ECAASU 2015 & Visions for Our Communities: Where Are We Now?
By Sadia Arshad, APIASF/GMS Scholar
A few weeks ago, I had the chance to attend, participate, and speak at the East Coast Asian American Student Union (ECAASU) Conference in Boston, MA. This was my second time presenting at this meeting (read about my experience last year), and was once again a weekend to remember.
ECAASU is the largest conference for young Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) in America and attracts other young people of color as well. It was a chance to host my workshop with one of my friends (Hima!) on South Asian/Desi/Brown/Asian American racial identity and the inclusion of South Asians in mainstream Asian American events and history.
Hima and I met each other at ECAASU last year. During the conference, which generally has over 1,000 attendees, we noticed that there were plenty of East Asians, but few South Asians or Southeast Asians and almost no Pacific Islanders among the attendees or speakers. Hima agreed that this event did not reflect the diversity of the Asian American community, and so began our friendship and on-going conversations about race, class, gender, sexuality, and everything in between. We spent hours discussing the lack of racial, ethnic, religious, socioeconomic, etc. diversity at this event and several other Asian American events. We both agreed that this wasn’t the first time this happened to either of us; in fact, we discussed how it is extremely common to attend “Asian American” events and realize that we—as South Asians—were not welcome. I also realized that I felt even more unwelcomed for growing up low-income, being Muslim, and discussing reproductive and sexual health publicly. And those who did not “fit into” a typical Asian American stereotype—those who grew up with a single parent, those who were raised in inner cities, those who are undocumented, those who are have a disability, etc.—were not welcome.
Hima and I vented and continued our conversation, but we wanted to do more than talk.
I decided to make some noise at Asian American events I went to by asking about who is really welcome at these events. As my friendship with Hima grew stronger, we increased our knowledge of each other’s cultural and ethnic identities; I learned more about South Indian culture, and she learned more about West Indian and Guyanese culture. From these discussions, as well as greater discussions on Asian American identity, we decided to do something that would cause a stir—in a good way—to raise awareness of South Asian diasporic history, and what it means to be South Asian to other South Asians and in the greater Asian American community.
When ECAASU 2015 requested applications for workshops, we immediately wanted to do something on South Asian identity, something that had never been done before. In an hour-long Saturday workshop, we wanted to fit in everything from history to identity to the present. After many video chats, edits, and conversations, we decided to submit a proposal for “Where the Desis At?” a workshop integrating the ways that people who trace their heritage to South Asia identify, how they see themselves in mainstream Asian American spaces, and a brief history of South Asian American history. Once we hit submit, we didn’t look at the workshop proposal much until we got the OK.
Hima and I honestly didn’t anticipate that many people would attend this workshop, so we expected something small and intimate. If even 20 people came, it would be amazing for us and go way beyond our expectations. On the day of the workshop, we prepped a bit and enjoyed the lunch caucus, and we didn’t realize that people were lined up outside the door before the workshop session started, waiting to get seated. 20 people quickly became 40 and then all the seats were filled and people were starting to sit on the floor. Most participants were South Asian with unknown expectations that we wanted to meet. “It was a good thing we prepped well,” I thought.
Our workshop consisted of a Venn diagram of perceptions of race, ethnicity, and nationality; discussions of experiences in Asian American spaces; and ended with a group timeline of major South Asian American events. When the workshop ended, several participants asked us to share the timeline activity, something Hima and I didn’t expect at all. Apparently, this was the first time many people had heard about major events in the South Asian American community and they were really interested. We emailed out the timeline to those interested and hope the conversation keeps on going!
After the workshop ended, Hima and I were very excited and were so glad to have learned so much from the participants’ stories and encounters, and to have made some new friendships. In answer to today’s prompt about becoming a part of a new community, it’s similar to being part of your own community: learning the ropes and doing what you can to help it grow. While one workshop is not going to change the scope of mainstream Asian American spaces or South Asian identity, I’m always willing to take the first step and extend an offer for other people to walk with me.
