April marks NIU celebration of Asian American heritage

NIU will celebrate Asian and Asian American Heritage Month with a wide variety of activities in April, including brown-bag lectures, a career workshop series, a fashion show, an outing to an Asian neighborhood in Chicago and the popular “Taste of Asia.”

“The activities are designed to meet the needs and interests of Asian and Asian American students, faculty and staff,” said Michelle Bringas, program coordinator for NIU Asian American Resources. “We’re also looking to raise awareness about Asian culture and heritage at NIU.”

The Career Workshop Series, geared especially for freshmen and sophomores, will be held each Tuesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. For the first three workshops, participants will gather in the Sunset Room of Stevenson Towers, while the April 27 workshop will include an “etiquette dinner” and be held in the Hunt Room of Holmes Student Center. The dinner fee is $8.90 and registration is required by April 20. Call (815) 753-1421.

The Brown Bag Lecture Series will be held at noon Fridays in Room 110 of the Campus Life Building. (No lecture will be held on Good Friday, April 9). To order lunch, call (815) 753-1771 or e-mail nschunem@niu.edu at least 24 hours in advance.

Other highlights include:

• Monday, April 5: Seminar titled, “Religious & Ethnic Diversity in Southeast Asia: The Conflict in Southern Philippines,” 9 a.m. in the Heritage Room, Holmes Student Center.
• Wednesday, April 7: Lecture titled, “Distinctions between Morals, Religion and Social Conventions,” 9 a.m. in the Heritage Room, Holmes Student Center.
• Thursday, April 8: Historical Asian Fair, 7 p.m. in Room 405, Holmes Student Center.
• Friday, April 9: Asian Awareness Culture Night, 7 p.m. in the Capitol Room, Holmes Student Center. The event will feature performances and a celebration of Asian American heritage.
• Thursday, April 15: Lecture titled, “A Place at the Table: The Battle Against Intolerance and Discrimination,” 9 a.m. in the Heritage Room, Holmes Student Center.
• Friday, April 16: Burma Cultural Night, 5 to 8:30 p.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 511 Russell Road, DeKalb. To order dinner, call (815) 753-1771.
• Saturday, April 17: Asian American Association Fashion Show, titled “Encore,” 3 p.m. at the Egyptian Theatre, DeKalb.
• Saturday, April 17: Indian Students Association “ Cultural Night,” 7 p.m. in the Boutell Memorial Concert Hall, Music Building.
• Saturday, April 24: Shop at Indian grocers and experience Indian cuisine for lunch during a trip to Chicago’s Devon Avenue from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Van seating is limited; call (815) 753-1421 to reserve a spot.
• Thursday, April 29: Presentation titled, “Empowering Grassroots Women,” on the experience from a two-year NIU project in Sri Lanka. The presentation will be held from 9 a.m. to noon in the Illinois Room, Holmes Student Center. A light buffet lunch is included but reservations are required. Contact Jaya Gajanayake at (815) 753-9546 by Monday, April 26.
• Friday, April 30: “Taste of Asia,” 6 to 9 p.m. at the Newman Catholic Student Center, 512 Normal Road. The event will feature a variety of Asian delicacies and hands-on opportunities for participants to experience origami, Indian Henna painting, Chinese writing, sushi making, the making of spring rolls and other Asian skills. Special presentations will be made to winners of the Asian and Asian American Essay Contest.

For a complete, more detailed listing of events, visit the Asian and Asian American Heritage Month online calendar at www.niu.edu/aar, call the Asian American Resource Program at (815) 753-1421 or e-mail Michelle Bringas at mbringas@niu.edu. Sign language interpreters are available upon request (753-6515 V/TTY).

3-30-04