Asian & Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM)

Everyone is invited to celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AANHPI HM) at El Camino College!

Celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage

flyer with information about AANHPI Events

Join us for this month's AANHPI Heritage Month events!View Flyer

May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AANHPI HM) and a time to reflect and celebrate the important role that Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) have played in our shared history. We invite students, staff, faculty, and community members to participate in the month-long AANHPI HM 2024 celebration.

Purpose

AANHPI HM is a nationally recognized observance in the United States that celebrates the contributions and achievements of Asian Americans and Pasifika Americans.

AANHPI HM is observed during May each year, highlighting the diverse cultures, traditions and histories of Asian Americans and Pasifika Americans, who are descendants from the continent of Asia and the Pacific Islands.

Calendar of Events

Through the events and cultural highlights of AANHPI HM 2024, we'll raise awareness, celebrate diversity, honor history and foster inclusion across campus.

Learn More:

Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage: A Visual Experience

Asian American Experience

MANA Experience

Calendar of Events
Weds, May 1	MANA Counseling Clinic MANA Counselors are available to assist students with identifying and understanding the pathway necessary to take in order to reach their academic goals. Learn more about the MANA Program here.	12:00 - 2:00 pm	Social Justice Center (Comm 204)
Tues, May 7	Delano Strike Film: Filipino Labor History Join us for an educational film screening highlighting the 1965 Filipino farm worker fight for fair wages.	9:45 - 11:10 am	Social Justice Center (Comm 204)
Tues, May 7	MANA Program Finals Destressor Join us for a time of community and stress relief! Learn more about the MANA Program here.	4:00 - 6:00 pm	Social Justice Center (Comm 204)
Thurs, May 9	AANHPI Read In Join us for a very special Read In featuring Pasifika and/or Asian narratives, books and authors. This event will be Hybrid (both in person and virtual). Zoom link: https://elcamino-edu.zoom.us/j/86344488423	2:00 - 3:00 pm	Social Justice Center (Comm 204)
Tues, May 14	Asano Taiko Ethnomusicology Performance Asano Taiko will be bringing their powerful beats and rhythms of taiko for a dynamic and captivating performance in celebration of AANHPI Month, and part of the BSS Ethnic Studies Conference.	11:30am - 12:55 pm	Haag Recital Hall (lower level of the Music Building)
Tues, May 14	Filipino Dance with Michelle Vargas-Lao Filipina-Canadian artist, vocalist, dancer and a producer from Montreal, Canada. She is founder and president of the Filipino-Canadian Artist Association Québec in Montreal, QC.	1:15 - 2:15 pm	Student Services Plaza
Thurs, May 16	Mariko Motoyama: An Oral History of Internment Presentation In honor of AANHPI Heritage Month, the ECC Art Gallery will be featuring the story of artist Mariko Motoyama. She will share her experience about the American-style internment camp that she endured during WWII.	1:00 - 4:00 pm	ECC Art Gallery
Mon, May 20	Origami and Shadow Puppet Making Join us for a cultural art activity hosted by the Child Development Club.	12:00 - 2:00 pm	Social Justice Center (Comm 204)
Weds, May 22	AANHPI Panel Discussion: Culturally Responsive Pedagogy & Library Services Join panelists: Justin Torres, Camila Jenkin, Laura Ishizaka, Analu Josephides as they discuss the usage of signs, images, posters, and other media in their pedagogy. Moderated by Ethnic Studies Professor Takahito Tanaka. This event will be Hybrid (both in person and virtual). Zoom link: https://elcamino-edu.zoom.us/j/86956359660	12:00 - 1:00 pm	Social Justice Center (Comm 204)
Weds, May 29	Film Screening and Discussion with Academy Award Winning Filmmaker, Tim Toyama Tim will show and talk about his two short documentaries "Visas and Virtues" and "Day of Independence." "Visas and Virtues" is about Chinue Sugihara, the "Japanese Schindler," who was a diplomat in Lithuania and wrote exit visas for hundreds of Jewish people so they could escape the death camps. "Day of Independence" talks about the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans through the lens of a camp baseball team.	2:30 - 4:00 pm	Social Justice Center (Comm 204)
Thurs, May 30	Field Trip to the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo Join us for a Guided Tour of the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) and Little Tokyo. The mission of the JANM is to promote understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience. Please fill out our INTEREST FORM. The first 10 students to submit this form will receive FREE: Transportation from ECC Admission to JANM and tour Lunch from Oomasa Restaurant All interested ECC Faculty/ Staff and additional students are welcome to meet us there (at your own expense). Please fill out the form to let us know you will be joining us. Wear your El Camino blue to represent ECC and Oceania that connects us all.	8:00 am - 3:00 pm	Japanese American National Museum 100 North Central Avenue Los Angeles, California 90012

Zoom Backgrounds

Celebrate with these Zoom virtual backgrounds (click to open, right-click the image and save to your computer).

Important to Note

It's important to note that while Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are celebrated during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, there are many diverse and unique cultural experiences to acknowledge. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders come from a wide range of countries and cultures, and their experiences in the United States are multifaceted and should not be considered monolithic.

History

The observance of Asian & Pacific American Heritage Month originated in 1978 when President Jimmy Carter signed a joint resolution of Congress designating the first week of May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Week. In 1990, President George H. W. Bush signed a bill that expanded the observance to May. The month-long celebration provides an opportunity to recognize and honor the contributions of Asian Americans and Pasifika Americans in all areas of American society, including arts, literature, science, politics, and business. It also serves as a time to promote greater understanding and awareness of the diverse experiences and cultures of Asian Americans and Pasifika Americans.

Accommodations

If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation, or have questions about the physical access provided, email mxdelgado@elcamino.edu as soon as possible, but no later than seven days prior to the event.