Asian Heritage Dinner

April 30, 2023 at 6pm in the Indianapolis Arts Garden (20 N Meridian St.)

This year’s APIDA (Asian, Pacific Islander, Desi, American) Heritage Dinner and Fashion Show theme is Through Sun and Rain, We All Bloom The Same. The focus for the night attests to the human experience, showcasing we all face struggles and hardships in life, but ultimately we are all capable of growth and flourishing. Just as flowers require both sun and rain to grow and bloom, we too need both success and hardship to take root and prosper. Through this, we hope to turn adversity into an opportunity for growth. This dinner is a message of hope and unity, encouraging local community members to see the beauty in our shared humanity and to work towards a brighter future together. This dinner will also showcase the APIDA Heritage Fashion Show, which is the longest standing Fashion Show on IUPUI’s campus. The Fashion Show’s purpose is to showcase the diverse APIDA cultures through textiles and fashion.

The IUPUI Asian Student Union (ASU) is hosting the 10th Annual APIDA Heritage Dinner, and your attendance will be an essential part of this year's success. We cordially invite you to join us for an evening of cultural awareness and networking with organizations and individuals involved in the APIDA community. This year’s dinner will be held on Sunday, April 30, 2023 at 6pm in the Indianapolis Arts Garden (20 N Meridian St.) Doors will open at 5:30 pm with the program beginning promptly at 6:00 pm. The annual APIDA Fashion Show will occur at the end of the dinner.

This year’s keynote speaker is David Suzuki, Ph.D. David is Professor Emeritus in the IU School of Medicine and Director of the Equity Institute on Race, Culture & Transformative Action at IUPUI. In parallel to a career as an NIH funded Neuroscientist, Suzuki has been a board member of the Immigrant Welcome Center, Asian American Alliance, and Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana. He currently serves on the board of the Indiana Historical Society. Suzuki established the first Asian American Studies course at IUPUI and co-founded the IU Asian Pacific American Faculty & Staff Council. For many years, he delivered monthly cultural competency webinars sponsored by the Indiana State Division of Mental Health & Addiction. His B.A. is from the University of California, Berkeley and his Ph.D. from UCLA in biochemistry and neuroscience, respectively. Suzuki continues to facilitate discussions and workshops on implicit biases, structural racism, cultural competency, and Asian American identity and history.