The Asian American Cultural Center
2015-2016
AACC STAFF
“Promoting cross-cultural understanding and providing educational and cultural support in our university community� David Chih, Director Kenneth Importante, Assistant Director Maria Conrad, Office Support Specialist Yun Shi, Program Director for International Education Ga Young Jin, Program Assistant Jacob Chacko, Graduate Assistant Xavier Hernandez, Graduate Assistant Emily Rohman, Hermia Soo Outreach Intern Julianne Micoleta, Communications Intern Yunyi Chen, Office Support Intern Dong Joo Kim, Communications Intern Reeti Patel, Office Support Intern Sarah Park, Asian Pacific American Alumni Leadership Intern Xiuyan Wang, International Education Intern
Contact Information Asian American Cultural Center 1210 W. Nevada St. MC-149 Urbana, IL 61801 Academic Year Hours Monday - Thursday: 9AM to 8PM Friday: 9AM to 5PM Closed on Holidays Summer & Winter Hours Monday - Thursday: 9AM to 5PM Closed on Holidays
Connect with us online /aaccillinois /aacc_illinois /aaccillinois /aacc_illinois
Fall 2015
Spring 2016
Asian American Leadership Awards 2016
Outstanding Asian and Asian American Faculty/Staff Award: Sean Cheng and Kenny Importante
Outstanding Asian and Asian American Graduate Student Award: Zhenni Wang and Xavier Hernandez
UI Asian and Asian American Alumni Network Scholarship: Matt Hom and Emily Rohman
Outstanding Asian and Asian American Undergraduate Student Award:
Marc Chua, Dipesh Mehta, and Bing Wang
Asian American Cultural Center Community Builder Award: Carrie Anderson
Outstanding Asian and Asian American Alumni Award: Sandra Yamate
Susan Yung Maul Award for Outstanding Asian and Asian American Program: Raas Mania
Susan Yung Maul Award for Outstanding Asian and Asian American Program: APAC: APATITE
Yuki Llewellyn Award for Outstanding Asian and Asian American Student Organization: Korean Student Association
Yuki Llewellyn Award for Outstanding Asian and Asian American Student Organization: Taiwanese American Students Club
Congratulations to the class of 2016!
AACC Programs and Events Food for Thought
Food For Thought, our weekly lunchtime event and part of the OIIR’s “Lunch on Us” program, gives an opportunity for students to learn about a multitude of issues relating to diverse Asian and Asian American community. We welcomed speakers representing many of our campus and community partners. Some highlights from the program this year include Love in Islam by Faizan Mumtaz co-hosted by Muslim Students Association, AAPI Role Models, Fierce Women Leaders of Our Community hosted by a group of influential women leaders, Why Asian American Studies by the Department Head of Asian American Studies, Dr. Soo Ah Kwon, our semi-annual public book reading of Forgotten Country by author Catherine Chung, and Influence and the Growth of the APA Pipeline: Reflections of a Student Activist Turned Corporate Lawyer presented by UI alumna, Sandra Yamate.
Billy Dec Visit
Earlier this year, Billy Dec, UI Alum and Chicago Entrepreneur turned actor visited the university. He was one of the keynote speakers of the Filipino Americans Coming Together Conference (FACT). Billy also made his way to the Asian American Cultural Center and met with several of our student leaders and staff. Our student leader Walbert Castillo for a Food for Thought evening presentation interviewed him. Billy talked about his experiences on campus and his success thereafter as an entrepreneur in the restaurant industry. Billy has appeared on shows like Friends, Windy City
Diwali/Lunar new year Theme Dinner
Diwali is a significant holiday celebrated in many parts of India and Nepal and in regions of the world with the Hindu diaspora. The AACC collaborated with Campus Dining Services and the Hindu Temple of Champaign to conduct a ritual puja at several dining halls before the theme meal for a blessing. The event ran smoothly with performances by several South Asian Student organizations, craft activities, and henna demonstrations. Lunar new year is the most significant and widely celebrated holiday for many Asian cultures. It marks the beginning of a new year and is associated with a myriad of cultural traditions. The AACC teamed up with Campus Dining Services to provide a theme meal in all of the residence halls with foods popular during Lunar new year. The AACC along with registered student organizations and community groups put together a special evening at several of the dining halls with various craft activities and cultural performances.
Artist Showcase & Art Exhibits The Asian American Cultural Center proudly hosted several art exhibits throughout the year including “Living History: Our Stories from 70s to Now,” “#WeAreIllinois,’ and “(En)Gendering Culture.” These exhibits presented a wide range of artistic styles and mediums that captured the incredible diversity of the Asian and Asian American experience at UI and beyond.
