This year, students from the Asian, Chinese, Japanese , Korean American, Philippines, South Asian, and Vietnamese students' associations are all contributing to the monthlong program.
Eduardo Pazos, assistant dean of student affairs for inclusion and diversity and director of multicultural student life, said the month—like all the heritage months at Bowdoin—is an opportunity to center and highlight one of the College's many affinity groups. Or, in this case, multiple groups.
"The Asian and Pacific Islander community is a big part of our campus, and we want to acknowledge the way they contribute to scholarship, culture, and who we are as a community," he added.
One of the identities the program will hold up is a Maine one. The first event of the month, following the Kick-Off Food Festival, was a talk by Marpheen Chann, on April 3.
Chann, author of the memoir, Moon In Full: A Modern-Day Coming-of-Age Story, was adopted from his Cambodian refugee family by a family in Maine. In his talk, he spoke about his story of adoption and growing up as a queer Mainer in a working-class community and a religious family. "Marpheen uses a mix of humor and storytelling to help people view topics such as racism, xenophobia, and homophobia through an intersectional lens," according to his bio.
The next event will also be an author's talk: Stephanie Foo, who wrote the memoir, What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma, will participate in a virtual conversation April 6 at 4:30 p.m. What My Bones Know has been named one of the best books of 2022 by NPR, Publisher's Weekly, Amazon, and Goodreads.
Following these two literary events, people can enjoy "screenings, a movie night, lots of food and conversation, and cultural performances," Pazos said. Toward the end of the month, students will throw a Holi celebration, the colorful Hindu festival delighting in the return of spring.
Though the holiday was officially in March, students at Bowdoin are timing their festival to coincide with the return of Maine's rather tardy spring, Pazos said.
One of the most prominent features of Holi is the throwing of dyed rice-flour powder at revelers, creating a spectacular vision of multihued students on the Brunswick quad. Everyone is welcome at Bowdoin's Holi event, and it's an event not to be missed, Pazos said.
