Hello everyone,

We will be having our next meeting on Monday, 5/4 at 12:00 in ITE 231. We will be going over our upcoming range day and plans for the next semester.

As we welcome May, the UMBC community joins the nation in honoring the rich histories, enduring resilience, and vibrant cultures of Asian Pacific Islander Desi/American (APID/A) communities.

The month of May carries profound significance, marking historical milestones that underscore the contributions of the APID/A community to the fabric of the United States, from the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants in 1843 to the tireless work of the Chinese immigrants who built the transcontinental railroad in 1869. What began as a week-long commemoration in 1978 has evolved into a month-long celebration, officially recognized since 1992, to honor the diverse narratives that shape our history.

APID/A Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the entirety of our diaspora, including Asians, Southeast Asians, South Asians, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Our strength lies in our breadth, encompassing the Asian continent, the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia, and the vast Desi experience. Interested in learning more about this heritage month? Click here to learn more about legislation and history. 

While the month goes by many names, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM), Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPIHM), Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Heritage Month (APIDAHM), and Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AANHPIHM), our mission remains unified: to honor the legacy of the more than 20 million Asian Americans who trace their roots to over 20 unique countries.

This month, we invite you to engage with the distinct histories, languages, and norms that define our community. Join us in honoring these legacies and, more importantly, in doing the work to build spaces of belonging, affirmation, and genuine community here at UMBC.

Join us at the following events as we honor our Asian diasporic community at UMBC.

Friday, May 1

Immigrant Appreciation Day 

Keynote with Anna Lapera | 11 AM - 12 PM | AOK Library Gallery 

Anna Lapera is a pushcart prize-nominated author and educator in the DC area. She comes from a Guatemalan mother and Hawaiian-Filipino-German father, and was raised all over the world. She teaches by day and writes stories about kids stepping into their power in the early hours of the morning. She is a member of Las Musas, a Tin House and Macondo Writers Workshop alum and Kweli Journal mentee, and has received financial support from Tin House, Kweli Journal and SCBWI. When she is not writing or teaching, you can find her visiting trails and coffee shops in DC and Maryland, where she lives with her family. 

"Share Your Story" Artwork Activity | 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM | Commons Terrace

Contribute to our community storytelling project! Students, faculty, and staff are invited to showcase where they're from and reflect on their own or their family's journeys. Help us build a visual "global tapestry" of UMBC.

Monday, May 4

Global Asias Symposium & Celebration 

11 AM - 12:30 PM | Fine Arts 011
Welcome & Belonging and Community Luncheon: Conversations on Asian experiences at UMBC

Join us for our Belonging and Community luncheon to kick off the Global Asias Closing Symposium, which is dedicated to the power of storytelling, creative expression, and community. We will share personal stories through art and reflection to celebrate the joy, calm, and cultural heritage that sustain us. From these individual stories, we will build a shared vision of grounded community and understanding of Asian experiences at UMBC. Through a series of collaborative art activities and dialogue, we will turn our hopes for connection and belonging into a visual representation of our future at UMBC. Hosted in partnership with the Mosaic Center, the Center for Democracy and Civic Life, and the Office of Residential Life.
Lunch is Provided

Keynote Address with Dr. Anna Guevarra

1 PM - 2:15 PM| Fine Arts Recital Hall (Room 118)
Stories of Displacement: Unearthing Submerged Histories and Engaging Multiple Publics 

Join us for a presentation by Dr. Anna Guevarra (University of Illinois – Chicago). Dr. Guevarra will be discussing the “Dis/Placements”: A People’s History of Uptown Project and its connection to her Global Asias in Chicago course and will explore the politics and ethics of involving students in community-engaged projects.
Chai & Samosas Provided after the lecture in the recital hall lobby

Global Asias in Dialogue Roundtable

3 PM - 4:30 PM | Performing Arts & Humanities Building (PAHB) Room 216

Faculty roundtable focused on a discussion of research and teaching through a Global Asias lens. In addition to the panelists, the audience will have the opportunity to discuss pedagogy, curricular development, and research around the study of Asia, its diasporas, and other Global Asias themes. All are welcome.
Refreshments Provided

