Spring Newsletter
April 2024 (3rd Issue)
Welcome Message from the Co-Presidents
Happy Spring!
If you haven’t been able to check out an AAPIFSA related event yet, now’s your chance! This newsletter contains updates from past events and plants the seeds for upcoming opportunities to mingle, give back, and join in. From participating in the Day of Giving on March 6th to upcoming events during Heritage Month in April, there are several ways to connect, socialize, support our students, and celebrate together. We look forward to seeing familiar faces and growing new friendships too. Check out our AAPIFSA website and Instagram (@csuf.aapifsa) for updates and hop on by any event/gathering.
Wishing you a productive and bright spring semester,
Tricia Kasamatsu and Raven Mansen
CSUF Celebrates APISAA Heritage Month in April
Written by Jennifer Baldaray
CSUF campus community is set to celebrate the rich and diverse identities, histories, and experiences of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders during the APISAA Heritage Month, which begins the week of April 8, 2024. A flyer containing the complete list of events will be available soon. We cordially invite you to join APARC at their kick-off event for APISAA Heritage Month, titled "Storytelling from the Deep Blue," on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, from 4 pm to 6 pm, at Laurel MPR. AAPIFSA is thrilled to be part of this celebration!
Graduation Recognition Celebration
The 22nd annual Asian Pacific Islander South Asian American recognition ceremony is Sunday, May 5th, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The ceremony will take place at the TSU Pavilions, and all faculty and staff are invited to walk in the procession in their regalia. APARC's APISAA Heritage Month Student Reception will be on Tuesday, April 30th, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Brave Space (PLS 180).
Scholarships
Written by Kaitlyn Hopkins
AAPIFSA will be awarding two types of scholarships this year: the Book Scholarship and the Outstanding Student Award. The Book Scholarship will be a $500 scholarship for selected students with exemplary academic success at California State University, Fullerton. The winners of the book scholarships will be announced at APARC's APISAA Heritage Month Student Reception on April 30th at DRC Brave Space (PLS 180). The Outstanding Student Award will be a $1,000 scholarship that will be presented to one undergraduate student and one graduate student. The recipients of the Outstanding Student Award will speak at the APISAA recognition ceremony on May 5th at TSU Pavilions. The deadline to apply for these scholarships is Wednesday, April 10th, 2024.
Please use the following link to submit an application for the Book Scholarship: https://forms.gle/tibh2NrgMGdrJ3vKA
Please use the following link to submit an application for the Outstanding Student Award: https://forms.gle/Lhxp1jPLhkSnYsT59
AAPIFSA Leadership and Mentorship Program
We are pleased to announce that AAPIFSA received a $40,000 grant from the Chancellor's office to provide leadership and mentorship activities at CSUF. We had 35 individuals apply for the program and we are pleased to announce that we will be able to accept all 35 applicants into the program. We will be hosting an orientation for all applicants on April 12th from 10:30-11:30am via Zoom to share program details, and a kick-off luncheon for our mentors and mentees on April 30th from 10:30 to noon. This program is designed to create relationships between faculty and staff at CSUF who serve and support APISAA students. We are very excited to join 9 other CSU's in increasing support and equity for our APISAA population! If you applied you will be receiving more details on the upcoming activities in a personal email during the break.
Wood Café Thai Cuisine
Wood Cafe Thai Cuisine was first established in 2012 in the city of Covina and we opened our 2nd location in Fullerton in 2019. Our most important inspiration is to introduce and share delicious authentic Thai cuisine with everyone in our community.
We take pride in serving authentic Thai cuisine because Thai cuisine has its ability to blend flavors harmoniously with a combination of sweet, sour, salty and spicy elements in perfect proportion. Not just about flavors, each dish is prepared and presented by different techniques from our chefs such as stir-fried, grilled and steamed to bring out the best flavors and textures in the ingredients. Lastly, our Thai cuisine has the diversity on the menu that caters to all taste preferences and dietary needs like meat lover , seafood lover or even for vegetarians.
Student Spotlight: Matthew Chuang
I am Matthew Chuang, and I am double majoring in Criminal Justice and Communication Studies! My hometown is Alhambra, CA. I, ethnicity-wise, am Chinese, but culture-wise, I am Filipino! I am very proud of my background, but a specific incident where I felt proud of where I come from is when learning about my family’s journey from the Philippines to the United States. Some of my great-grandparents helped American citizens during WWII and got a letter of recommendation for US citizenship from an American general. Academics-wise, I chose my original major, Criminal Justice, because I wanted to work in the law enforcement field, and the reason I also chose to double major in Communication Studies is because it would work really well with my Criminal Justice major! During my freshman year, I was initially nervous about moving into housing since this was my first time away from the rest of my family for an extended period. As time went on, I was able to get more comfortable and used to my environment!
Titan Day of Giving and Fall Fundraiser
A HUGE thank you to all who participated in helping AAPIFSA to reach its goal for the March 6th Day of Giving event and also for your contributions to our Fall Fundraiser where we were able to raise 1700 dollars for student scholarships! No amount is too small to give and the prizes are awarded based on the number of donors we have who support our work!
This Spring fundraiser was focused on raising funds to create a Faculty and Staff awards program that will happen as a part of Asian Pacific Islander Heritage month. It will also help to support professional development and training for APISAA social and programs that are planned to increase visibility and connection among Asian Pacific Islander and South Asian American faculty and staff at CSUF with one another and the community at large. Again thank you SO VERY MUCH for your generosity and support!