Hi everyone! Hope everyone enjoyed ringing in the New Year and catching up on missed sleep and family time from the semester! About a month and a half ago, on November 15, approximately 30 high school students who participated in community programs at the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC) came to Boston University for information about the Gates Millennium Scholarship and APIASF Scholarships and for a campus tour. It was the first time I did an official campus tour and a scholarship presentation in one. The event was organized by another APIASF/GMS Scholar at Boston University along with a few other GMS Scholars presenting and organizing.
For this particular outreach experience, students had an opportunity to discuss the scholarship process for both scholarships, ask current college students about college life, and participate in a campus tour. Overall, it was a great turnout of student engagement and from the faculty representatives from the BCNC.
I became motivated to do outreach in general because most of my peers did not know about many scholarship resources in high school and throughout college. Most of my AAPI friends never even heard of APIASF or the Gates Millennium Scholarship Program unless I explained either to them. Some of them wished that they had the chance to apply for scholarships when they were eligible. While APIASF has made great strides in increasing its awareness to several students and organizations, many people, especially young people who are eligible for either or both scholarships, just do not know of their existence. I remember learning about both scholarships from a Gates Scholar in my high school. But, if I had never known a Gates Scholar, I probably would not have applied or known about either APIASF or APIASF/GMS.
From my own experiences, I decided to help out in any way I can when it comes to outreach and service to my community. Even if it is not a significant difference, if at least one more person knows about opportunities to fund their education, that is the beginning of more community outreach on a local level.
Wow, it's been two weeks since the Summit, but it feels just like yesterday! Pre-Summit, I was nervous, yet anticipatory of all the amazing people I would meet and things I would learn. As a recent college graduate, I expected to be among some of the older scholars attending and wanted to know pressing issues currently affecting rising first and second year Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) college students. Among discussions with Scholars and attendees at the Summit, I quickly realized that there was more to the typical AANHPI college experience than commonly depicted in mainstream media and even within our own respective communities. I learned about the growing education attainability among AANHPI students and that it's more than just getting to college, but completing a degree and finding a job in that studied field. I also learned how to navigate college administrations and advising offices that do not have resources to address specific AANHPI cultural needs (or the needs of students of color in general).
Most importantly, I saw the power of community collaboration with colleges and universities to provide resources and spaces for AANHPI students and working with other communities of color to foster a safer, accountable space for all students of color. Now that I am matriculating into graduate school in the fall, my campus action plan is a bit different from the other scholars! I plan on engaging undergraduate students on my campus and in neighboring Boston colleges about the "Changing Face of America" campaign, APIASF, and the other partnering organizations with the Gates Millennium Scholarship Fund: UNCF, HSF, and AIGCS. I will start with student organizations and speaking to them directly about the "Changing Face of America" campaign and APIASF and branch out into neighboring Boston colleges and AANHPI spaces in the Boston area. My goals are to raise awareness of APIASF in predominantly AANHPI spaces and underrepresented AANHPI spaces in addition the Changing Face of America campaign. I will start with students and then discuss these programs with professors and administrators on my campus and then move into more community-based awareness. I look forward to sharing my progress on this blog!
“Serving AAPIs and Latino students can no longer be a footnote.” -Deborah Santiago, Chief Operating Officer and Vice President for Policy at Excelencia in Education
Deborah Santiago was a speaker on the Town Hall panel during the 2014 APIASF Higher Education Summit and raised an important point among collaborating with other communities of color. With the AAPI and Latino populations growing at their fastest rates, and with a higher number of AAPI and Latino students in college, more collaboration is needed to further attain sustainable resources for these incoming and existing students. Especially in the context of higher education, and the education disparities within both AAPI and Latino communities, more research and program implementation can improve education outcomes. By working with other communities of color, we can all benefit in aiding our respective communities and building better resources for our future.
I've written and commented several times about my experiences as a GMS/APIASF Scholar and the benefits of receiving such a prestigious award. My story merges among the common theme similar to other scholarship recipients--the hope to pursue a degree with a lessened financial burden. But, I knew that receiving this scholarship wasn't just another way to help with my finances. I knew that I was now among a group of young people--local leaders, mini bread winners, top graduating classmates--that had the potential to change their communities.