Global Asias Student Showcase & Reception

5 PM - 6:30 PM | AOK Library Gallery 

Join us for a student exhibition, interactive activities, and a celebration of the work of the grant! We will open the Global Asias Student Showcase Exhibition, which will feature mixed media work from students developed through a series of Global Asias workshops this spring. In partnership with the National Association of Asian American Professionals – Baltimore Chapter, we’ll also have art-making and other activities to interact with.
Food from Ekiben provided

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Media Bytes: Dialogue and Meaning in Bollywood Lyrics

3 PM - 4:30 PM | Commons 2B23

Hosted by the Center for Social Justice Dialogue

Join us for an engaging and reflective afternoon centered on music, language, and cultural meaning. Dialogue and Meaning in Bollywood Lyrics invites participants to thoughtfully explore the depth behind popular Bollywood songs, examining how lyrics convey emotion, identity, and cultural narratives that often extend beyond direct translation.

Through a guided selection of songs, we will analyze key lyrical excerpts in both their original Hindi/Urdu and English translations. Participants will engage in facilitated dialogue to consider how meaning is shaped by language, context, and personal experience. What nuances are lost or transformed in translation? How do cultural references and poetic expression influence interpretation? This program creates space to critically reflect on these questions while learning from diverse perspectives.

Wednesday, May 6 

Hear Our Stories: Centering Asian, Pacific Islander, & Native Hawaiian Stories

11:30 AM - 1 PM | Commons Mainstreet

Join The Mosaic: Center for Cultural Diversity & The Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being as we read and highlight Asian, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian stories through children’s literature.

Storytime begins at 12 PM! 

Monday, May 11 

“Stories We Carry”: AAPI Storytelling Circle

2:30 PM - 3:30 PM | Commons 004

Collaboration by the Women and Gender Equity Center (WGEC) and The Mosaic Center

Stories hold so much more than words; they carry identity, memory, and belonging!

Join us for “Stories We Carry,” an AAPI Storytelling Circle where we’ll gather in community to share and reflect on our experiences through guided conversation in a supportive space. 

Tea and snacks provided. 

Tuesday, May 12 

Celebrating & Honoring the Life of Alice Wong

12 PM - 1:30 PM |Commons 2B23

Collaboration by Critical Disability Studies & The Mosaic Center

Join us as we honor the life of Asian American disability rights activist, Alice Wong. Wong dedicated her life to challenging systemic ableism through community organizing, storytelling, and fought for disability rights and justice. Copies of her memoir, Year of the Tiger, will be raffled during the event. 

During this event, Critical Disability Studies will be recognizing two of the first graduates of the CDS minor.  

Thursday, May 14

Asian Cultural Celebration & Awards

5:30 PM - 8 PM | UC Ballroom 

This celebration commemorates the achievements of graduating UMBC students while celebrating the vast cultural diversity of Asian communities and heritage on our campus. We recognize the difficulty of choosing just one identifier or term to capture the vast diversity of all people with heritage in the Asian continent, representing 49 countries and hundreds of cultures. We seek to honor the breadth of experience of people across Asia - East, South, Southwest, West, and Central Asia. 

During the gathering, we’ll enjoy food together, we’ll showcase keynote speakers, student musical and dance performances, and award presentations to honor student contributions, as well as the faculty and staff who’ve contributed to their success.

All of these events are open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy. 

UMBC Film Club's semesterly film festival is back again and WE WANT TO WATCH YOUR MOVIES!!! 
(Check out Film Club's group page here: https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/filmclub)

Please submit anything - personal projects, class projects, music videos, animations, silly home videos with friends, etc. - by Wednesday May 6th in the attached google form link so we can screen them on Friday May 8th at 6:30pm in MEYR 030!!!

Submission Form: https://forms.gle/wBGNgp9EQ177iWDJA/

And if you have nothing to submit, then just grab your friends and come by to sit back, have a slice of pizza, and watch a bunch of student-made films!

