A Campus-Wide Approach to Honoring Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage

In this interview, HigherEdJobs spoke with Monica Burnette, KC Choi, and Hezal Patel of Seton Hall University in New Jersey about Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. They share their exceptional campus-wide faculty, administrative, and leadership level approaches to raising awareness for and honoring Asian American Pacific Islanders during this month and beyond.

Kelly Cherwin (HigherEdJobs): Congratulations to your Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee on their efforts in highlighting events for faculty, employees, students, and your community to recognize Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Heritage (AAPI) Month. What does it mean to each of you personally, and professionally, to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month?

Monica Burnette: I am proud of the number and variety of events offered at Seton Hall to celebrate AAPI heritage. The planning committee, comprised of faculty, staff, and students also collaborated with our local community to co-sponsor and promote events. For me, AAPI Heritage month is about acknowledgement, recognition, empowerment, and inspiration. Always but especially this month, it is important to honor, celebrate, and remember the strong and powerful people in my life who have had a positive impact on me personally and professionally — from family and friends to colleagues and mentors. At Seton Hall, we recognize that a sense of inclusion and belonging is vital for healthy campus communities, increased student success, and the training of global leadership. To achieve this, an engaged and supportive campus climate requires a deep focus on diversity, inclusion, and equity to strengthen positive college outcomes and a sense of belonging for students, faculty, and employees.

KC Choi: As an Asian American of Korean descent and as a scholar who studies the intersections of Christian theology, the political ethics of race, and Asian American experience, it means a great deal that Seton Hall is sponsoring a robust slate of AAPI month events. It shows that Seton Hall values its AAPI students, staff, and administrative and faculty members as equal partners in Seton Hall’s educational mission.

Hezal Patel: Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month allows me to take pride in my heritage and have conversations with others about my background and what it means to me. It also allows me to educate others and dispel any false notions they may have about members of the AAPI group. Through AAPI Heritage Month events, Seton Hall has provided an opportunity to share knowledge about Asian American Pacific Islanders and has fostered a sense of inclusion for students, staff, and faculty who belong to this group.

Cherwin: A theme for Seton Hall’s DEI efforts is self-reflection. Why do you think this is so important for everyone (staff, faculty, administrators, students) on campus?

Burnette: Self-reflection provides a powerful opportunity for instruction in our classrooms and workplaces. This requires building skills like critical thinking, empathy, and personal responsibility. In response to the increase of hate speech and violence on the AAPI community, the DEI Committee hosted a community healing and reflection event, a student-led anti-Asian violence vigil, a roundtable discussion, and launched anti-Asian racism training. It is important to reflect and acknowledge the complicated history that the AAPI community has had in this country. From immigration to exclusion in the mid-1800s to Asian American activism and civic participation today, understanding and recognizing these struggles as well as achievements and contributions is important.

Choi: Asian Americans are the invisible minority, by which I mean Asian Americans — our concerns, struggles, hopes, and aspirations — are mostly perceived through a distorted lens. In the popular imagination, Asian Americans are model minorities, tiger parents, or kids of tiger parents, or “crazy rich Asians.” These perceptions are often regarded as a kind of compliment to Asian Americans — ‘Wow, Asian Americans are hardworking, successful, and smart!’ But these perceptions mask the complex lived experiences of Asian Americans, which include experiences of racial exclusion, violence, socio-economic scapegoating, and xenophobia. This past pandemic year has brought these negative experiences to light. They are certainly not new experiences but deeply etched throughout U.S. history. So, for Asian Americans to have the space to articulate and define our experiences to the wider public is critical. Equally critical is for non-Asian Americans to be given the space and opportunity to more intentionally listen to and learn from the AAPI community, without which the larger struggle for social justice will inevitably falter.

Patel: Self-reflection is important, especially in DEI efforts, because it brings awareness to existing perceptions and understanding the diverse lens through which we make meaning of our surroundings and others. Open dialogue both in the classroom and at community events on campus, between various constituents including students, staff, and faculty, is valuable in order to increase awareness and dispel stereotypes. At Seton Hall, an event for healing and reflection was held following the increase in violence against AAPI members across the nation. This event was open to the community and well represented by the AAPI community on campus as well as non-Asian Americans. Events like this allow an opportunity not only for self-reflection, but also self-expression and support for one another. The opportunity for AAPI community members and allies to express their sentiments at this event was very powerful. With the increasing diversity at higher education institutions, these types of DEI efforts are extremely important.

Cherwin: As it was mentioned in your video regarding AAPI Heritage Month, AAPIs are made up of many subgroups, countries, cultures, traditions, and food! What are some ways that you celebrate these various cultures and traditions, and of course, food on campus?