Opening the congratulations letter was a joyous moment for my family, but also a subtle reminder to myself to give back to a community that raised me. Although I am in the middle of my third year at Boston University, I cannot forget about students who were not presented with the same opportunities and students who are unaware of their choices. Because GMS/APIASF has opened more doors for me than any other award in my life, I have organized GMS/APIASF presentations in high schools in the Boston area and provided other scholarship references for them.
Though my presentations do not reach all of Boston's low-income youth of color, I hope to raise awareness among students who are interested in attending college and becoming part of a network that can provide them with more than just a financial incentive. Hopefully, my presentations can have a long-lasting impact on these teens who have the drive to succeed and foster a culture of educational empowerment within these respective communities.
Though I'm still a full-time student, I've had two summer internships and have a few part-time ones in the upcoming academic year. From my former internships, these are some tips my former supervisors have mentioned!
Show up on time and prepared. As much as an 8am start to the work day doesn't have the same appeal as a lecture at noon, bosses note interns and new employees who consistently come to work on time and prepared. It shows a high level of maturity and understanding of the workforce.
Dress like the workplace. One of my workplaces didn't care if I wore a hoodie while the other one specifically mentioned that I should only wear business pants and dress shirts. Look around at what others are wearing and take note. It's rarely a good idea to be the only person in a business suit or the only person in a t-shirt and jeans.
Get to know your other co-workers. Know their names, their titles, their job skills, and their personalities! If you don't know how to do a task, ask a co-worker to see if they can help with troubleshooting instead of going to a supervisor right away.
My Advice for New, Transfer, and Continuing Students
By Sadia Arshad, APIASF/GMS Scholar
Here's my advice for new, transfer, and continuing students who want to explore more of themselves on campus!
Attend the beginning of the year event open house. Most colleges will provide first-year and continuing students the chance to view all activities in student life and nearby organizations in an event open house at the beginning of each semester (with the biggest ones in the fall semester). This is one of the greatest ways to get to see campus spirit, see the diversity of options, and interact with students to get a sense of what each community is like on campus.
Attend informational events for organizations outside of your comfort zone. If you've always had a passion about something, but didn't get the chance to learn more about it in high school, now's the time to do so! Look at organizations that you weren't a part of in high school and reach out to local organizations and community members.
Don't overload yourself. It's easy to assume that less time in class means less schoolwork, but holding active memberships, let alone leadership positions, in organizations isn't the same as in high school. Limit yourself in your first semester especially, and then take it from there to avoid overwhelming yourself and learning to balance a college lifestyle.
Asian American Student Body Diversity in the UC System
By Sadia Arshad, APIASF/GMS Scholar
In the spirit of this month's theme, I came across this article in Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, one of the nation's largest magazines on diversity in terms of race, gender, and sexual orientation of the student body and faculty in higher education.
The article reports that the largest public university system in the country, California's UC system, will expand the amount of AAPI identities from 8 to 23, a striking move to further demonstrate the diversity within the AAPI community and to also facilitate appropriate measures to increase enrollment of particular AAPI groups. One of the motivators for this move was to respond to the calls of AAPI higher education activists to represent the diversity of more major AAPI groups, especially considering that California has more AAPI students and AANAPISIs than any other state.
I feel like this would be a remarkable stepping stone in reducing the model minority myth in higher education and help to better serve more groups in the AAPI community. Personally, I feel as if the "Asian" check box is so vague; from China to Indonesia to Samoa, could only one box embody the entirety of AAPI diversity? Given my Pakistani and West Indian background, only the "Asian Indian" box is sometimes available, but it lumps all South Asians into the Asian Indian category without recognizing those of the diaspora or other South Asians who do not regularly identify as Indian.
I hope other universities start to take note of the UC system's most recent move and follow their move. It's one that AAPI advocates in higher education have supported for many years, in addition to diversity within other racial groups.
