Enjoy a week of events and keynote speakers to celebrate Asian American, Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian (AAPINH) Heritage Month with the Addran College of Liberal Arts from Monday, April 10 to Saturday, April 15. The “Global Asias, Bridging the World Classroom with the Transpacific” week is the largest AAPINH heritage celebration in TCU history and is co-hosted with the:
- AddRan Asian Studies (ASST)
- Office of Diversity & Inclusion (ODI)
- Comparative Race & Ethnic Studies (CRES)
- Women & Gender Studies (WGST)
“The Asian Studies program has put in over six months of careful planning and coordination to bring these events to fruition, which could not have been done without the financial support from ODI, CRES, and WGST,” said Director of Asian Studies Benjamin Ireland. “Asian Studies is intentional in framing AAPINH Heritage week as an educational and hands-on learning event that foregrounds DEI in all areas.”
According to Ireland, celebrating AAPINH heritage allows us to critically engage histories and dismantle stereotypes pertaining to the AAPINH community.
“In a global history of AAPINH – one that is not simply localized to the United States, TCU has made a significant impact in promoting and valuing the histories, agencies and lived experiences of our AAPINH-identifying students, faculty, staff and community members. I think participating in AAPINH week both intentionally and meaningfully is a critical keystone to promoting healing and peace in our societies. What better way than to begin those transformative actions here at TCU.”
Music of Asia’s Past & Present
The celebration will kick off with “Music of Asia’s Past & Present” on Monday, April 10, at 6 p.m. in Pepsico Recital Hall. Chancellor Boschini, President Pullin and Provost Dahlberg will share opening remarks to begin the dynamic evening at 5:30 p.m.
The concert will feature traditional and modern Asian music from Korea and Japan to Polynesian dancing and Taiko drumming by community members and Korean Language and Culture Association students. The School of Music’s concert will feature string quartet, voice and piano performances of folk and K-pop songs.
“I hope attendees can experience and learn more about our cultures and see how diverse it is,” said Hae-Rim Lee, assistant professor of violin and coordinator for the School of Music’s performance.
The K-pop Evolution
“Dance and performance are powerful tools for understanding society,” said Dr. Chuyun Oh, an associate professor of dance at San Diego State University.
Oh will present the first keynote, “K-pop Dance: Blooming Hope from the Street to Social Media,” on Tuesday, April 11, at 6 p.m. in the Scharbauer Hall Debate Chamber. She is an internationally acclaimed professor writing the first book on K-pop evolution. Oh will discuss the importance of K-pop in AAPINH communities and her unique experience working with K-pop dancers around the world.
“Dance is more than a mirror of society and instead a place people keep making meaning of their daily lives and identities. Social activism, too, can find a rejuvenating platform to share voices through dance and performance… As dance involves actual bodies of dancing, it can gently invite the audience with increased empathy.”
Asia-Latin American Intersections
Dr. Andrea Mendoza, an assistant professor of Japanese and Comparative Literature at the University of California San Diego, will present the closing keynote, “Towards an Undisciplined Transpacific,” on Thursday, April 13, at 6 p.m. in Scharbauer Hall Debate Chamber. Mendoza will examine a diversity, equity and inclusion-centered “Transpacific Classroom” that deconstructs Area and Ethnic Studies to promote visionary imperatives bridging Asia with Latin America and beyond.
Addran College of Liberal Arts would like to thank the following for their involvement and support of the Asian American Pacific Islander Native Hawaiian (AAPINH) Heritage Week:
For a complete list of AAPINH Heritage Week events, visit https://calendar.tcu.edu/group/asian_pacific_islander_and_desi_american_initiatives.
