APIC Celebrates Heritage

Asian Pacific Islander Committee appreciates the diversity and heritage of the Berkeley High School student body on a weekly basis. “The club was started fifteen years ago, [when] Asian students were a very small portion of schools, and students felt they needed to come together to discuss issues involving racism, discrimination in schools, and stereotypes," explained Christina Nguyen, BHS senior and APIC co-chair with Zoe Tamaki. "Now, things have progressed in terms of discrimination. We still talk about Asian culture and stereotypes, but the club has grown to serve more as a friendly community, because its really overwhelming in a school of 3,500. I believe students should have access to smaller communities such as APIC for support.” APIC hosts an annual festival in the spring to celebrate Asian heritage and culture. It’s held in the park across the street from BHS and features performances and delicious food. This year, the club also plans to frequently sell assortments of Asian food during lunch to fund raise for the spring festival. Meetings for APIC are held on Thursdays during lunch in room C334, and are currently about 50 members strong. Nguyen enthusiastically concluded, “We encourage you to come and join in on the fun!” adding “It’s really not just for Asian students, it’s for anyone who is interested in Asian culture.”