includes:
April 1
API Heritage Month Kickoff
CREDE, 12 – 2 p.m.
April 2
Asian Studies Ice Cream Social
Carlton Building, 5-6 p.m.
April 4
Spring Convocation with Julia Gillard, AC
Prime Minister of Australia, 2010-13
Alumni Gym, 3:30 p.m.
Manjula Bharathi
Turner Theatre, 6 p.m.
April 5
Holi Celebration
Speakers Corner, 4 p.m.
April 9
College Coffee
Phi Beta Kappa Commons, 9:40 a.m.
Please share these events widely with students and other Elon community members. We hope you will be able to join us throughout the month.
April 11
“Uhyger Muslims: The Realities of Muslims in China”
Numen Lumen Space, 6-7 p.m.
April 17
Kim’s Convenience with APSA
CREDE, 6-7 p.m.
April 24
Alanam Townhall
TBD
April 29
Food for Thoughtuil
Please share these events widely with students and other Elon community members. We hope you will be able to join us throughout the month. For further information, email kglenn5@elon.edu.