We'll see you in the movies!

(Note: we will accept almost film as long as it's not extremely long and is appropriate for an audience of college students. Acceptance of your films will depend on runtime, appropriateness, but also amount of submissions, so get your work in as soon as possible!)

From the ISEA site:

Full competition deatails and submission formats can be found at:

https://isea-2026.isea-international.org/digital-arts-student-competitions/

About the Digital Arts Student Competition

As part of ISEA2026, students are invited to participate in the Connecting Futures International Digital Arts Student Competition, responding to the symposium theme “ELYAH: Constellating Place, Data, and Identity.” This open call invites students to imagine how acts of connection—between people, cultures, environments, and technologies—can shape futures yet to come. The use of futures in the plural recognizes that there is no single future, but many—shaped by place, identity, access, and collaboration. Students are encouraged to submit playful, speculative, experimental, and poetic digital works that explore connection as a creative force.

Who can apply?

• Currently enrolled undergraduate students
• Open to international applicants
• Individual submissions or small teams (maximum 3 students)

Relevant disciplines include:

• Animation
• Motion Graphics
• Digital Art & Illustration
• Interactive Media
• Game Design
• New Media Art
• Digital-focused Visual Communication

Deadline to submit: May 3rd

The phlebotomy workshop is today! If you're interested in learning a new skill, making friends, and opening your eyes to other healthcare professions, join us today! From 3-5 PM in ITE 231, we will be having free food! 

Cast your final votes; E-board elections close at 9 AM. Winners will be announced at our phlebotomy event later today! Notifications will be sent out at 1 PM. Don't miss out!

What is Jewish American Heritage Month?
Jewish American Heritage Month is a national month of recognition of nearly four centuries of American Jewish experience. Recognized each year in the  month of May by Presidential proclamation, JAHM provides an opportunity for people to learn about and appreciate Jewish heritage and reflect on the specific history and experiences of the American Jewish community, serving as antidote to antisemitism.

Who is JAHM for?
Everyone! Everyone is welcome to participate in Jewish American Heritage Month on the journey of discovery and celebration that makes American society so special.

When was Jewish American Heritage Month established? 
JAHM was established in 2006 by President George W. Bush as a bipartisan effort sponsored in Congress by the late Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania and Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida. In 2018, the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History became the official convener of JAHM, responsible for staffing and organizing the month across the nation each year. Click here to learn more about JAHM’s history.

How is Jewish American Heritage Month Organized? 
JAHM is organized by the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, located on Historic Independence Mall in Philadelphia—the only national institution dedicated to exploring and interpreting the American Jewish experience. Each May, JAHM is supported by nearly 200 cultural, civic, educational, and government entities around the country who set out to celebrate the inspiring history of Jewish people in America from 1654 to the present; educate public audiences about Jewish culture; and spark crucial conversations about the American Jewish present and future.

Where can I learn more about Jewish American Heritage Month? 
JewishAmericanHeritage.org is the centralized portal for JAHM, providing access to American Jewish culture, stories, and experience—and home to resources from some of the 200 partner organizations around the country.

The Library of Congress also hosts jewishheritagemonth.gov to support the federal government’s commitment to paying tribute to the generations of Jewish Americans who helped form the fabric of American history, culture, and society.

Hello, I'm looking for 1 extra graduation ticket for MAY 21ST 10AM!!! Please let me know if you or anyone you know has it!!! I have family flying abroad to attend the commencement. Thank you!

Join Economics Council for pizza, games, and an excessive amount of snacks (seriously, help us eat them). The event will take place May 7th, from 6-8 pm, in Commons 329.

Bring friends, relax, and recharge before finals week!

To all users,

We have successfully patched a critical vulnerability on the system. Jobs that were running were cancelled. We understand this is frustrating and we sincerely apologize for the inconvience.

If there are any issues going forward please send a ticket to https://rtforms.umbc.edu/rt_authenticated/doit/DoIT-support.php?auto=Research%20Computing.