Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Countdown to Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month – Spring 2023

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month is observed in the United States during the month of May. A team of UWM campus stakeholders came together to offer a calendar of programs during Spring 2023 that are associated with AAPI cultures and identities to count down to AAPI Heritage Month. The mission of this calendar is to recognize the historical and cultural contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and celebrate the rich cultures and identities of the AAPI communities at UWM.

Film Screening: Flee

Wednesday, April 5 | Film Screening

5:00PM-7:00PM | Student Union Fireside Lounge

Flee tells the story of Amin Nawabi as he grapples with a painful secret he has kept hidden for 20 years, one that threatens to derail the life he has built for himself and his soon-to-be husband. Recounted mostly through animation, Amin tells the story of his extraordinary journey as a child refugee from Afghanistan.

For more information or to request accommodations, contact the Inclusive Excellence Center: iecenter@uwm.edu

Sponsored by the Inclusive Excellence Center, the LGBTQ+ Resource Center, and Union Cinema

Author Visit: Craig Santos Perez Poetry Reading and Craft Talk

Thursday, April 6 | Talk and Performance

3:00PM-4:00PM (Craft Talk) | Curtin Hall, Room 175

7:00PM-8:30PM (Poetry Reading) | Curtin Hall, Room 175

Craig Santos Perez is a native Chamoru from Guåhan (Guam). He is the co-editor of six anthologies and the author of six books of poetry, including four volumes in the From Unincorporated Territory series and Habitat Threshold, as well as the monograph Navigating Chamoru Poetry: Indigeneity, Aesthetics, And Decolonization. He is a professor of English at the University of Hawai’i, Mānoa. Santos Perez will offer a craft talk regarding his poetry writing and a reading from his original poetry, which focuses on Chamoru history and culture, advocacy for the decolonization and demilitarization of the Pacific Island of Guåhan (Guam), and ecology.

For more information or to request accommodations, contact Sonia Khatchadourian: soniak@uwm.edu

Sponsored by English Department (Creative Writing Program), Boudreaux Foundation, Electa Quinney Institute, UWM Sociocultural Programming, American Indian Studies Program, and Asian Studies Certificate Program

Break the Yard

Saturday, April 8 | Greek Life Stroll Competition

6:00PM-9:00PM | Union Wisconsin Room

Break the Yard is an annual Greek Life (Fraternity and Sorority) stroll competition at UWM where Greek-Letter organizations compete for a chance to win a money prize. Organizations from many surrounding universities come out and participate.

For more information or to request accommodations, contact Miles Yamat: mjyamat@uwm.edu

Sponsored by Chi Sigma Tau National Fraternity Inc. and Zeta Sigma Chi Multicultural Sorority Inc.

Asian Student Union Cultural Entertainment Night

Saturday, April 8 | Cultural Performance

7:00PM-9:00PM | Union Ballroom

Cultural Entertainment Night is a night in which students and community members demonstrate their stories, art, and music through performances to the Milwaukee community. Performers will showcase talents either from cultures that they were born into or ones that they have grown up with. Please come to witness what cultures are found within the Asian community.

For more information or to request accommodations, contact Asian Student Union: nguye279@uwm.edu

Sponsored by Hmong Student Association

Distinguished Lecture Series Presents: George Takei

Tuesday, April 18 | Lecture

7:00PM-8:30PM | Union Wisconsin Room

Please join the Distinguished Lecture Series and Geek Week for a conversation with George Takei. George Takei is a social justice activist, social media superstar, Grammy- nominated recording artist, New York Times bestselling author, and pioneering actor. He has appeared in more than 40 feature films and hundreds of television roles, most famously as Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek. With an uncanny eloquence and signature wit, Takei will share the story of his family’s forced internment as Japanese Americans during WWII—a seemingly forgotten part of American history. This event is free for all UWM students!

For more information or to request accommodations, contact activities@uwm.edu

Sponsored by the Distinguished Lecture Series and Geek Week

BSCC and SEAASC Anime Night

Friday, April 21 | Social

3:00PM-5:00PM | Bolton Hall, Room 176 (Location subject to change)

Hang out with other anime lovers in the Black Student Cultural Center! Enjoy free snacks, anime, and socializing with peers. Don’t miss out on the fun!

For more information or to request accommodations, contact Monique Oralia Alcantar: alcanta3@uwm.edu

Sponsored by the Black Student Cultural Center and the Southeast Asian American Student Center

AAPI Heritage Month Coffee Hour

Tuesday, April 25 | Discussion

12:00PM-1:00PM | Inclusive Excellence Center (Student Union, EG39)

Come join us in celebrating AAPI Heritage Month and gain cultural knowledge. Participants will be greeted with a steaming cup of coffee or tea along with traditional treats.

For more information or to request accommodations, contact the Inclusive Excellence Center: iecenter@uwm.edu

Sponsored by the Inclusive Excellence Center

Thai, Lao, and Cambodian (TLC) New Year

Thursday, April 27 | Lecture and Cultural Performance

12:00PM-1:30PM | Union Wisconsin Room Lounge

Celebrate the TLC New Year through cultural performances and a fashion show that showcases traditional Southeast Asian clothing. Learn more about the TLC New Year from guest speaker, Akarath (Ake) Soukhaphon. Ake is a PhD candidate in Geography at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. One of his many interests includes helping to bridge the generational gap in the Lao community of Milwaukee through traditional arts and music. With the Lao Heritage Foundation, he has coordinated annual Lao arts and music summer camps in the Midwest, with the first ever camp held here at UWM in 2015.

For more information and accommodations, contact the Southeast Asian American Student Center: uwm-seaasc@uwm.edu

Sponsored by the Southeast Asian American Student Center and the Institute of World Affairs

AAPI Heritage Month Closing Celebration

Thursday, May 4 | Celebration

1100AM-2:00PM | Union Ballroom

In celebration and appreciation for AAPI Heritage Month, Campus Activities Board (CAB), Sociocultural Programming, and the AAPI Heritage Month Committee are bringing Milwaukee’s best AAPI foods and treats to the Union Ballroom. Enjoy crafts and special performances, all incorporating and showcasing Milwaukee’s AAPI community. This event is open to all UW-Milwaukee students.

For more information or to request accommodations, contact CAB: cabuwm@uwm.edu

Sponsored by Campus Activities Board, Sociocultural Programming, and AAPI Heritage Month Committee

Random Dance Play

Saturday, May 6 | Performance

3:00PM-6:00PM | Front of the Reiman Pedestrian Bridge

Attendees surround the designated makeshift dance floor while the choruses of various popular K-Pop songs play randomly. If anyone in the audience recognizes the song and knows the choreography, they can make their way to the middle of the dance floor and perform with other participants! (Song Examples: Hype Boy by NewJeans, Antifragile by LE SSERAFIM, and Love Dive by IVE)

For more information or to request accommodations, contact KOMET: herna798@uwm.edu

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeStudent Involvement

Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month