Burnette: In Chinese culture, the family unit provides a core identity and strong social network. There is a sense of responsibility when caring for elders, and the way love is shown is usually through food and family gatherings. Some of my favorite family memories are eating dim sum at our neighborhood restaurant in San Francisco on Sunday mornings. The DEI Committee also partnered with our campus gourmet dining services to highlight Asian cuisine — offering dishes like sizzling Sichuan chicken, braised baby bok choy, hot and spicy eggplant, soba noodle salad, vegetable samosas, and Palak paneer. Celebrating AAPI culture through books, documentaries, and film is also important to me. Although we have a long way to go, I am encouraged by the increase in AAPI representation and voices in media. The DEI Committee also curated a Seton Hall AAPI Playlist on Spotify for listeners to enjoy and partnered with our university library to provide access to several PBS documentaries, including Asian Americans.

Choi: In the classroom, at least, I never make assumptions about my Asian American students, and I try to encourage them to be fearless in expressing their points of view and to have the confidence to name their experiences and advocate for themselves and others.

Patel: AAPI Heritage Month is being celebrated on our campus in so many ways. Various events are taking place beginning with the Yi Qi Asian American Pacific Islander Kickoff event, events where community members can share in Asian arts and delicacies, music from the various AAPI groups playing across campus, the library highlighting a collection of books by authors from the AAPI group, and so much more. Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month is taking place in all kinds of settings on campus — in the classroom, social events, and in the residence halls.

Cherwin: Unfortunately as a recent College Board report mentions, there are falsehoods associated with the AAPI community at colleges and universities. For example, there is a stereotype that these students only study within the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields or that they are “taking over” the elite and visible schools. What do you think can be done as a higher education community to educate against these misperceptions and allow a learning opportunity against implicit biases?

Burnette: These falsehoods and stereotypes with the AAPI community are tied to anti-Asian sentiment throughout history — from the rhetoric during the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act in the 1940s to the coining of the term “model minority” in the 1960s. The “model minority” myth for Asians, which portrays them as successful and problem-free, is not only damaging to AAPI members but also perpetuates racism, inequality, and injustice. It overlooks the breadth of diversity and income gaps in the AAPI community. This trope that Asians are “taking over” also stems from Asians in U.S. history often being scapegoated for societal issues, including illnesses and economic downturns. The higher education community can continue to speak up against these stereotypes and bring these issues to light by featuring AAPI texts in the classroom, highlighting AAPI figures through events and programming, and supporting AAPI student stories and groups. Anti-racism training and self-reflection can also raise awareness of implicit bias and microaggressions to dismantle these myths.

Choi: Right off the bat, let’s recognize that Asian American college students are not only majoring in STEM. To think that Asian Americans only study science and math is yet another distortion of who Asian Americans are. Asian Americans are artists, humanists, musicians, authors, as well as scientists, engineers, and doctors. (The recently Oscar-nominated movie “Minari” reminds everyone that Asian Americans are farmers too!) When it comes to university enrollment efforts, admissions officers can play an important part in dispelling these false narratives of what Asian Americans are capable of studying and doing by more actively recruiting Asian Americans who aspire to study beyond STEM. Asian American students who want to focus on the humanities are out there! And it’s a matter of wanting to find them and recruit them to our campuses. But still, let’s say that many Asian American students do want to or end up studying in a STEM field. So what? Let’s be frank here: the idea of Asian Americans “taking over”– especially taking over American jobs and industries — is an image that has been circulating in our wider culture since at least the mid-nineteenth century. Laws banning Chinese immigration, the first one passed in 1882, and assaults against Asian Americans, most notably the killing of Vincent Chin in 1982 for the purported takeover of American manufacturing by Japanese companies in the 1980s, are just a couple of examples of Asian American scapegoating for a variety of social ills. I believe it is a gross distortion to suggest that Asian Americans are out to displace non-Asians from certain professions and, especially, coveted spots in prestigious schools. The reality is that many Asian Americans, just like other students from financially distressed households and communities, see a top-notch education, especially in STEM, as the path forward to economic and social stability. We must not forget that poverty is as much an Asian American problem as it is for many non-Asian Americans. As a recent Pew Research study reveals, the income divide between the richest Asians and the poorest Asian Americans is the greatest of any community of color in the U.S. In New York City, more specifically, over a quarter of Asian Americans live in poverty, which is the highest poverty rate among all communities in the city. It should not be lost on any of us that a 61-year-old Asian American man who in April of this year was beaten and hospitalized in Manhattan was rummaging through garbage bins looking for cans and bottles to redeem. We don’t necessarily see the economic sufferings of Asian Americans because we usually lump Asian Americans together into one monolithic group defined by the success of a segment of Asian Americans typically of East Asian descent, but the economic distress is much clearer and shocking when you disaggregate Asian Americans into nationalities, e.g., Cambodian, Burmese, Vietnamese, Thai, Filipino, Indonesian Asian Americans, and so forth.

