UCLA Asian American Studies Department

Congratulations to Nidhi Satyagal on successfully passing your M.A. thesis defense! Nidhi’s thesis is entitled, “You Can Dance, But You Can’t Hide: Collegiate Bollywood Dance and Indian-Americanness.” Her committee was Chaired by Professor Purnima Mankekar, and included Professors Lucy Burns and Thu-hương Nguyễn-võ. Please join us in a huge round of applause for Nidhi!

Congrats to Oni Jumapao on your successful MA thesis defense! Oni’s committee was Chaired by Professor Jennifer Chun, and included Professors Licy Burns and Daniel Solarzano. Congrats on all your amazing accomplishments!

Wondering where an Asian American Studies degree can take you? Join us for the AASD Alumni Panels 2026, a virtual series highlighting UCLA Asian American Studies alumni across different generations, career paths, and community-based work.

Each session will feature alumni working in academic and non-academic fields who will share their journeys, reflections, and advice for students thinking about life after UCLA.

Open to students of all majors, undergraduate and graduate students welcome.

SESSION DATES
Friday, May 22 | 12–1 PM
Thursday, May 28 | 11 AM–12 PM
Wednesday, June 3 | 3–4 PM

Virtual via Zoom. Register using the QR codes on the flyers.

Join us for a powerful roundtable discussion and collective remembrance honoring the legacies of q***r Asian HIV/AIDS activism in Los Angeles.

Longtime activists and cultural workers will reflect on how they called into being a community and an infrastructure of care at the height of the epidemic—a period marked by government neglect, racialized stigma, homophobia, and profound loss. Together, we’ll explore how these vital legacies continue to inform present-day struggles for racial justice, immigrant rights, public health equity, and LGBTQ+ liberation.

🗓️ When: Saturday, May 23, 2026 at 2:00 PM PST
📍 Where: Echo Park Branch Library (1410 W Temple St, LA) OR join online via Zoom! (Hybrid Event)
🎙️ Moderator: Edwin T. Ramoran
👥 Panelists: Noel Alumit, Jaime Geaga, Napoleon Lustre, Martin F. Manalansan IV, Gil Mangaoang, Tala Oliver Mateo, & Eric C. Wat.

Organized by Jaime Geaga, Lucy Burns, Tala Mateo, and Edwin Ramoran. Presented by the Friends of Echo Park Library's Carlos Bulosan Book Club. Inspired by the book Love Your Asian Body: AIDS Activism in Los Angeles by Eric C. Wat

Join us at UCLA for Feminist Solidarity for Post Academic Freedom Times on Thursday, May 14, 2026 in Royce 306.

Conference: 8:30 AM–5:30 PM
Reception: 4:00–5:30 PM

Keynote event: “Refusal in the Settler Colonial University” with Leanne Simpson and Nadera Shalhoub Kevorkian in conversation at 6:00 PM in Royce 314.

Funded by a Mellon Foundation grant on Academic Freedom.

PostAcademicFreedom RoyceHall

Join us for Bridging Cultures, Building Peace, an interactive workshop with Maya Soetoro, Peace Studies leader and professor at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Students will learn directly from an influential educator about multicultural education, peacebuilding, and organizing meaningful change. This event is especially recommended for anyone interested in higher education, organizing, politics, and related fields.

🍽️ Free dinner provided
📅 May 11
⏰ Dinner at 4:30 PM | Workshop at 5:00 PM
📍 Humanities Conference Room, Royce 314
🔗 RSVP through the LinkTree RSVP: https://forms.gle/4N1jvBihqt9JjG6w8

MulticulturalEducation HigherEd StudentOrganizing UCLAEvents

Don't miss this upcoming virtual symposium featuring insights from leading experts in Anthropology and Asian American Studies. We’ll be diving deep into the historical roots of racial violence and discussing paths toward collective resistance.

🗓 When: May 18, 2026 | 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM PT
💻 Where: Virtual (Free and open to the public!)
🔗 Sign Up: Link in bio or visit bit.ly/UCLA-ANTIASIANVIOLENCE2026

Honored to spotlight the incredible Leanne Betasamosake Simpson 🌿✨

Author, musician, and Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg storyteller, her work continues to inspire, challenge, and transform the way we understand land, knowledge, and resistance.

Join us for Theory of Water: Nishnaabe Maps to the Times Ahead 💧📖 — a powerful conversation, book talk, and signing you won’t want to miss.

🗓 Tuesday, May 12
⏰ 2:30 PM
📍 Founders’ Room, James West Alumni Center

Nishnaabe Storytelling Literature Community

Free film screening 🎥✨
Palestine 36 — a story you don’t want to miss

📍 Kinsey Pavilion, 1220B
🗓 Thursday, May 7
⏰ Doors 4PM | Film 4:30PM

Come early — seats fill up fast!

Are you looking to become more involved with the Asian American Studies Department at UCLA? 😍 Look no further than the Undergraduate Leadership Committee! ❤️ The current ULC is excited to announce that we are opening member applications for the 2026-2027 school year, and if you are a current major/minor in the department or planning to declare, we encourage you to join us! 🫂

The application is linked in our bio and can also be found at the QR code above. 📝 If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out via email to [email protected]! 📧 We look forward to hearing from you soon! 🙂↕️