Events to celebrate Asian-Pacific heritage, raise funds for Japan
Although May is officially Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, the celebration is starting early at William & Mary with a variety of events being offered in April.
The students in Associate Professor Francis Tanglao-Aguas’s Theatre 340 “Asian Pacific American History in Theatre & Film” class have created a series of events in honor of the heritage month. The series is sponsored by the Center for Student Diversity, Asian Studies Initiative, International Performing Arts Exchange, the Department of Theatre and the dean of Arts & Sciences’ lecture fund. The events include:
On April 5, Kirpal Singh, director of the Center for Diversity at Singapore Management University, will give a reading from “Thinking Hats and Coloured Turbans: Creativity Across Cultures” from 2 to 3:20 p.m. in Phi Beta Kappa Hall, room 222. The event is free; however, donations will be accepted to support the William & Mary Japan Recovery Initiative.
From April 15 to May 15, “Swallow the Tempest,” an exhibit honoring Asian-Pacific Americans created by the students in Theatre 340, will be on display at Swem Library.
On April 21, performance artist Kristina Wong will present a master class about Asian Americans and the performing arts from 2 to 3:20 p.m. in Phi Beta Kappa Hall, room 222. The next day, she will present “Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: Mental Health in Asian America" at 7 p.m. in Phi Beta Kappa Hall’s Lab Theatre. The event is free; however, donations will be accepted to support the William & Mary Japan Recovery Initiative.
On April 26, at 7 p.m. in the Sadler Center’s Commonwealth Auditorium, India’s most renowned classical musician T.M. Krishna will play a concert to raise funds for the William & Mary Japan Recovery Initiative. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 general admission.
On April 28, at 7 p.m. in Andrews 101, “Cultural Breakdown” – an Asian-American slam and solo performance recital -- will be presented by Abhay Ahluwalia. The event is free; however, donations will be accepted to support the William & Mary Japan Recovery Initiative.
And finally, also on April 28, the students of Theatre 340 will perform “TEA,” a full length play by Velina Hasu Houston at 7 p.m. in Andrews 101. Attendees are asked to donate $5 at the performance to benefit the William & Mary Japan Recovery Initiative.
Other events being held in honor of Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month include:
On Saturday, April 9, the Asian Student Council will host its annual Taste of Asia culture show in the Sadler Center’s Commonwealth Auditorium. The show, which starts at 5:30 p.m. with doors opening at 5 p.m., includes skits and food from the College’s six Asian cultural organizations: the Japanese Culture Association, Chinese Student Association, Vietnamese Student Association, Korean-American Student Association, South Asian Student Association, and the Filipino-American Student Association. Tickets are $5 pre-sale or $7 at the door. They will be sold from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 4-9 in the Sadler Center.
Also on April 22, the Asian Student Council is hosting a formal dance and party night, with the proceeds benefiting Heal Japan (Ganbaru Nihon). The event, which is open to the public, is scheduled to take place from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. in Tazewell Hall. Tickets will be $5 beforehand or $7 at the door. The tickets will be sold at the tables in the Sadler Center starting April 11.
Additionally, throughout this month until April 25, in Swem Library’s “read and relax” area, an exhibit dedicated to the 20th anniversary of William & Mary’s Filipino-American Student Association is on display. The exhibit includes yearbooks, programs and other documents regarding the association.
For more information on these and other upcoming events at William and Mary, visit http://events.wm.edu/.