AACC Book Club The Asian American Cultural Center Book Club offers members of the community to engage in meaningful and thoughtful literary discussions that explore various cultural, political, social, and personal issues related to Asian and Asian American experiences. Each semester, the book club reads and discusses a book which prominently features characters within the Asian American community, with the overall objective of exposing our participants to the growing genre of Asian American literature. In the fall 2015, we invited author Mary Anne Mohanraj to share her book, Bodies in Motion. During the spring semester, the AACC invited author Catherine Chung to share her book, Forgotten Country.
GLOBE
Global Leaders Orange and Blue Engagement (GLOBE), connects experienced domestic and international students with new international students in small family teams. Students participate in various educational, cultural, and social activities that foster a cross- cultural understanding, appreciate the meaning of culture in depth, and provide enhancement of the student experience at Illinois. The goals of GLOBE are to provide opportunities for domestic and international students to network and develop leadership skills, and help all students develop global awareness and cultural competency.
iCU: Dinner Dialogue Series The Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Relations (OIIR) and International Education (IE) features iCU, the intercultural dinner dialogue series for international students to share stories and experiences from their home cultures and engage domestic students in meaningful interaction.
InterConnect Workshops Collaborating with the Counseling Center and International Student and Scholar Services, and the Asian American Cultural Center, IE also hosts bi-weekly InterConnect workshops for international students to get acclimated to U.S. culture and campus life.
10th Year Anniversary
This past fall marked a decade of being part of the University of Illinois campus as well as the Champaign-Urbana community. The AACC opened its doors in September 2005 after years of advocacy work by students, faculty, and staff at UI. The 10th Anniversary Celebration was an opportunity to recognize and honor the history of the AACC, while acknowledging those who make it what it is today. On the weekend of October 16-18, 2015, several exciting events commemorated the AACC and its legacy. Of the weekend full of events, one of them was a banquet on October 17 that marked the occasion. It celebrated not only 10 years of having an Asian American Cultural Center on campus, but it also celebrated reaching 41,000 students yearly, creating two endowed internship positions, and having 175 programs per year. Many departments and faculties sponsored UI students by purchasing a ticket for them to attend. This fundraising celebration for our students highlighted the history of activism and accomplishments through the decades. During the 10th year anniversary celebration of the AACC, we acknowledged the hard work and dedication of many leaders who helped create the resources we now enjoy that contribute to a strong Asian & Asian American community on campus. More specifically, in conjunction with University of Illinois Asian American Alumni Network, we honored 10 individuals and/or groups who have made outstanding contributions to the establishment of the Asian American Cultural Center and the overall development of the center. Overall, the weekend celebration was a huge success filled with new and familiar faces of those who have contributed to the Asian American Cultural Center in many aspects. Although this is only a 10-year mark, we look forward to celebrating another decade of promoting cross-cultural understanding of Asian and Asian American experiences in the future.
Student Organizations Malaysian Student Association The Malaysian Student Association hosts several different events throughout the year such as Eid Firtri open house, Deepavali Celebration, Chinese New Year Dinner, and many more. The biggest event that Malaysian Student Association put on this past year was their very first Malaysian Cultural Night: Bawang, which took place last fall.
Muslim Students Association The Muslim Students Association (MSA) started off this year with its annual Beginning of the Year Dinner to welcome new and returning students back to campus. With the support of these students, along with the support of the AACC, MSA hosted our Islam Awareness Week, the theme of which was “Hyphenating the Gap Between Muslim and American.” Throughout the remainder of the year, MSA hosted our annual Mom and Dad Dinner, Spring Camp 2016, Islam Awareness Week 2.0, and a Relief Trip for which we recently won ICNA’s 2016 Community Service Award.
Asian Pacific American Coalition This year, APAC revived the Asian Pacific American Transforming Illinois Through Education (APATITE) Conference, a Conference consisting of eight workshops committing to unify Asian Pacific Americans and fostering engagement in creating a better and more inclusive Illinois. APAC created the Minority Models initiative, a Facebook social media campaign showcasing the backgrounds of various Asian American student leaders and various communities within the Asian American community. Finally with I AM ASIAN WEEK festivities such as I Am Asian Spirit Week, APArade, and Cooking Competition, APAC was able to build and strengthen relationships within the APAC community and lay the foundation for the future.
Alumni Anna Hui Class of 1993
Jeremy Bautista Class of 1996
Past:
Past: Involved in Asian Pacific
Current: Assistant director of
Current:
“Though opportunities had a funny way of popping up for Ms. Hui, it is not to say that she did not deserve them. When we discussed some of the struggles and barriers she’s faced as an Asian American woman in this field, she quipped that if you were to take her name or anything pertaining to her race out of her resume, it would not even be a question.”
