Asian student groups at Tufts are looking for one thing: unity.
The leaders of 13 groups came together Thursday, Oct. 6, to discuss how to improve communication between groups and organize more co-sponsored programs.
Representatives from the groups meet each week through the Pan Asian Council to keep up to date on the clubs' activities and goals, but this was the first time the meeting included presidents.
"If we as the Asian American community always focus on culture, than we will always be separate," Asian American Center Director Linell Yugawa said.
The 13 groups in attendance were the Asian Community at Tufts, the Chinese Student Association, the Filipino Cultural Society, the Hawaii Club, the Hong Kong Students Association, the Indonesian Club, the Japanese Culture Club, the Korean Students Association, the Singapore Students Association, the Taiwanese Association of Students at Tufts, the Thai Club, the Tufts Association of South Asians and the Vietnamese Student Club.
The two things have united the groups in the past, participants said, were food and sports. One event that brought the groups together was the Thai Club's soccer tournament.
Participants also proposed dinner discussions, an Asian culture show and a luau. The leaders met in the Carmichael Faculty Dining Hall.
The groups already have events planned, including Asian American Month in November and a Pan Asian Council volleyball tournament in March.
The groups expect to reach out to non-Asian students and groups on campus, specifically other students of color.
"We are trying to bring in non-social events as well to the Tufts community," said junior Jason Lau, the president of the Hong Kong Students Association. Lau said the group plans to host guest speakers from Hong Kong.
The group has begun working on a Cantonese language program with the Young Entrepreneurs at Tufts for students interested in business. "I'm very interested in diversity and trying to work with others," Lau said.
The 13 groups plan to work together on preventing campus discrimination.
"There already have been a couple of bias incidents this year," senior Sarasa Poduval said. Poduval is the Asian Community at Tufts representative to the Tufts Community Union Senate, and she serves on the Culture, Ethnicity, and Community Affairs Committee.
"Students have come to me and voiced their concerns about these incidents because it seems as though no one even knows," Poduval said. She said bias incidents should be published more than once per year.
Group leaders discussed possible changes to the curriculum. Korean history was offered last year but not this year. Beginning Hindi/Urdu was not offered this fall in the Ex College. Only the language's third level was offered this semester.
The participants said the meeting was a success, and would like to make it annual.
