Building A Vibrant Community Together: The First Symposium of Asian and Asian American Pacific Islander Coalition
Gabbi Rees ‘27 & Dr. Yifeng Hu
The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) saw their Inaugural Asian and Asian American Pacific Islander Coalition (AAAPIC) Symposium on April 16th of 2025. This was an amazing opportunity for faculty, students, and staff to present their work surrounding AAPI experience in academia and beyond. The president of TCNJ, Michael Bernstein, claimed that events such as this one “provide affinity groupings for members of our community, places where experiences can be learned about, and ideas can be shared and communicated.” Events like these, he said, help “enable us to remain mission-focused on our commitments in areas having to do with diversity, equity and inclusion.”
The morning of the symposium consisted of two faculty research panels. The first panel included psychology professor June Kim, communication professor Yachao (Bruce) Li, and education professor MinSoo Kim-Bossard. These presentations covered topics such as the rise of anti-Asian violence during Covid-19, how racial discrimination has an effect on AAPI individuals’ communication within bedroom settings, and how it feels to be in academic settings where you’re the only AAPI individual, and no teachers look like you.
The second panel included presentations from Anjali Badrinath ‘23 (Ph.D. student at Montclair State University), Professor Chung Chak, and Professor Simona Wright. Badrinath spoke about how having multiple cultural attitudes and customs brings pressure to assimilate among South Asian immigrant families. Chak explained that for his photomontage projects conducted in Hong Kong, he drew inspiration from cultural clashes, gender expectations, history, and the feeling of alienation. Finally, Wright focused on how K-dramas convey love, power, rebellion, and sodal transformation, as well as how this media highlight inclusion, emotional depth, and social values, which contrasts Western individualism.
The morning of the symposium concluded with a lunch event, which offered a wonderful spread of cuisine from across many different Asian ethnic cultures. One student from Professor Holly Didi-Ogren’s Cultural Anthropology class commented that the diverse array of cuisines “was a meaningful symbol of cultural expression and hospitality.” Attendees were able to converse together and connect with one another, which is an opportunity not often available for people across all sections of the campus.
The afternoon was kicked off by a student research panel. Master student Lelan Lockwood-Maldona presented the difficulties that Asian American adoptees face, such as social stigmas, microaggressions and discriminations that contribute to their mental health disorders and substance abuse. English majors Sam Tallis discussed how graphic novels and fairy tales can be powerful in the formation and acceptance of Asian American identities, and Larissa Goldberg examined graphic novels that told personal tales of surviving imperial wars in Asian countries. Andrew Kazim, a history major, zoomed in on transphobia in India through examining Hijras and Hindu Nationalism. Education students Masooma Naqvi and Mary Lawas shared their archival research on histories of Asian students in early years of TCNJ, focusing on barriers they faced, their contributions to education and campus life and the importance of their legacy today. Finally, communication studies student Bryanna Carrie presented the “What’s Your Take?” Street Interviews project that she and her peer Maya McKelvey conducted as part of the TCNJ AAPI Advocacy Campaign, aiming to test campus knowledge and raise awareness about Asian and AAPI history, culture, injustices, and experiences.
The final, and a unique, part of the symposium was the staff-faculty roundtable discussion, held with Jonathan Murakami (Staff Psychologist and Training Coordinator), Manish Paliwal (Mechanical Engineering Professor), Avani Rana (Co-Curricular and Leadership Development Director), Jordan Shyi (Intercultural Affairs Director), and Mei Zhao (Public Health Program Assistant). This section of the symposium gave all the participants an opportunity to speak about how their AAPI identity shaped their experiences in higher education. It was heartwarming to hear many personal stories that resonated with the audience, as laughter burst out from time to time.
The one-day symposium was attended by a total of about 100 people across the campus and disciplines. Engaged audiences from various fields asked thought-provoking questions and shared relevant stories themselves! Professor Simona Wright beautifully put it: “These conversations embody our campus’s commitment to inclusion, enriching both our community and our collective understanding.” Mei Zhao commented how she was “thankful to have this platform for everyone to be comfortable talking about the different situations the AAPI community is facing, so we could work together and make more impact.” Environments such as this symposium are so important to the future of movements that the AAAPIC stands for and the vibrant community that it is building together.
This event wouldn’t have been successful without every participant’s time and contribution. Dr. Yifeng Hu, co-chair of AAAPIC, said in her opening speech: “The enthusiasm for this event has been overwhelming. Every panelist, every moderator said ‘yes’ immediately when I reached out—because this work matters.” A very special thank you to the moderators of all sessions: Arti Joshi (Elementary and Early Childhood Education), Linghui (Lynn) Tang (Economics), Cathy Zheng (Political Science), and Jia Mi (Library). The inaugural AAAPIC symposium was organized by the planning committee members: AAAPIC co-chairs, Professors Yifeng Hu (Communication, Journalism, and Film), Shikha Chakraborty (History), and Binn Cho (Political Science and International Studies), and Director of Government and Community Relations, Raj Manimaran.