Cal State La Commemorates Aapi Heritage Month With Food, Films, And Solar New Year Celebration

Cal State LA has erstwhile again gotten a caput commencement connected celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPIHM). 

Throughout April and early May, events will beryllium held connected field to commemorate AAPIHM, which is traditionally observed successful May successful nan United States. But Cal State LA’s AAPIHM Planning Committee decided to observe early truthful arsenic not to overlap pinch finals and Commencement during May.

This year’s events see a Tongan tapa-making demonstration, movie screenings, a nighttime market, informational webinars, a lei-making workshop, a student mixer, a Solar New Year celebration, and nan 3rd Annual Tricontinental Conference.

The taxable for 2025 is “Woven successful Resilience.”

“Just arsenic cloth woven tightly tin agelong and crook without breaking, communities thrive and go stronger erstwhile they look adversity together. Join america successful celebrating our corporate strength, resilience, and unbreakable religion successful nan powerfulness of solidarity and community,” stated nan committee, which is comprised of unit and module from various departments.

One of this year’s featured events is nan Tongan tapa-making shop connected April 16. Two artists primitively from nan Kingdom of Tonga, Tui Emma Gillies and her mother Sulieti Fieme’a Borrows, will show nan creation of making tapa, a accepted Tongan shape of creation connected fabric.

On nan aforesaid day, nan Solar New Year ceremony will people nan sun’s activity into nan Aries constellation, signaling nan extremity of nan barren play and commencement of nan harvest season. The contented is celebrated successful Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, India, and different Southeast and South Asian nations.

On April 15, nan 3rd Annual Tricontinental Conference will beryllium held connected campus, pinch nan taxable of “50 Years of Anticolonial Resistance Against Imperialism successful Southeast Asia.” Artists, scholars, activists, and organizers will talk Southeast Asian arts and stone music, world solidary movements, organization organizing and activism successful Los Angeles, and more.

There will besides beryllium a number of movie screenings, including 1 for nan beloved classical Joy Luck Club connected April 10. The Pacific Film Festival connected April 21 will double arsenic a meet-and-greet betwixt students and members of nan movie manufacture members of AAPI descent.

And, of course, an AAPIHM commemoration would not beryllium complete without food. A nighttime marketplace celebrating nan Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi organization will characteristic food, boba, taste performances, and nosy activities connected April 25. Additionally, an engaging chat astir taste appropriation of Asian foods will beryllium held connected April. 15.

For much accusation connected each nan events, please sojourn the AAPIHM page.

AAPIHM Calendar of Events

• Through April 30: Hygiene Kit & Non-Perishable Food Drive, Center for Engagement, Service, and nan Public Good – Lower Level of nan Career Center, Mondays-Fridays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
• April 10: Reel AAPI Stories: Joy Luck Club screening, Los Angeles Rooms A&B, University-Student Union, 4:30-7:30 p.m.
• April 15: 3rd Annual Tricontinental Conference, University Library North, Community Room, Room B-131, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
• April 15: “From Tradition to Trend: Cultural Appropriation of Our Food” discussion, San Gabriel Rooms, University-Student Union, 1-2:30 p.m.
• April 15: College of Ethnic Studies Spring Semester Student Mixer, Los Angeles Room, University-Student Union, 3rd Floor, 1:30-3 p.m.
• April 16: Tongan Tapa-Making Workshop, Golden Eagle Ballroom 1, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
• April 16: Solar New Year Celebration, University-Student Union Plaza, 1-3 p.m.
• April 16: Pacific Wednesdays Webinar, Zoom Meeting, 5 p.m.
• April 21: Pacific Film Festival, University-Student Union Theatre, 5-8:30 p.m.
• April 23: Spotlight connected American Samoa Wednesday Webinar, Zoom Meeting, 5 p.m.
• April 24: APIDA Rising Night Market, University-Student Union Plaza, 5-8 p.m.
• April 28: Reel AAPI Stories movie screening, Los Angeles Rooms AB, 4:30-7:30 p.m.
• April 29: Crafting Connections: Lei-Making Workshop, San Gabriel Room, noon-2 p.m.
• April 30: Spotlight connected American Samoa Wednesday Seminar, online, 5 p.m.
• May 1: AAPI Alumni Network Inaugural Reception, Luckman Fine Arts Complex, 6-7:30 p.m.