Dear Campus Community:
We are excited to share that during April, we’ll be hosting events to celebrate both Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Arab American Heritage Month.
The theme for both heritage months this year is centered around belonging. By creating spaces and places of belonging through sharing our stories and truths, our campus aims to recognize Asian, Pacific Islander, and Arab American communities and experiences.
This is the first time that our campus will be officially celebrating Arab American Heritage Month. This is long overdue for San José State, and we are looking forward to all of us coming together to acknowledge and uplift Arab American culture and heritage on our campus as a part of our larger Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) community.
We also wanted to acknowledge those who celebrate Solar New Year in mid-April. We know this day marks a special time for many of our South and Southeast Asian communities and we wish you all a prosperous new year to come.
The kickoff event for both API and Arab American heritage months – “A History of Spartan Activism and Advocacy” – is today (Monday, April 8) from 2–4 p.m. in the Student Union Ballrooms.
Some of the other heritage events this month include the Spartan Speaker Series featuring Stephanie Hsu (April 9), the annual Night Market (April 10), the Chai & Vibes Eid Celebration (April 11) and a conversation with journalist and author Stephanie Foo (April 17). Take a look at the API Heritage Month and Arab American Heritage Month program for more information about upcoming events throughout the month.
Thank you to the Center for Asian Pacific Islander Student Empowerment (CAPISE) and the MOSAIC Cross Cultural Center for all of your dedication and support in organizing the programming for both of these heritage months. We are so grateful for you and everything you do for our campus community!
Sincerely,
Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson
President
(She/Her/Ella)
Mari Fuentes-Martin
Interim Vice President for Student Affairs
