Diversity Education
Diversity Education Events
Wednesday, May 17, 2:30 to 4:20 p.m.
WMU x KVCC AAPI Heritage Month Webinar: "How to Support APIDA* Students in Higher Education"
*Asian Pacific Islander and Desi American
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
A celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. A rather broad term, Asian/Pacific encompasses all of the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia (New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji and the Solomon Islands), Micronesia (Marianas, Guam, Wake Island, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru and the Federated States of Micronesia) and Polynesia (New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Rotuma, Midway Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia and Easter Island).
Like most commemorative months, Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month originated with Congress. In 1977 Reps. Frank Horton of New York introduced House Joint Resolution 540 to proclaim the first ten days in May as Pacific/Asian American Heritage Week. In the same year, Senator Daniel Inouye introduced a similar resolution, Senate Joint Resolution 72. Neither of these resolutions passed, so in June 1978, Rep. Horton introduced House Joint Resolution 1007. This resolution proposed that the President should “proclaim a week, which is to include the seventh and tenth of the month, during the first ten days in May of 1979 as ‘Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week.’” This joint resolution was passed by the House and then the Senate and was signed by President Jimmy Carter on October 5, 1978 to become Public Law 95-419 (PDF, 158kb). This law amended the original language of the bill and directed the President to issue a proclamation for the “7 day period beginning on May 4, 1979 as ‘Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week.’” During the next decade, presidents passed annual proclamations for Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week until 1990 when Congress passed Public Law 101-283 (PDF, 166kb) which expanded the observance to a month for 1990. Then in 1992, Congress passed Public Law 102-450 (PDF, 285kb) which annually designated May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.
The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants.
About DEI
The Office of Diversity Education (DEI) works to promote and enhance diversity, inclusion, and equity among faculty, staff, and students on campus. DEI is also committed to efforts that support social justice, racial healing, and creating a positive campus climate.
The Office of Diversity Education Offers:
- Support for historically underrepresented students in higher education.
- Advising for cultural and identity-based student organizations.
- Workshops on Identity, Power and Privilege (IPP), Cultural Humility, and Implicit Bias for the Western Michigan University community.
- Events and programs to promote awareness about diversity and inclusion.
- Networking and outreach opportunities for faculty, staff, and students.
- Diversity Training and Workshops
- A Real Talk Diversity Series
- Leadership Development for Students
- Interactive Workshops
- Space for students to study, hold group meetings and relax.
- Heritage month programs throughout the academic year
Pre-registration is required to attend Diversity Education workshops/trainings.
To register, click the button below:
Workshops require a minimum of 5 participants.
IDENTITY, POWER, AND PRIVILEGE
This introductory workshop is designed to introduce the conversation of racial disparity through the lens of identity, power, and privilege. Participants are asked to come with an open mind, prepared to listen to and discourse about topics that are sometimes challenging to discuss. During this workshop participants will:
- Engage in meaningful conversations with colleagues around multiple concepts and perspectives in a brave space.
- Gain the knowledge and/or strengthen understanding of vocabulary and concepts related to social identities. Reflect on their social identities and openly discuss overarching themes with their colleagues.
- Gain the knowledge and/or strengthen understanding of target and non-target identities.
- Practice differentiating between the levels of oppression. Exercise creative thinking and reflection on how we can build inclusive environments and services for students.
(Dates and times are subject to change, advanced confirmation is required at least 24 hours prior to attendance)
Note: All trainings will be held virtually
IMPLICIT BIAS
This workshop is designed to help participants’ identify their own implicit bias, and to help participants identify skills in which to discuss the impact of (implicit and explicit) biases and how to mitigate the impact of these biases in both their personal and professional interactions.
Dates:
MICROAGGRESSIONS
- Define the concept of microaggression.
- Discuss examples of microaggressions in both their personal and professional lives.
- Explore the impact microaggressions have in institutions of higher education.
- Reflect on the knowledge, skills, and attitudes which are associated with microaggressions.
- Identify ways to alleviate microaggressions in their holistic lives.
Dates:
CULTURAL HUMILITY
- Define the concept of cultural humility.
- Discuss the difference between cultural competence and cultural humility.
- Highlight the role cultural humility plays in higher education.
- Explore the dynamics of difference.
- Reflect on the knowledge, skills, and attitudes which are associated with cultural humility.
Dates:
