This May, Dana Hall Upper School’s Asian Affinity Group and International Students’ Association came together to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month with events and activities. The month-long celebration aimed to raise awareness and appreciation for the rich diversity and contributions of the AAPI community.
The founder and co-head of the Asian Affinity Group, Sissi Wang, ‘24 said, “We wanted to emphasize a sense of community and focus on uplifting each other between the busyness of school and all the other things going on.” She also mentioned that “it was challenging to organize all the things we wanted to do, mostly because May is such a busy month for a lot of people.”
Kicking off the festivities, on May 11th, the Asian Affinity Group and International Students’ Association co-hosted an affinity dinner to bring together Asian students from various backgrounds. The Dining Hall staff prepared a variety of Asian food, including dumplings, kimchi, and Chinese cucumber salad, and Asian music was played. They also enjoyed Asian snacks such as ice cream with matcha and red bean and boba milk tea mochi.
In addition to the community dinner, the AAPI Heritage Month celebrations included a range of activities. Weekend trips to local Asian restaurants allowed students to explore diverse and flavorful Asian cuisine. Asian films and songs were played in Common ground. The school Library played a significant role in highlighting literary contributions of Asian authors by displaying their books.
On May 26th, a group of 11 Middle School students prepared informational table tents to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month during lunch. They were about basic and fun facts about different Asian countries, such as South Korea, India, and Taiwan.
The club advisor and Upper School math teacher Mr. Ryan Chiu also emphasized the importance of “recognizing AAPI heritage throughout the year rather than just one month.” He stated that Asian Affinity is planning to “invite guest speakers and involve more Middle School students and parents” for next year’s celebration.
Image source: Boston Public Library.
