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MSU Denver
Celebrate APIDA Heritage Month
Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Heritage Month occurs every year during the month of May to celebrate, uplift, and educate others about the complex history and identities of those in the APIDA community. Due to the nature of our academic schedule, the Center for Multicultural Engagement and Inclusion (CMEI) recognizes APIDA Heritage Month during the month of April. The CMEI and our partners collaborate every year to create programming surrounding the experiences and issues of the APIDA community. Through our events, we celebrate the vast diversity within the APIDA identity and bring to light issues that our community is experiencing in order to grow and heal.
Events
Tri-Institutional Events: Open to the Auraria Campus and Community – For events opened to the Auraria campus and community sponsored by the University of Colorado Denver, please visit the Asian American Student Services within the Center for Identity & Inclusion.
Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Kick-Off
Thursday, April 6th | 11:00AM – 1:00PM | Tivoli 320s
Open to the public, no registration required 
The Center for Multicultural Engagement and Inclusion welcomes everyone to the APIDA Kick-Off to celebrate the APIDA culture and community with activities, music, performances, and food. Several community resources for Auraria students, families, alumni, faculty, staff and community members are available at the event. All attendees are welcome and can drop in during the timeframe to celebrate the 48 countries in Asia.
Let’s Get This Boba Par-Tea Started
Thursday, April 13th | 12:00PM – 1:30PM | Tivoli Multicultural Lounge 261 
Join the Center for Multicultural Engagement and Inclusion on a journey about the history of boba or also known as bubble tea. Come experience how boba became a staple of Taiwanese culture and how it has developed in all parts of the world. We will be hosting various local boba vendors where you can mix and match your very own boba flights with toppings.
Roll into Spring! A Spring Roll Making Workshop with APIDA Alliance
Thursday, April 13th | 3:00 – 4:30PM | Hospitality Learning Center
Learn how to make your own spring rolls with the School of Hospitality, CMEI and the APIDA Faculty and Staff Alliance. Register in advance for the in-person cooking class as seats are limited! Eat your spring rolls and stay for the APIDA Faculty and Staff Alliance Social.
The Expansion of the Nail Empire
Thursday, April 20th | 11:30AM – 1:00PM | Tivoli 320s
Join the Center for Multicultural Engagement and Inclusion on the history of how transformative nail culture has inspired the beauty industry. Manicurists will be on site to discuss the origins of nail salons and the Vietnamese entrepreneurs who came to America in 1975 as immigrants who transformed the. In addition, manicures will be provided to attendees on a first come first served basis. Refreshments will be served.
Indian Film Screening: 2 States
Monday, April 24th
10:00AM – 12:30PM | JSSB 420 CAVEA Theater
12:30PM – 1:30PM | JSSB 422
*Indian Food Provided
Join MSU Denver Asian Studies Committee and the Center for Multicultural Engagement and Inclusion on a cultural journey through an Indian film, Two States. Come experience how India’s diversity and socio-cultural heritage can lead to cultural clashes when romance is on the way between graduate students from different regions of India. This film is based on a novel of the same name by Chetan Bhagat. After the film screening, we will have a discussion on various aspects of the film. The discussion will be led by Dr. Kalpana Hulluru, a Fulbright scholar in the English department.
Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Karaoke Closing Event
Tuesday, April 25th | 11:30AM – 1:30PM | Tivoli 320s
Open to the public, no registration required
Join the Center for Multicultural Engagement and Inclusion for karaoke. In the 1970’s the first karaoke machine was created by Daisuke Inoue in Kobe, Japan when an orchestra went on strike, forcing him to innovatively use a machine instead of an orchestra, thus changing the entertainment industry. We welcome all voices to join us in karaoke and food.
Want to Learn More?
Below are a few of the resources provided in uplifting our students and reinforcing an Anti-Asian Hate Community.
Colorado Asian Pacific UnitedResources
Asian Girls Ignite is on a mission to build a strong community of Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) girls and women by celebrating their individual and collective power through shared stories.
- For more information regarding mental health issues, you can find information and services on organizations like the Asian Mental Health Collective. For a list of Asian and NHPI therapists, visit the directory list.
