[UA] Asian Pacific Islander American Heritage Month

[Yu Jing Chen]

Hello Undergrads!

Happy Asian Pacific Islander American Heritage Month! From the arrival of the first Japanese immigrant in 1843 to the completion of the first American transcontinental railroad by over 20,000 Chinese workers in 1869, the month of May carries with it much history, significance, and strength.

This year, however, we find ourselves in a nation that is facing a surge in anti-Asian racism, while the countries in which we find our roots are facing catastrophic public health crises. Yet our communities continue to come together to overcome, displaying a resilience emblematic of Asian Pacific Islander American communities through history. That is the spirit in which we share the following initiatives and strongly urge and openly invite you to engage in.


India COVID-19 Relief Fundraiser by the MIT South Asian Association of Students (SAAS)

As many of you are aware, India is facing a devastating second wave of COVID right now<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/28/covid-india-suffers-worst-day-of-pandemic-with-record-number-of-cases-and-deaths>. The health care system and crematoriums are operating beyond capacity and are at a breaking point as thousands of people die every day. MIT SAAS is partnering with the MIT South Asian Alumni Association (MITSAA) to raise donations for several non-profit organizations<https://linktr.ee/mitsaas> currently doing invaluable work in India providing oxygen, meal kits, PPE, and other aid to hospitals, essential workers, and vulnerable folks.



Right now, (12PM ET), SAAS will be holding a Zoom webinar<https://mit.zoom.us/j/98927258481> to hear from representatives of these organizations about the work they are currently doing on the ground. In the meantime, please visit linktr.ee/mitsaas<https://linktr.ee/mitsaas> to donate to the fundraisers. MITSAA will be matching donations once each fundraiser hits $1000!


UA Weekends of Solidarity

A little over a month ago, the UA established a team to tackle anti-Asian racism. Through the meetings and work, what we continued to come back to was the importance of allyship and collective action. It is in that spirit that we present to you APA Heritage Month Weekends of Solidarity.

From resources to learn more about the local Cambridge Asian Pacific Islander American communities, to Project AAPIdentity, a celebratory cultural livestream, we hope that you engage and participate in allyship. Check out our Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/ua_mit/> and below to keep updated on the themes of the weekends! Make sure to add our APA Heritage Month Google Calendar<https://tinyurl.com/aapihm-calendar>! For now, here’s some details about Project AAPIdentity coming up next weekend!

Project AAPIdentity
Project AAPIdentity is a multicultural livestream celebrating MIT's AAPI community. Submissions to the show are due tonight, Sunday May 2nd, at 11:59pm EDT here<http://tinyurl.com/AAPIdentity>. We welcome submissions of any format (doesn’t need to be video), answering the question "What does being Asian American and/or Pacific Islander mean to you?" All entrants will receive a T-shirt and be up for the chance to win any prize(s) of your choosing up to $100! Voting for one of the two winners opens on our Instagram (@project_aapidentity) <https://instagram.com/project_aapidentity> at 9AM EDT on Monday and closes on Wednesday at 11:59PM EDT!

Tune in to the Project AAPIdentity livestream on Friday, May 7th at 8pm to see a selection of our incredible submissions, learn about local AAPI organizers, and see performances from amazing MIT groups such as the Asian Dance Team (ADT), Bhangra, Syncopasian, Ohms, and Lion Dance! You'll receive an email (via dormspam) tomorrow about how you can sign up to watch the live stream in-person on Kresge - keep an eye out as spots will fill up fast!


APA Heritage Month is a valuable time to join in celebrating, learning about, and supporting the AAPI community. The opportunities aren't limited to engaging with these exciting initiatives: collective action starts with individual action, and that starts with you. Read a book by an AAPI author, dive into AAPI history, support local AAPI businesses. Have a great APA Heritage Month!

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All the best,
Yu Jing Chen
Vice President of the Undergraduate Association
She/her/hers





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