CSUB celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Several events being held throughout April

By California State University, Bakersfield

March 29^th, 2022

California State University, Bakersfield is celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month with several events throughout the month of April.

While the AAPI Heritage Month is recognized nationally in May, it is being celebrated on campus next month to avoid conflict with finals and other end-of-year activities. The celebration begins on April 5 with a kick-off event and will wrap up with a panel discussion on April 27. Almost all of the events will be held virtually.

“We have a relatively small Asian and Pacific Islander population on campus, but we’re not invisible,” said Dr. Charles Lam, co-chair of the Asian Faculty and Staff Network, which is organizing the celebration. “We hope that by having these events, we can raise awareness on campus about the AAPI community here and highlight AAPI issues and experiences.”

The kick-off on April 5 will take place at the Student Union patio from 12-1:30 p.m. and will include Polynesian dance performances from Aloha Entertainment and Tatou Uma Polynesian Dance Group.

In addition, local Asian- and Pacific Islander-owned small businesses will have booths at the event.

While this is technically the second year that CSUB has recognized AAPI Heritage Month on campus, last year’s celebration only had two events, both of which were held virtually last May.

This year, organizers wanted to expand the offerings. Dr. Jeremiah Sataraka, who co-chairs the Asian Faculty and Staff Network with Dr. Lam, came up with the idea of moving the celebration to April so that more events could be held.

“I think that visibility and awareness is important. A lot of students on campus haven’t heard of the diverse experiences of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders,” Dr. Sataraka said. “A big part of what we hope to do is tell people that these are two very distinct, very separate groups, with a lot of diverse groups within them.”

One of the goals of the celebration is to dispel stereotypes and clear up misconceptions about Asians and Pacific Islanders, which Dr. Sataraka says is vital in combating a rise in anti-Asian hate due to COVID-19.

“Hopefully, people will recognize that there are a lot of diverse experiences that make up being Asian in the U.S.” he said. “We want to work towards creating a greater society of equity and justice, not only for Asians and Pacific Islanders but for all marginalized groups.”

Here is a list of all events being held in April as part of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, in partnership with CSUB’s Division of Equity, Inclusion and Compliance:

April 5: AAPI Heritage Month Kick-Off, 12-1:30 p.m. at the Student Union Patio.

April 6: Community Conversation: Migration from Asia, 12-1 p.m. via Zoom.

April 8: Polynesian Tattoos and Culture lecture featuring Manusamoa Henry Sataraka, 12-1 p.m. via Zoom.

April 18: Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Activism in California panel, 5-6 p.m. via Zoom. The panel will include members of the Central Valley Pacific Islander Alliance and the United Territories of Pacific Islander Alliance.

April 27: Panel: What does it mean to be Asian American or Pacific Islander in the U.S., 5:30-6:30 p.m. via Zoom. Panelists include CSUB students and staff as well as community members from Kern County and the Central Valley.