Patel: At Seton Hall’s Center for Academic Success, we recognize that every new student wants to succeed. While success is measured in many ways, we envision a type of success where students are treated with dignity and are at their best socially and academically. We aim to instill in our educational community a vision that involves forming students to be servant leaders in a global society. We understand the importance of recognizing the complex heritage, rich culture, and cherished traditions of Asian American and Pacific Islanders and our DEI efforts are geared to this realization. Hosting an AAPI Heritage Month brings awareness to Asian Americans on campus and allows them an opportunity to share who they are and where they come from. It also highlights that Asian Americans are represented in other fields, higher education being one of them, and not just STEM. Students are able to see the representation of their own heritage on campus and the various roles of AAPI members — from priests, to psychologists, to faculty, advisors, and other staff. Additionally, providing anti-Asian racism training on campus, as is being done at Seton Hall, is an important aspect of educating the community about Asian Americans and that they don’t all study in STEM fields and are not “taking over.”

Cherwin: As I’m sure we can agree, colleges and universities need to do more than just issue statements against violence and anti-hate speech. Besides statements, what other actions do you recommend that campuses do to promote racial equity?

Burnette: To promote racial equity, campuses need to provide faculty, staff, and students opportunities to create change, build solidarity, and promote action. The first step is education — learning and understanding the historical roots of racism against all groups while raising awareness of current statistics and news articles are essential. Training on anti-racism, bystander intervention, and how to be an upstander and ally provide strategies for community members to respond if they see acts of discrimination or harassment. Campuses can also promote mental health resources for students and employees and share resources on how to get involved through volunteering or service-learning. Community members should also be informed of the services offered through their Offices of Human Resources, Equal Employment Opportunity & Compliance and Title IX.

Choi: At the very least, universities have to make a firm commitment to support curricula and programs in Asian/Asian American Studies. The shock and surprise that many non-Asian Americans have expressed over recent anti-Asian violence and hate reflects a general lack of awareness of the history of Asian Americans, the daily struggles of Asian Americans, and the political, economic, and religious forces that have sustained and amplified the many distorted, racist perceptions of Asian Americans. There are profound social causes to anti-Asian violence and racism and studying those causes and acquiring the analytic tools to constructively respond to them must be an integral part of the educational portfolio that we offer to students. And because the challenges that Asian Americans have faced in the past, and continue to experience today, are intertwined with the histories and social experiences of other communities of color, universities should also support courses and programs in Black/African American and Latinx studies. These areas of academic inquiry are just as important as the more traditional disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences and, I propose, provide critical opportunities to bring these three broad academic areas into conversation in new and impactful ways. Social and cultural issues that are important to the AAPI community are also relevant to other communities of color and require multidisciplinary analyses and solutions. Any university that claims to be committed to promoting racial equity must first realize that commitment at the academic level, in the courses and programs it offers. Our curriculum must match our rhetoric.

Patel: As mentioned previously, we must celebrate the various groups that exist on campus to bring awareness to the community and anti-racism trainings to not only provide the opportunity for individuals to become aware of their own identities and biases, but also to be allies. At Seton Hall University in New Jersey, our Catholic mission is one of peace and justice, recognizing the dignity of all. While so many were emersed in our response to the global pandemic, Seton Hall senior leadership also acknowledged the need for accelerated action to enhance our campus DEI efforts early on. This is certainly true of our AAPI response. Ample space has been provided for individuals to take pride in their AAPI heritage, express their pain, and support one another on our campus.

Cherwin: As Kevin Wong, another higher education professional mentioned, “AAPI Heritage Month is important because it makes visible a people who have been traditionally made invisible in this country. A time for my fellow brothers and sisters to be seen, heard, and acknowledged.” This is a powerful statement. What are your thoughts on your colleague’s statements?

Burnette: For many Asians, being seen as “invisible” is a complex issue fueled by the “model minority” myth and cultural expectations. At a young age, I was often told to “work hard, not complain, and try to fit in.” Being invisible, however, ignores and overlooks how many Asians experience and deal with racism; it is often internalized and dismissed. This is a critical time for the AAPI community to help foster a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive community. We need to build solidarity, encourage and create safe and brave spaces to share stories, and support all marginalized groups. We need to promote being upstanders and allies, and speak up and stand up against hate, violence, and xenophobia.

Choi: Bravo, Kevin! He is right! However, I would add that what we learn during AAPI Heritage Month must spill over to every month of the year since our invisibility is systemic and structural. In other words, I hope AAPI Heritage Month energizes all of us to organize and be politically active and engaged in ways that we perhaps have not been. Anti-Asian hate and violence is not just a racism issue; the racism that Asian Americans experience is symptomatic of our society’s many unresolved challenges in the areas of immigration policies, healthcare delivery and access, education funding, public safety, and social mobility. The time is now for Asian Americans to stand tall and act.

Patel: I think it is important for all groups to be seen, heard, and acknowledged in this country. Heritage month celebrations do help make members of a particular group visible in a more positive light and it is important to remember that the acknowledgement needs to continue beyond a particular month to bring awareness and eliminate stereotypes. Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month at Seton Hall University has allowed Asian American community members to become visible on campus. It has allowed us to be seen, heard, and acknowledged.