Understanding the Asian American and Pacific Islander experience
Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI) and I hosted a three-part series of panel discussions on Understanding the Asian American and Pacific Islander Experience, that featured a diverse group of AAPI leaders and community members from across the country.
The panel discussions aimed to provide a foundation for understanding our diverse AAPI community, discussing its culture and history, origins of prejudice and violence, and notions of identity within the AAPI community.
All panel discussions were virtual, free and open to the public on Thursdays in May 2021.
Understanding the Asian American and Pacific Islander Experience Panel 1: Our Diverse AAPI Community
Who’s who in our AAPI community? What are their histories, stories and experiences? What are their similarities and differences?
Pawan Dhingra, Professor of American Studies, Amherst College and author of Managing Multicultural Lives: Asian Americans and the Challenge of Multiple Identities and co-author of Asian America.
Michele Lew, CEO, The Health Trust
Natalie Masuoka, Associate Professor of Political Science, and Chair and Associate Professor of Asian American Studies, UCLA and author of Multiracial Identity and Racial Politics in the United States and co-author of The Politics of Belonging: Race, Public Opinion and Immigration.
Thursday, May 20: Prejudice and Violence
Understanding the Asian American and Pacific Islander Experience Panel 2: Prejudice and Violence
Where does the prejudice come from? What causes the violence? And what can we do about it?
Honorable Rob Bonta, Attorney General, State of California
Honorable Johnny Gogo, Judge, Santa Clara County Superior Court
Helen Hsu, Psy.D., Lead Outreach Specialist, Staff Psychologist, Asian American specialist, and lecturer at Stanford University
Thursday, May 27: Notions of Identity
Understanding the Asian American and Pacific Islander Experience Panel 3: Notions of Identity
How does the AAPI community see and describe itself? How is it seen and described by others?
Thuy Thi Nguyen, President, Foothill College
Phillip Yun, CEO, World Affairs Council
Pawan Dhingra, Professor of American Studies, Amherst College and author of Managing Multicultural Lives: Asian Americans and the Challenge of Multiple Identities and co-author of Asian America.
Community support
Understanding the Asian American and Pacific Islander Experience has received community support from:
African American Community Service Agency
Asian Law Alliance
Asian Pacific American Leadership Institute
Center for Excellence in Nonprofits
Council for American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
Hindu American Foundation
International Children’s Assistance Network (ICAN)
Islamic Networks Group
Jewish Community Relations Council
Korean American Community Services
LEAD Filipino
League of Women Voters Cupertino-Sunnyvale and Los Altos-Mountain View Area
