Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

This May, join us in celebrating the achievements and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States.

Online events

Food, Culture, and Identity: Bringing Asian Cuisine to the American Table

May 19, 2021 | 3 to 4 PM ET | Register
Traditional foods connect us with our cultural heritage and personal identity. For many Asian and Pacific Americans, food also strengthens community ties and offers a taste of love, warmth, and memories of home. Join Megan Elias, associate professor of the practice and director of the Gastronomy Program at BU’s Metropolitan College, for this webinar on Asian and Asian Pacific food and culture in America. Professor Elias will review the diverse histories of Asian American food cultures, explore the traditionally Asian ingredients that are now part of the United States diet, and trace the history of Asian American cookbooks.

Claiming Our Voice: Reshaping the Narrative of AAPIs

May 19, 2021 | 3 to 4 PM ET | Register
The deadly shooting of six women of Asian descent in Atlanta, Georgia on March 16, 2021, sparked a nationwide conversation about the growing violence towards people of Asian descent. But discrimination and violence toward Asian people in America started long before March 16. We have to take a deeper look at what it means to be “Asian American” as well as where the term originated from, who established it, and the history that comes with it. Four panelists will discuss what actions we can take as communicators and consumers of media to elevate our understanding and reshape the narratives of Asian Americans.

Webinars on demand

The Special Challenges of COVID-19 for Asian Americans

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Asian Americans experience stress from conflicting identities and, for many children of immigrant parents, the weight of growing up in a high-ambition, but the under-resourced environment has contributed to the decline in mental health outcomes within this group. The challenges for this group only increased with the spread of COVID-19. In this webinar, we will look at the mental health and well-being of Asian Americans, particularly during the pandemic.

Memory, Hope, and Transnational: “Pachinko” Book Discussion

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Celebrate APAHM by honoring stories of Asian immigrant women who showed strength and resiliency against colonialism, occupation, and displacement. While this has been the narrative of millions of Asian immigrant families, seldom have stories told in the mainstream centered on the voices and sacrifices of the women who held it all together. Join us for this special discussion of Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, led by two BU faculty.

#StopAsianHate resources

Video: What’s Behind the Increase in Anti-Asian Racism?
Hate crimes against Asians and Asian Americans have surged across the United States by nearly 150 percent during the past year. In this video, three BU Community Asian Americans offer their perspectives on the surge in hate attacks and what needs to be done.

POV: BU Student on Anti-Asian Discrimination: “It’s Just Dehumanizing”
Yiran Yu (Pardee’23) writes an opinion piece urging lawmakers to implement preventive measures against hate crimes. Yu believes advocating for the Asian American community needs to go beyond words: “redemption is appreciated, empathy is valued, but prevention is what we need.”

Article: Asian Americans and the Model Minority Dilemma
In light of recent attacks, Hyeouk Chris Hahm, a School of Social Work professor and chair of social research, speaks on the group’s experiences of racism, alienation, and anxiety. “A lot of Asian Americans worry that they would not meet the high standards as ‘model minority,’” she says. “The common stereotype that says Asian students are great in math and science and bad in sports hurts a lot of young people. Asian students feel that they are not automatically smart; they have to work extremely hard to reach it. That creates unreasonable expectations and can cause a lot of stress.”

Article: How to Help Fight Anti-Asian Racism and Xenophobia
From awareness to action, here are resources for allyship and for advancing racial equity discussions on campus amid the rise of anti-Asian violence. Using #StopAAPIHate on social media, more and more activists and influencers have joined a national coalition addressing anti-Asian hate amid the COVID-19 pandemic.