Spring 2025: Community Building Highlights

Posted on by Center for Asia Pacific Studies

This spring, the Center for Asia Pacific Studies offered a variety of community-building activities for USF students interested in learning more about–and sharing their knowledge of–the Asia Pacific. See below for photos and video highlights showcasing all the fun we had together this past semester!

 

The Center, along with a record number of Asia-focused programs and campus units, celebrated the Year of the Snake with a vibrant event at Privett Plaza. Attendees enjoyed music, games, prizes, food, and a traditional lion dance performance by Leung’s White Crane Association. Despite the rain, the celebration drew over 200 participants. This year’s gathering featured the largest list of co-sponsors to date, with additional programs already expressing interest in joining next year’s festivities.

 

Next, we had our Asia Bridge Junior Fellows host their event on making Bahn Mi!

 

The next event was a Japanese Tea Ceremony and Tasting, marking the return of a beloved campus tradition. The Center was thrilled to welcome Omotesenke Domonkai Northern California to lead the ceremony and share the rich cultural practice of Japanese tea. In past years, tea ceremonies were held on campus annually, and the team was especially excited to revive this meaningful experience for the campus community.

 

Next, at a special reception and presentation co-sponsored by the AAPI Center and the Asia Pacific American Studies program, award-winning poet Brynn Saito spoke about her new anthology, The Gate of Memory, co-edited with Brandon Shimoda. This powerful collection features poems by descendants of Japanese Americans who were unjustly incarcerated in camps during World War II.

 

The Center also co-hosted a screening of the award-winning film Didi in collaboration with the Fromm Institute. Set in 2008, the film follows an impressionable 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy during the final month of summer before high school, as he learns what his family can’t teach him–how to skate, how to flirt, and how to appreciate his mother. The screening was a hit, with attendees enjoying the shared viewing experience along with fresh popcorn and snacks.

 

To close out the season, the Center co-hosted its second 21% Party in collaboration with Asian Pacific American Studies, Asian Studies, and the Office of Sustainability. Inspired by South Korea’s innovative WearAgain Lab, this fun and engaging clothing exchange encouraged participants to refresh their wardrobes sustainably while connecting with others committed to reducing waste and promoting mindful consumption.

 

If you would like to support events like these, please consider making a donation here. Your contribution helps us continue offering engaging programs that celebrate and explore the diverse cultures, histories, and issues of the Asia Pacific region.