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
*
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.
]]>A quick reminder that units/research administrators/PIs can check their training records in Kuali (including PIRATE records, CITI training, Kuali training, etc.). The Office of Research Administrative Systems (ORAS) has a Quick Card Reference for this very feature. Please see the below link to access these instrucitons and use this function in Kuali Research.
https://umbc.app.box.com/s/95c49ykia3gz5d18ami7nqaqf8iz7cxg
In general, if you ever have questions regarding Kuali's overall functions, or a need for a quick refresher, please do not forget to check the Kuali website first. There are so many training videos, reference guides, quick-cards, and FAQs that are available for your perusal for BOTH Kuali Research AND Kuali Protocols. The link to the website is below:
https://research.umbc.edu/kuali-research-at-umbc/
]]>Hi! Currently looking for just one grad ticket for the 10am ceremony on May 21. Willing to pay. Please send me a message or email: 443-960-5114 or kbell6@umbc.edu
Thanks!
]]>The Division of Institutional Equity joins the Global Asias Initiative, The Mosaic and our many campus community members in recognizing and honoring Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi American Heritage Month.
Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi American Heritage Month is celebrated every May in the United States. It is a time dedicated to honoring the historical and cultural contributions of people with ancestry from across the Asian continent and the Pacific Islands. This observance also recognizes the rich histories, diverse cultures, and lasting impact of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders who have helped shape the nation, while providing space to reflect on the challenges these communities have faced and continue to navigate.
This month, the Division of Institutional Equity invites you to engage through our “Read, Watch, Listen, Participate” list to celebrate, connect, and explore.
To request accommodation(s) or to inquire about event accessibility, please get in touch with each program office directly. All sessions 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.
11 am - 12: 30 am | Fine arts 011 | Luncheon & Conversation on Asian experiences at UMBC
https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/globalasias/events/153238
1 pm - 2:15 pm | Fine arts 118 | Stories of Displacement: Unearthing Submerged Histories and Engaging Multiple Publics
https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/globalasias/events/153239
3 pm - 4:30 pm | Performing Arts & Humanities Building 216 | Global Asias in Dialogue
https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/globalasias/events/153240
5 pm - 6:30 pm | Library and Gallery, Albin O Kuhn | Global Asias Student Showcase & Reception
https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/globalasias/events/153241
End-of-Year Lunch Meeting and Celebration
https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/aaafsc/events/153363
Asian Cultural Celebration & Awards
https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/themosaic/events/152056
“Stories we Carry”: AAPI Storytelling Circle https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/womenscenter/events/153761
Visit Baltimore’s Chinatown in downtown Baltimore to experience local Asian businesses, food, and cultural presence in the city.
This reading list features powerful stories by Asian American and Pacific Islander authors, reflecting the diversity of cultures, histories, and lived experiences across the Asian continent and Pacific Islands.
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
America Is Not the Heart by Elaine Castillo
Where We Once Belonged by Sia Figiel
This collection highlights the richness and diversity of Asian and Pacific American stories across cultures, regions, and lived experiences.
Minari
The Big Sick
The Farewell
Moana
Never Have I Ever
Through storytelling, culture, and conversation, these podcasts highlight the diverse voices and experiences within Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
URAs provide up to $1,500 to undergraduate students to support their research, scholarship, or creative work with a UMBC faculty mentor on an original project1! UMBC students of all years and disciplines are invited to apply, as long as they remain enrolled at UMBC long enough to complete the proposed work.
Applications require a research proposal and mentor statement of support.
For more information and application link, visit UR.umbc.edu/ura
]]>The May issue of Vital Signs, PreMedical and PreDental Advising's monthly newsletter, is now available! You'll find events from our office and other campus offices, reflection questions, opportunities, and updates in this resource. You can find a graphic version here and a text-only version here.
]]>Hey everyone!
I’m currently looking for extra graduation tickets for May 21st at 3:00 PM. If anyone has spare tickets they’re not using, I would really appreciate it! Willing to Pay!
Please Message me if you can help!
Phone: 240-910-8862
Thank you
]]>It is our honor to celebrate the exciting news that Donna Cazeau, an Academic Peer Advocate in our Academic Success Center, has been elected SGA President. Donna, we are all so incredibly proud of you and all that you’ve accomplished, and are excited to see the meaningful impact you make in this important role.
The Academic Success Center is cheering for you all the way!
Congratulations!
Hey MTC!
Below is the elected board for the 2026-2027 academic year. Come meet them next Friday, May 8, at our GBM from 12-1pm in ILSB 237, or at our Sendoff Showcase karaoke the same day from 7-9pm in Flat Tuesdays.
President - Matt Lo
Vice President - Charlie Blocher
Treasurer - Rowan Cornatzer
Secretary - Susan Yoder
Public Relations Manager - Shania Rodriguez
Production Manager - Alex Bromwell
Human Resources Officer - Kate Wassmann
Thank you all for being part of our community this year, whether you participated in one of our productions, attended our events, or came to our GBMs. We've had such a great time being your Executive Board, and can't wait to see the amazing things you do next year!
Carly, Emma, Ava, Matt (ish), and Morgan signing off <3!
]]>All,
It's hard to believe, but finals begin in less than two weeks. I know students will become scarce and before you disappear for the summer, I need to know who I will need to remove from access to the building and who has keys that I need to have signed back in. Please send an email to Dennis Cuddy at Cuddy@umbc.edu to arrange turning in your keys if any.
I also need to inventory the seating arrangements in the research wing. I'm attaching a floorplan so we are all on the same page for occupancy. Please respond to me directly with where you are sitting (ie, third floor, station 4). This info will allow me to have current, correct information for a potential new Dean in CNMS.
Thank you all for your attention
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