Celebrated annually during the month of April while the community is still on campus together, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month is coordinated by the AAPI Heritage Month planning committee, with efforts led by Multicultural Affairs in collaboration with campus departments and student organizations.
Celebrated nationally in May, AAPI Heritage Month honors Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America’s history and are instrumental in its future success.
Campus community members are invited to participate in the following programs and events being held to celebrate, honor and educate the Syracuse University community about the histories, identities, cultural diversity and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
March 28: Comics and Conversation With Bishakh Som
April 4: AAPI Heritage Month Information Fair
April 4: AAPI Heritage Month Kickoff
April 6: Holi
April 7: K-Night
April 9: AAPI Heritage Month Commemorative Speaker: A Night With Sherry Cola
April 12: AAPI Banquet
April 16: AAPI Pre-Law Day
April 17: AAPI Heritage Month Paving the Way Alumni Speaker: Sandhya Bathija ’03
April 17: aKDPhi AAPI Trivia Night
April 19: Mr. ASIA
April 20: AAPI Badminton Tournament
April 20: Orange After Dark – AAPI Heritage Month Grocery Bingo
April 22: AAPI x SAAM Jeopardy
April 23: Award-Winning Filmmaker and Author Curtis Chin Visiting Syracuse
Itanwa Orinwa (Our Story, Our Song) is a graduation ceremony dedicated to celebrating the achievements of Syracuse University graduates of color. ltanwa Orinwa was founded in 2002 at Syracuse University by a group of distinguished Black students.
The mission is to create an annual observance honoring all degree candidates who identify as being part of the African Diaspora. This includes, but is not exclusive to: African American, African, Caribbean and Latin students. The purpose of this celebration is to acknowledge the historical plight of our people’s pursuit to and through higher education systems, and to provide a historical voice and story that can be a legacy for generations to come.
The Class of 2024 Itanwa Orinwa keynote speaker will be announced in the spring semester.
Degree recipients who would like to be honored during the ceremony, as well as faculty and staff who would like to process at the ceremony, are asked to complete the Itanwa Orinwa registration form by Friday, May 3. Non-degree recipients and all other attendees do not need to register.