Events honor Asian and Pacific American heritage
The University of North Georgia (UNG) will welcome a keynote speaker and host events to mark Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month.
While AAPI Heritage Month is technically celebrated in May, it is marked during April at UNG campuses while spring semester classes still are in session.
"UNG's Asian American and Pacific Islander community includes students, faculty and staff. These individuals contribute a great deal to the engagement and learning that takes place at our campuses," Dr. Andrew Johnson, director of Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA) at UNG, said. "It is important that we honor the past, present and future contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islander people to our society. By doing so, we create space for learning and contribute to the sense of belonging for the students, faculty and staff at UNG."
Lily Pabian, executive director of We Love Buford Highway Inc., will be the keynote speaker in the Robinson Ballroom at UNG's Gainesville Campus and virtually at noon April 19. An Atlanta native and mother of three community-active teens, Pabian served as a member of Fulton County's School Governance Council and Parent Teacher Student Association president. She was a recipient of the 2017 Georgia Department of Education's Parent Leadership Award. Most recently she was recognized as one of Georgia Asian Times' 25 Most Influential Asian Americans in Georgia in 2021.
It is important that we honor the past, present and future contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islander people to our society. By doing so, we create space for learning and contribute to the sense of belonging for the students, faculty and staff at UNG.
Dr. Andrew Johnson
director of Multicultural Student Affairs
Pabian said advocacy starts when people are tuned in and are asking the "right" questions. Sharing meals, art, family systems, wisdom, information, and traditions passed from one generation to the next are just a few examples of purposeful engagements and life-long perspectives, she said.
In 1978, Congress passed a joint Congressional Resolution to commemorate Asian American Heritage Week during the first week of May because of two important anniversaries: the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants in America on May 7, 1843, and the completion of the transcontinental railroad (by many Chinese laborers) on May 10, 1869.
In 1990, this week was later expanded into a month-long celebration. AAPI Heritage Month is a celebration of the culture, traditions and history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States.
MSA assists and supports in all efforts to recruit and retain underrepresented students by providing special assistance with personal, social or academic concerns, as well as other guidance. MSA is also available to all students, staff, faculty and the community as a resource regarding social justice and diversity issues.
Other Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month events:
April 4: AAPI Heritage Month Japan Expo, Cottrell Center Ballroom, at Dahlonega Campus, 2-4 p.m.
April 10: AAPI Heritage Month tabling event, Hoag Patio at Dahlonega Campus, Student Center Patio at Gainesville Campus, noon
April 11: AAPI Heritage Month Kahoot, virtual
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