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Students unfamiliar with Asian Awareness Month
BY ZACH McBRIDE
STATESMAN STAFF WRITER
ISSUE: 78/28
It’s the month of April and for students, it means the end of snow and the beginning of sunny weather. For the students of the Asian Pacific American Association (APAA), April means getting the word out about Asian Awareness Month. Senior Yeleng Vang has been a part of the APAA for four years and said that there is more to being Asian than just Chinese.
“A lot of people, when they think Asian, just think of Chinese,” Vang said. “The purpose of Asian Awareness Month is to educate people about other cultures that can be classified as Asian: Vietnamese, Hmong, etc.” What is interesting to note is that many UMD students don’t know that April is Asian Awareness Month. One of these students is sophomore Tommy Altendahl. “I wasn’t aware we were celebrating their [Asian] culture,” Altendahl said. “It is something that I am fully interested in.”
Altendahl feels that since Asian Awareness Month is important, tables are a good idea of getting people informed, but also feels that putting up posters in the hallway or something on the UMD homepage would be just as effective. “I feel that this could get students better informed,” Altendahl said.
Freshman Sam Olson was also unfamiliar with April being associated with Asian Awareness Month. “I wasn’t aware, but it is always great to get people better informed about certain cultures,” Olson said. “You always hear when it is Black History Month or even Women’s History Month.” According to Vang, the APAA has had tables set up all month down by the bookstore, which has offered the UMD students insight into Asian culture. “We’ve given out food samples, information and facts about Asian culture,” Vang said.
The APAA provides visitors with a pamphlet on interesting facts and tid-bits about Asian culture that they feel many people do not know. For example, the games Chutes and Ladders and Parcheesi originated in India. Another interesting fact APAA provided in their pamphlet pertains to the popular condiment ketchup. Although many people put ketchup on things such as hamburgers, potatoes and grilled cheese, the word originates from Malay and, according to the pamphlet, is called “Koetsiap,” which means seafood sauce.
Vang said they would love for students to stop by their table and try some food and learn something new about Asian culture. “People can also have a new snack when that midnight hunger kicks in,” Vang said.
