Our mission is to provide resources and support for the local Asian, South Asian, Pacific Islander American community, and increase the visibility and representation of the Asian American diaspora in Evanston’s civic, cultural and community spaces through the arts.
You cannot change any society unless you take responsibility for it, unless you see yourself as belonging to it and responsible for changing it.
- Grace Lee Boggs
Happy Asian Pacific Islander American Heritage Month!
WHAT DO WE DO?
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Educational Resources​
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Arts programs sharing traditional and contemporary art and craft for children and adults
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Workshops, trainings, and professional development for schools, community orgs and businesses (Hands-On Traditional & Contemporary Arts, Asian American History, Placemaking & Archiving, Asian American Stereotypes & Tropes, etc.)
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Referrals for artists, performers and speakers for Asian American Heritage Month Programming
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TEAACH Resources for Educators, School Administrators, Teachers
Resources and Support for the Local Asian American Community​
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Resources, support and advocacy for Asian-owned businesses
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Help finding culturally relevant resources or connecting to services that aren't available in our community
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Affinity spaces, community building and networking opportunities
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Visibility and Representation
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Community-wide cultural events, festivals, holiday celebrations
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Research, collection, documentation of local Asian American history and oral histories to establish an ongoing archive to be accessible for current and future generations
- Advocacy, participation and representation in civic and community spaces​
CHECK US OUT...
ASIAN IN EVANSTON
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DID YOU KNOW over 10% of Evanstonians identify as Asian American and 30% of students at Northwestern University identify as AAPI/APIDA? There are also over 70 Asian-owned businesses in the city of Evanston including restaurants representing cuisines from Japan, Thailand, China, the Philippines, India, Nepal and more... ​
Learn more here!
FESTIVALS & EVENTS​
We host community-wide festivals and events that celebrate Asian cultures and traditions, and center Asian American stories and voices. Our annual Umbrella Arts Festival is our largest event. It takes place in May during Asian American Heritage Month and involves traditional and contemporary Asian music, dance, art and food celebrating the many cultures that fall under the Asian American diasporic umbrella.​ Learn more here!
VISIBLE VOICES PROJECT
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The Visible Voices project is a series of storytelling events, author talks, webinars, creative workshops and art exhibitions centering Asian American voices and stories. The project aims to raise awareness of the diversity of cultures and ethnicities that represent the Asian American diaspora, to dispel harmful stereotypes and myths, and to create connections and solidarity with communities that are often silenced and whose stories go unheard.
We aim to bring them to the forefront, and invite the community to not only hear and witness, but to engage in conversation
and co-activate change. ​ Learn more here!
PLACEMAKING PROJECT
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The Placemaking Project is an ongoing project to research local ASPA history, to gather stories from the local ASPA community, and to preserve and share this history today and into the future. From artifacts, biographies, and stories to accounts of immigration and refugee journeys and personal testimonies. This project is about increasing the visibility and representation of Asian, South Asian and Pacific Islanders in our community and create a community where ASPA people see themselves reflected in history and stories, and experience Evanston as a place where they belong. ​ Learn more here!