WPI Celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2023 

AAPI Heritage Month Banner

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month 2023 by honoring and highlighting the diverse culture, heritage, achievements, and contributions of the AAPI community throughout history.

This year, the Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC) has selected “Advancing Leaders Through Opportunity” as the theme for AAPI Heritage Month 2023. We encourage our community to study, observe, and celebrate the AAPI today and every day in support and recognition of the history and culture of this community. 

STEM Scholar Highlights:   

• Ching Wan Tang (Physical Chemist) 

• Ajay Bhatt (Computer Scientist) 

• Nainoa Thompson (Navigator) 

Read, Watch, Listen and Learn  

• Explore Gordon Library’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month collection online

• Explore the Federal Asian Pacific American Council resources online 

• Explore Material in the National Archives online

• Explore the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center online 

• Read Opening the Gates to Asia via Gordon C. Library 

• Read The Ocean in the School via Gordon C. Library  

• Read the Journal of Asian American Studies via Gordon C. Library 

• Watch PBS Presents: Asian Americans online via Gordon C. Library 

• Watch Rise of the Wahine: Champions of Title IX online via Gordon C. Library 

• Watch Roots in the Sand online via Gordon C. Library 

• Listen to the Dear Asian Americans podcast 

• Listen to the Ka Leo o ka Uluau podcast 

• Listen to the Asian Boss Girl podcast 

• Listen to the Self Evident: Asian America’s Stories podcast 

Take Action 

• Join WPI’s Chinese Student and Scholar Association

• Join WPI’s Filipino Student Association

• Join WPI’s Hawaii Cultural Association 

• Join WPI’s Japanese Club

• Join WPI’s Korean Student Association

• Join WPI’s Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers Chapter 

• Join WPI’s South Asian Student Association

• Join WPI’s Vietnamese Student Association

• Support Stop AAPI Hate 

• Support the Asian American Women’s Political Initiative 

• Support the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Asian American and Pacific Islanders Commission 

• Support the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers 

• Support the Society of Native Hawaiian Engineers 

• Support the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum 

• Prioritize and Practice Self-Care 

• Register to Vote -OR- Check Your Voter Registration 

• Everything you need to vote. Vote.org 

• Become a Poll Worker 

“Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI Heritage Month) is an annual celebration that recognizes the historical and cultural contributions of individuals and groups of Asian and Pacific Islander descent to the United States. The AAPI umbrella term includes cultures from the entire Asian continent—including East, Southeast and South Asia—and the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. As of 2019, there were about 22.9 million people of Asian or Pacific Islander descent in the United States. According to the Pew Research Center, AAPI people are a diverse and growing population that make up about 7 percent of the total U.S. population. AAPI Heritage Month 2023 will take place from Monday, May 1 to Wednesday, May 31. Today, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest growing racial group in the United States. AAPI Heritage Month celebrates the unique journey of all AAPI immigrants and citizens in the United States and their unique life experiences, traditions and cultures.” 

Learn more: https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/asian-american-pacific-islander-heritage-month 

The Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education (ODIME) promotes and oversees all student facing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) learning experiences, programs, services, trainings, and initiatives for WPI.