Discussion Groups
APIDA 101
APIDA 101 is an MSA program for undergraduate students that explores what it means to be a person of Asian, Pacific Islander, and/or Desi descent in the United States. Over the course of 6 sessions, you will make connections between your cultural/ethnic identity and a racial/political identity, analyze the history and dynamics of the APIDA experience in the United States, explore APIDA activism, and develop strategies for allyship and solidarity across communities.
This program centers the lived experiences of Asian, Pacific Islander, and/or Desi students - communities which are inclusive of, but not limited to, the East Asian, Southeast Asian, South Asian, and Pacific Islander diaspora, as well as multiracial and multiethnic APIDA communities.
Fall 2021
- Thursdays, 5:30 - 7:30 PM
- October 14 - November 18 (6-week series)
- Parkes 120
- COVID-19 Precautions
- We will be meeting in-person for fall quarter.
- Masks are required.
- Individual meals will be provided during the session, and participants may remove their masks to eat during the session.
- A virtual option will be offered in Winter 2022.
- Sign up by 10/8 at this link: bit.ly/APIDA101
APIDA Solidari-Tea
APIDA Solidari-Teas are a space for students to build community with each other through reflection, storytelling, and conversation centering Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi American (APIDA) identity and experiences. No prior knowledge is required to participate — our discussions offer a safe space for students to learn about, from, and with each other.
Fall 2021
- Session 1: Exploring Borders
- Friday, October 8
- 2 - 3:30 PM
- Parkes 223
- Join MSA as we dialogue about how immigration and borders have shaped the formation of Latinx and Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi American (APIDA) history, community, and identity.
- Session 2: Kahoot! and Karaoke with Kaibigan
- Monday, October 25
- 6 - 7:30 PM
- Multicultural Center
- Join Kaibigan and MSA for Pilipinx History Month in the Multicultural Center to explore how karaoke is connected to Pilipinx/Pilipinx American history and community! There'll be live karaoke, a prize for our karaoke Kahoot! winner, and lots of snacks-- and if you don't want to bust out your singing skills, there will be instruments/accessories to have fun with.
- Session 3: The History of Tea
- Friday, November 5
- 2 - 3:30 PM
- Parkes 223
- Where does tea come from? Why do we call these dialogues "Solidari-Tea"? What significance has and does tea have in the APIDA community? Join us as we dialogue about the boiling-hot history of tea, its evolution/appropriation, and cultural appropriation as a whole.
Queer Leadership Coffee Hour
Join us for a monthly hour-long of conversation with elders, alumni, and community members as we personal honor oral histories and the unique ways queerness informed their leadership and how their concepts of leadership informed their queerness.
Spring 2021
April Event: Leadership and Career Trajectories
- Wednesday April 14th 6pm CDT
- Guests: Len Iaquinta BSJ, Medill ‘66, and Tyler Hough Tyler Hough MS, SESP '19
- Registration Link
May Event: Conversation with Isabel Sandoval
Fall 2021
November Event: THIRZA CUTHAND: NDN SURVIVAL TRILOGY and other work
Additional Discussion Groups
For Us, By Us (FUBU)
FUBU is an ongoing space for courageous conversations by Black women, about Black women, and for Black women.
Harvest Indigenous Discussions
Join MSA for our monthly dinner and discussion series on topics important to Indian Country and the Northwestern Native and Indigenous Community. All are welcome.
Queer &