Indiana University Bloomington is preparing for the upcoming Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebration. The celebration will take place at the beginning of next week.
The theme of this 18th annual celebration is “belonging.” The month-long celebration involves different activities and events, including a film series, a conference and cultural performance. All these activities highlight the culture of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
James Wimbush, IU Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs, said the celebration reflects how diverse the campus is.
“The breadth of activities occurring during this year’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebration is incredible,” Wimbush said to the Indiana Daily Student. “It illustrates the rich cultural traditions of the communities represented.”
Asian Culture Center spearheaded all the events in the celebration, but other entities like the Asian American Studies Program, the Latino Faculty and Staff Council, the Black Faculty and Staff Council, and the Mathers Museum of World Cultures have contributed as well.
Melanie Castillo-Cullather, the director of the Asian Culture Center, said the contributions of other campus departments have deepened the meaning of the celebration.
“On a campus as large as IU-Bloomington, this may sound cliché, but it’s very true — it takes a village to really put together meaningful educational events,” Castillo-Cullather said. “We really encourage all students and the campus community to be part of the celebration, especially if they’ve never been to the ACC.”
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