Queensborough Kicks Off Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month
The Student Union was packed last Thursday as students, staff and faculty came together to begin Queensborough’s Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month celebration with the kickoff event: “The AAPI Mashup: Stories, Soundtracks, and Snacks!”
Yes, AAPI Month is actually in May; however, due to classes ending in mid-May and many people around the college involved in end-of-semester commitments, Queensborough celebrates early to ensure the month gets the recognition it deserves.
Therefore, our AAPI Month celebrations are by no means an afterthought. In fact, as Asian American Faculty and Staff Association (AAFSA) member Robert Cortes will tell you, recognition of the month is important to Queensborough where it has been celebrated for over 20 years.
“These events are important because they recognize, honor, and celebrate the rich diversity that exists within the various groups of QCC community members who identify as Asian, Asian American, and Pacific islander.”
With a variety of events this month, including Film Screenings, a Chinese Tea Ceremony, and Haiku Contest, it’s clear that Queensborough is committed to making its sizeable number of AAPI students feel at home, while also providing others a chance to learn about new cultures.
“[These events] offer the entire QCC community an opportunity to learn, engage with, and support the AAPI members of the QCC community and each other.”
And judging by the turnout for the kickoff, the AAFSA is off to a strong start.
True to its name, the event was focused on the stories of its attendees, and Cortes started things off with one of his own after a brief introduction from Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Brian Mitra.
“Today I celebrate my Asian heritage, and I honor my parents who sacrificed their comfort to come to this country in 1970...,” Cortes shared. “When I think of Asian heritage, I think of the sacrifices [my father] made to help me become successful today and I want to publicly say thank you mom and dad — ‘Pops,’ may you rest in peace.”
Afterwards, the attendees broke off into small groups to do the same, sharing their name and the history behind it.
The point of this activity, according to Cortes, was to break the ice and strengthen the bonds among the participants. And if that didn’t work, then certainly the food they served afterwards did.
Between the rice, noodles, falafel, sushi and more, there was plenty of food for attendees to indulge in over casual conversation. To simply refer to the offerings as “snacks” sells what they put together short (it was done for alliteration!) — it was a veritable buffet! Truly, it was all the cultures the month seeks to represent on a plate.
And after everyone was satiated, the afternoon closed out with a session of open mic karaoke.
From pop songs to tracks from popular video games, a variety of songs with Asian influences were represented as a few brave attendees sang their hearts out in front of a supportive crowd.
In the end, whether it was due to the stories, soundtracks or snacks, everyone had a good time and got primed for the month of exciting activities ahead.
Interested in what the AAFSA has in store? Check out the list of upcoming events!
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