- AAPI Emergency Response Network
- Asian Pacifica American Bar Association of Colorado
- Stand Against Hatred – Asian Americans Advancing Justice
- Stop AAPI Hate – Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON), Chinese for Affirmative Action, San Francisco State University
- Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund
- Council on American-Islamic Relations
- Get involved with the Colorado Asian Chambers of Commerce
SEARAC is a national civil rights organization that empowers Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese American communities to create a socially just and equitable society. They are currently focused on policies regarding education, immigration and health and aging.
Media List
- Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So
- Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala
- The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd
- The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo
- The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang
- How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu
- Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki
- The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan
- Things We Lost to the Water by Eric Nguyen
- To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara
- Minari – A Korean American family moves to an Arkansas farm in search of their own American dream. Amidst the challenges of this new life in the strange and rugged Ozarks, they discover the undeniable resilience of family and what really makes a home.
- The Farewell – Billi’s family returns to China under the guise of a fake wedding to stealthily say goodbye to their beloved matriarch – the only person that does not know she only has a few weeks to live.
- The Half of It – Friendless student Ellie Chu lives in the remote town of Squahamish, where she makes extra money writing homework papers for her fellow students. She lives with her widowed father and performs most of his duties as station master and signalman.
- Everything Everywhere All at Once – Michelle Yeoh stars in this spellbinding, sci-fi epic about a woman who tries to do her taxes but becomes sucked into a multiverse war. Without spoiling too much, the movie explores themes of family, mother-daughter relationships, and has a lot of cool fight scenes.
- Turning Red – It may be a Disney movie about kids, but adults will love Turning Red for its story about growing up and finding yourself. One day, Canadian teenager (and boy band obsessed) Mei discovers she has a family curse where she turns into a red panda with any strong emotion.
- Always Be My Maybe – Ali Wong and Randall Park star in this romantic comedy about two childhood friends who never seem quite ready to be together. It’s a sweet movie about old friends and oh, Keanu Reeves.
- BTS – Also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a seven-member South Korean boy band that began formation in 2010. With the rise in popularity of Korean music, BTS has hit the stage internationally and has amassed fans worldwide. Check out their songs, “Dynamite” and “Life Goes On” from their most recent album.
- Jai Wolf – Sajeeb Saha, known professionally as Jai Wolf, is a Bengali New York-based electronic music producer. He is best known for his singles, “Indian Summer”, “Like It’s Over”, and “Starlight”.
- NIKI – NIKI is an Indonesian singer, songwriter and record producer. She is currently based in the United States and signed with the record label 88rising. She was signed onto her label after her huge success on YouTube. Her newest album Moonchild features songs such as “Switchblade”, “Selene” and “Pandemonium”.
- keshi – keshi (Casey Luong) was born in Houston, Texas to Vietnamese parents. Prior to making music his full-time career, he was a full-time nurse. He is now known for his distant falsetto vocals and textural instruments. Check out his songs, “2 soon”, “like i need you”, and “always”.
- Rina Sawayama – Rina is a Japanese-British singer-songwriter and model based in London. Her newest album Sawayama gained a lot of buzz this past year. The album was an exploration of identity, family, gender and sexuality, set to a backdrop of future-facing, genre-splicing pop music as she lyrically explores personal experiences from both her childhood and adulthood.
- Little Dragon – Little Dragon, Swedish pop band, will make you want to get up and dance with their infectious grooves.
- Black Pink – Blackpink is a South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment, consisting of members Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa.
- Raveena – Inspired by her Indian heritage and dedication to spiritual practices, singer Raveena channels her heritage on queer focused music.
- TOKiMONSTA – Electronic artist TOKiMONSTA is a collaborator with Anderson.Paak, ZHU, Isaiah Rashad and more. Overcoming two brain surgeries for Moyamoya disease in 2015, the artist had to relearn language and her music skills to continue to produce and play shows today.
Center for Multicultural Engagement and Inclusion (CMEI)
Questions? Contact CMEI
Learn More About CMEIPhone:
303-615-0606
Mailing Address:
Campus Box 39, P.O. Box 173362, Denver, CO 80217-3362