by Colorful displays filled Talley Student Union on March 20 for Multicultural Student Affairs’ Asian Pacific Islander South Asian American Heritage Month kickoff, celebrating a month dedicated to APISAA students’ culture and heritage.
Jillian Maroun, a fourth-year studying business administration, tabled for the kickoff at the Multicultural Student Affairs table.
“Our goal is to basically support and provide a space for underrepresented students here on campus,” Maroun said. “These heritage ones provide students who fall into certain identities to be able to express them outwardly for other people to share and connect and relate to each other.”
Many clubs were present at the APISAA kickoff that had a plethora of future events planned for students. Satya Munugoti, a fourth-year studying sociology and psychology, is involved with CRANE Collective, standing for “Critical Asian Narratives and Engagement.” The organization plans to host an art showcase in Talley Student Union on March 29 from 6-9 p.m.
“We have almost 50 student artists who come and help showcase their work free of cost and show off their unique art style,” Munugoti said. “People can purchase stickers, prints or whatever they choose to sell.”
Munugoti said hosting the showcase is important because it gives a platform to artists of Asian American backgrounds during APISAA month.
“[The event] gives a platform for student artists, specifically for Asian American backgrounds,” Munugoti said. “A lot of times, there are students who have really good artistic talent, they may want to sell their artwork or prints, but they don’t have a place to do that. And so we really want to dedicate a place for them to do that during Asian Heritage Month.”
Munugoti said that events such as the CRANE showcase and APISAA kickoff are important to students like herself because they help NC State students find community.
“It’s important to recognize for a lot of students like myself, Asian students or even other students from marginalized backgrounds of this campus, spaces like this are really important,” Munugoti said. “Like any other student, you register for classes, you go to basketball games and all that, but this is equally important for a lot of people and a really essential part of their identity to have this community of people.”
Vy Hoang, a second-year studying computer science and the dance chair of the Vietnamese Student Association, said the kickoff event is a good way for students to learn about other cultures.
“When it comes to Asian organizations, not a lot of people know about these Asian orgs in particular,” Hoang said. “We’re not just for the Asian people, we’re here for everybody to learn more about all of the culture.”
Maroun said there are many future events that Multicultural Student Affairs plans to host for APISAA month, including a boba-making class and a R ‘n’ R feast.
“On March 28, we are throwing a teaching kitchen in the Carmichael teaching kitchen, so students have the opportunity to sit in a class and make boba, which is pretty exciting,” Maroun said. “And then the R ‘n’ R feast, which is basically catered food and a time for people to relax and close off the heritage month.”
Maroun recommends staying in the loop on all things APISAA month through social media.
“Definitely stop by the Multicultural Student Affairs Center, but my advice is always social media,” Maroun said. “Just look up clubs on Get Involved that would interest you, and I would reach out to them, but definitely go to events like this.”
