Madison Reporter

This year, the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Heritage Month theme, "Into the APIDA-Verse," engaged the community by exploring the diverse cultures within the APIDA community. Similar to the popular animated Spider-Man movies, the theme focused on how these distinct cultures come together to form a strong network of connections.

The APIDA Heritage Month Festival took place on Saturday, April 5, launching a series of events. Participants enjoyed a variety of activities, such as crafts and karaoke, organized by UW–Madison's APIDA student organizations. Students participated in activities like writing wishes for a Wishing Tree, hosted by the Asian American Student Union, and bracelet making, led by the Chinese American Student Association. The South East Asian Student Association facilitated crafting flowers from pipe cleaners, and Ben Xie, a junior and AASU's FamBam Coordinator, was seen singing at the karaoke station.

On April 19, the sixth annual APIDA Gala was held in the Great Hall at the Memorial Union, organized by the APIDA Heritage Month Planning Committee and the Asian American Student Union (AASU). The event featured a banquet, a keynote speech, and performances by students. Christine Liang, Stephanie Zhang, Allie Ma, and Siddharth Tiwari were among those commemorating the event with a group photo. Performance highlights included Wisconsin Waale, a South Asian a cappella team, and the Asian Musical Instrument Community (AMIC).

Notably, State Representative Renuka Mayadev spoke with students as a guest of honor at the Gala. Also featured was "AASPA," a special dance performance choreographed by Andy Trinh.

A concluding event on April 21 featured a keynote address by writer, director, and producer Ash Perez. Held as a moderated Q&A, attendees were given insights into his experience within the APIDA community. The event included questions from attendees, including one from UW–Madison alum Rachel Nguyen. Following the event, Perez engaged with the audience by signing posters and taking photos.

APIDA Heritage Month highlighted the diverse cultures and connections among Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi American communities. The planning committee, consisting of UW–Madison students and in collaboration with the Multicultural Student Center, organized the month's events.