The Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) program was established by the U.S. Congress on Sept. 27, 2007, to improve the availability and quality of postsecondary education programs to support low-income, first-generation Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander students.
AANAPISI Week — from Sept. 25 to Oct. 1 this year — honors the significance and achievements of AANAPISIs. It provides the opportunity for organizations and institutions to celebrate the educational support of underserved Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) students, according to APIA Scholars, the nation’s largest 501(c)3 non-profit organization that provides college scholarships to Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (APIA) with financial need.
As a designated AANAPISI, UH West O‘ahu will commemorate AANAPISI Week with a variety of activities and opportunities.
“This is a time for us to both learn about and celebrate the achievements of our programs, faculty/staff and students who make visible, tangle with, and address the socio-cultural, genealogical, political and economic challenges of Asian American, Native American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities,” said UH West O‘ahu Chancellor Maenette Benham. “I am immensely proud of UH West O‘ahu as a gathering place of learning, study, and action that leads to social justice.”
Here are ways to celebrate AANAPISI Week at UH West O‘ahu:
- Check out select books and videos. The James & Abigail Campbell Library teamed up with ‘Ulu‘ulu: The Henry Kuʻualoha Giugni Moving Image Archive of Hawai‘i to create a curated list of books and videos in honor of AANAPISI Week. Additionally, because it’s currently Hawaiian History Month, the library compiled resources examining the Kamehameha Dynasty, specifically the accomplishments of Kamehameha II – Kamehameha V.
- Visit “Himeyuri and Hawaii.” The exhibition from the Himeyuri Peace Museum in Okinawa examines the connection between Himeyuri and Hawai‘i. It shares the story of the Himeyuri Student Corps — consisting of students from the Okinawa First Girls’ High School and the Okinawa Female Normal School — who were mobilized in 1945 during the Battle of Okinawa. The exhibit is on display through Jan. 31, 2024, at the James & Abigail Campbell Library during library hours. Click here for more information. Also, the library compiled a curated list of resources specific to Okinawa.
- Volunteer in the coconut grove. The Uluniu Project hosts monthly sessions to teach people about the Pacific Island staple food, coconut. The group plans to host 10 Army soldiers in the uluniu (coconut grove) on campus as part of a shared collaboration with Schofield Barracks. In honor of AANAPISI Week, the Uluniu Project is inviting all UH West O‘ahu faculty, staff, and students to join the soldiers and help out in the grove from 9 to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 27. For more information, email manulani@hawaii.edu or indrajit@hawaii.edu.
- Attend Pueo Pilina 2023. The event is a celebration of UH West O‘ahu students that will be held from noon to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 27, at the UH West O‘ahu Campus Courtyard. Organizers aim to present a meaningful event for all university community members to celebrate their connection to one another, to students, and to this ‘āina, Honouliuli. For more information, email gowest@hawaii.edu.
- Attend the AANAPISI Week Advocacy in Action Virtual Bootcamp (students only). UH West O‘ahu AANHPI students and young leaders are welcome to join APIA Scholars for a free virtual advocacy bootcamp, 12:30 to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 27, online. Participants will learn about AANAPISIs, develop advocacy skillsets and knowledge, and take action to become advocates for AANAPISIs. Register here.