Issues unite Asian students

By By Estuardo Garcia (Contact)

Tuesday, April 5, 2005

Grant Huang and eleven other KU students piled into three cars last weekend for what turned out to be a 17-hour road trip to the University of Michigan.

The trip would have been shorter, but a tire blowout less than three hours into the trip caused a four-hour delay. The group arrived at its destination, the Midwest Asian American Student Union spring conference, just two hours before the first workshop Saturday morning.

Huang, St. Louis freshman, said he hoped next year’s conference would be a little closer to Lawrence.

Students from Asian Student Unions from Midwest universities attended educational workshops, listened to keynote speakers and networked and socialized with other Asian students from the Midwest.

Lara Puno, Leawood senior, said she took this educational opportunity to connect with other Asian students.

“The Asian population at KU is kind of limited,” she said. “When you see 700 Asians in one room, it’s kind of mind-blowing.”

She said she planned on using the networking knowledge from the conference to try and unite the Asian organizations on the KU campus.

Through various political, community and media workshops, students learned about legislation and the importance of networking, the experience of being Asian in the United States and Asian stereotypes in the media, particularly those in the hip-hop culture.

Victoria Li, Overland Park junior, and president of the KU Asian American Student Union, said she wanted students to use the information they learned in the conference to improve the Kansas Union.

“We can always get new experience bringing things back to the school that will make AASU become better,” Li said.

She also said she wanted the University to become an official member of the MAASU, to have members serve on its board and to someday host the conference in Lawrence.

Last weekend’s conference was a first for Huang. After seeing three speakers discuss issues concerning Asian-Americans, he said he wanted AASU to bring a speaker to the University.

“Getting one of the speakers can bring awareness to other people and how they are judging minorities,” Huang said. “There are still people that just don’t understand how our culture works and why we are the way we are.”

Multicultural center plays host to Asian-American conference

Far East in the Midwest

/news/2008/mar/28/conference/

KU to host next Asian-American conference

36 KU students attended this year’s Midwest Asian-American Student Union conference at ...

/news/2007/mar/26/asia/

Festival to give students journey of Orient

/news/2005/apr/18/news_campus_asu/

Week mixes culture, cuisine, commentary

Asian-American Student Union to host “Transitions from Traditions” to focus on culture.

/news/2009/feb/04/culture/

Hard up for money

/news/2005/apr/29/news_campus_funding/

University gets a “Taste of Asia”

The Asian-American Student Union hosted its 14th Annual “Taste of Asia” last ...

/news/2011/feb/27/university-gets-taste/

University hosts Black Student Union conference

Activities include workshops, speakers, a step show and a variety show.

/news/2009/feb/27/BSU/

Multicultural Resource Center opens today for all ...

The new building next to the Kansas Union replaces the old center ...

/news/2008/feb/11/multicultural_resource_center/

Minorities improve skills at conference

/news/2005/feb/21/news_campus_bigtwelve/

Applied English Center helps non-native speakers

Group discussions center on acclimating international students to American culture and the ...

/news/2010/nov/02/applied-english-center-helps-non-native-speakers/

Princeton Review names KU a ‘Best Value ...

The title is awarded to universities based on academics, cost, financial aid, ...

/news/2010/apr/22/princeton-review-names-ku-best-value-college/

Participants benefit from conference

Alumnus finds Conference on Black Student Union inspiring and empowering.

/news/2009/mar/02/bsu/

Annual theater festival visits Lawrence

Midwest theater students flock to Lawrence for workshops, performances and competition

/news/2009/jan/22/annual_theater/

Grad student investigates stereotypes in art

KU graduate student Hilary Hungerford researched a permanent exhibit of African art ...

/news/2007/sep/28/grad_student_investigates_stereotypes_art/

/photos/2008/jan/21/1223/

D.C. conference puts Darfur in the spotlight

The group Students Taking Action Now: Darfur, will hold its first national ...

/news/2007/sep/25/dc_conference_puts_darfur_spotlight/

Committee advances funding bill for group

Student Senate finance committee allocates $12,403 to Black Student Union for conference ...

/news/2010/jan/29/committee-bill/

‘Jewish Jordan’ talks faith, basketball

Jewish Division 1 player who never played on holy days speaks tonight ...

/news/2009/oct/26/Jewish-faith-basketball/

Event will educate public on Palestine

Voices of Palestine, a student group, will hold two days of workshops ...

/news/2009/mar/25/palestine/

Music festival honors historic composer

International musicians and University students will play at the festival.

/news/2009/apr/02/festival/

Ireland theater company to visit campus

The Mangiare Theatre Company, based out of Ireland, is hosting a three-day ...

/news/2007/oct/25/Mangiare/

Pork politics

/news/2005/dec/07/ne_final_project/

‘Take Back the Night’ promotes awareness

Victims of domestic violence and sexual assault share stories and shelters provide ...

/news/2010/sep/23/take-back-night-promotes-awareness/

Ex.C.E.L. award given during Homecoming

One male and one female student receive the award for outstanding academic ...

/news/2009/oct/05/excel-award-given-during-homecoming/

AlcoholEdu survey results confirm problems

The University’s alcohol task force received its first glimpse of the statistics ...

/news/2009/nov/20/alcoholedu-survey-results-confirm-problems/

Students vote on greatest American movie

Lewis and Templin halls get students involved with a project to discuss ...

/news/2010/feb/05/students-vote/

Students gather for harvest celebration

East Asian festival recognized with barbecue, moon-viewing party.

/news/2009/oct/05/students-harvest-celebration/

Students work on city plans

The University’s urban planning program is working with Lawrence and Wichita to ...

/news/2010/feb/10/students-help-improve-transportation-kansas-cities/

Into the Streets with community service

Humanitarian event will feature a speech Nobel Prize winner Jody Williams on ...

/news/2010/apr/06/into-the-streets-with-community-service/

Know your Student Senate candidates

Learn more about the candidates for Student Senate

/news/2009/apr/14/know_your/

Hispanic Heritage Month begins

Celebrations for Hispanic Heritage Month at the University began Sept. 15 and ...

/news/2007/sep/18/hispanic_heritage_month_begins/

Trumpet player’s practice pays off at competition

Peixiang Li attended an international trumpet competition and took second place.

/news/2010/nov/03/trumpet-players-practice-pays-competition/

News Brief: November 12, 2007

Campus News

/news/2007/nov/12/news_brief_november_12_2007/

From Beatnik to Anarchist

/news/2005/apr/27/features_kulture/

Rugby tournament draws teams from across the ...

This weekend’s tournament, at the Jayhawks’ Westwick Rugby Complex, pitted the collegiate ...

/news/2008/sep/29/KURugby/

Concert aims to promote diversity, peace

The ‘One World, One Family’ concert, sponsored by the University’s Art of ...

/news/2008/nov/03/Living/

Kansan Departments

Your guide to surviving the week.

/news/2008/jun/20/kansan_departments/

New leadership rethinks Model UN procedures

The KU Model United Nations team has made changes in hopes of ...

/news/2008/oct/07/model_un/

Looking to expand résumés and wallets at ...

Thirty-three businesses will be at the University Career Center’s fair in the ...

/news/2011/aug/22/looking-expand-resumes-and-wallets-job-fair/

University records increase in international students

A report shows that the number of international students attending the University ...