“Jeremy believes that his experience at UI and his involvement in the Asian American community was important to his accomplishments today because he learned to build anything from nothing. Back when he was a student, he had the chances to explore new things around without worries of failure. He practices his problem solving skills throughout his involvement and he told me, ‘don’t shy away from doing stuff that was never done.’’ -Yunyi Chen 2015-2016 Office Support Intern
Co-president of Asian American Association, coordinated the first Midwest Asian American Student Union conference, Student Coordinator of Career Services Internship program, Marching Illini Flag Corps the Illinois Department of labor; formerly, chief of staff to former US Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, special assistant to the governor Jim Edgar on Asian American affairs
-Julianne Micoleta 2015-2016 Communications Intern
American awareness and cultural organizations, led workshops and conferences, held officer positions in Asian American Association, Philippine Student Association, and started the FACT conference Works as an IT professional in Westmount; works as a system analyst in community unit school district 201
Deborah Ikeda Class of 1972 Past: Member of Asian American Alliance, involved in Vietnam War protests, advocated for Asian American oriented courses on campus
Current: President of Clovis Community College in Fresno, California, achieved
WASC accreditation for the school to become part of the California public system “As an Asian American President of the college, she has a particular sensitivity to diversity that she promotes on her campus.’’ -Reeti Patel 2015-2016 Office Support Intern
A Special Thanks We would like to thank the following groups and individuals for their support and collaboration this past year. Advisory Committee Pallassana Balgopal Jennifer Halls Carson Yu-Ju Chen David Chih Vivia Diep Lily Huang Sharmeen Khan Jung Eun Kim Shanshen Li Jerome Ng Un Yeong Park Dan Quock Jinghua Xing
Affiliated Organizations
Asian American Association Asian American Student Housing Organization alpha Kappa Delta Phi Asian Pacific American Coalition Art of Living Arab Student Association Asha for Education Bangladeshi Students Association Chinese American Association of Central Illinois China Studies Forum Chinese Students & Scholars Association Chi Sigma Tau Champaign Urbana Chinese Folk Dance Club Delta Kappa Delta Delta Phi Omega Deeper Roots in Christ Gah Rahk Mah Dang Korean Drum Team Illini Awaaz
Illinois Coalition for Asian Adopted Students Program Indian Christian Fellowship Indian Student Association Japanese Intercultural Network Korean Business Student Association Korean Student Association Korean American Student Association Kappa Phi Lambda Les Claviers Lambda Phi Epsilon Liberty In North Korea Malaysian Student Association Meditation Student Organization Muslim Student Association Overseas China Education Foundation Pakastani Student Association Philippine Student Association Rainbow International Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers Saudi Club Sigma Beta Rho Sikh Student Association Singapore Student
Campus Units
UI Alumni Association UI Asian American Alumni Network Asian American Studies Asian Educational Media Services Campus Recreation The Career Center Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies College of Business College of Education College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Counseling Center East Asian Languages and Cultures Disability Resources and Educational Services Global Studies History Illinois Leadership Center Illinois Public Media Illini Union Illinois International International Students and Scholar Services Japan House Krannert Art Museum Krannert Center for Performing Arts
We would like to thank our donors for their generosity and support to the AACC. Whatever size or type of support you have given, you have helped make 2016-2017 a success. With your donations you have:
Supported the continuation of our mission of helping students become leaders and professionals. Created a better understanding and cultural experiences that prepare students to be citizens of an ever changing, global community. Continued the legacy and of civic engagement with diverse communities. Helped Asian & Asian American students maintain a strong presence on campus with a long history of student involvement. We would also like to thank our volunteers for their generous gift of their time and skills. Without you, programs such as Lunar new year, Asian American and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month, and Service Days would not be possible. If you would like to discuss the possibility of making a gift to the Asian American Cultural Center, please contact us at aacc@illinois.edu. You can also make a gift online by visiting our website.
Donors
Mr. Jonathan Chu Mr. David Lum & Ms. Angela Lum Mr. Ronald Tam & Ms. Ghaea Tam Dr. Rebecca Li Mr. Jeffery Lei Ms. Theresa Phan Mr. Gordon Liao & Ms. Guia C. Villaluna Ms. Vida Gorsrisirikul & Dr. John W. Wu Ms. Jennie Chen Dr. Ho Chie Tsai Mr. Dennis J. Mondero & Ms. Melissa Daza Mondero Mr. Michael P. Chu & Ms. Stephanie Chu Ms. Sherry X. Tang Mr. Ryan Shi Mrs. Patricia Y. Lin Ms. Sarah Hsu Ms. Paula S. Kim & Mr. Wesley H. Chu Mr. Paul Poy Ms. Karen Wang Mr. Jeffrey P. Sichaleune & Ms. Jane Tran Ms. Tiffany N. Chan Mr. Harrison Hsueh Ms. Kimberly M. Mok Ms. Rebecca Yee Ms. Michelle Chhong Ms. Elana Schuster Mr. Jake Chen Dr. Chao-Hsin Lin Mrs. Deborah J. Ikeda Ms. Karin H. Wang Mr. Jeffrey Lei