BUFFALO, N.Y. —  While the country has been observing National Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month over the past four weeks, the University at Buffalo kicked its celebration off in April, hosting a variety of virtual events dedicated to exploring different themes within the AAPI experience before the semester’s end.

These conversations didn’t just begin or end at the university within the month of April, however. Dr. Namsook Kim, professor of educational leadership and policy at the University at Buffalo, spoke about how she has been part of conversations at the institute that have promoted collective commitment and healing, especially amid the rise in violence against Asian Americans over the past year.

What You Need To Know

  • The University at Buffalo began reflections in April, but plan to continue the conversations moving forward

  • UB hosted a variety of virtual events dedicated to exploring different themes within the AAPI experience before the semester’s end

  • Dr. Namsook Kim emphasizes in her curriculum and discussions with peers the importance of unlearning negative behaviors

“Seeing what was happening in the world, in particular, the rise in hate against Asians and Asian Americans, we committed to meet as affinity groups to reassess our racial identity,” Kim said.

These groups have helped foster meaningful conversations about race, privilege, and social justice within the institute.

With the growth of the Stop Asian Hate movement, a direct response to a surge of violence against Asian Americans of over 150% within the past year, Kim emphasizes in her curriculum and discussions with peers the importance of unlearning negative behaviors. Drawing from her own experiences of facing discrimination as an American of South Korean descent, she stresses the importance of promoting justice for all marginalized communities, noting there are many ways to fight for social justice, from direct intervention to raising concerns within individual communities.

“The powerful agents of social change are out there, and we are one of them,” Kim said. “We are not bound to a classroom, we are not bound to a lecture hall. We are not bound to anywhere we work or study. When we go out for grocery shopping, we are one of those community members. “

So, when we change our calendars to June 1, do the conversations surrounding the AAPI experience and the movement to Stop Asian Hate fade into the background? They don’t have to, nor should they. Accountability and allyship are essential to the fight against injustice.

“My sincere hope and wish, we will not stop celebrating at the end of the month,” Kim said. “‘Okay, we did it for the year, and then we’ll do something in the following year.’ It is not mindset we would want to keep, so I hope this celebration will be every single day and 365 days.”