SWC News Center

SWC Students Find Inspiration and Purpose at Asian American Studies Conference During AANHPI Heritage Month

By: Ko Inouye - May 8, 2025

As part of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, Southwestern College (SWC) students had the opportunity to attend the Association for Asian American Studies (AAAS) Conference—an experience that left a lasting impression on two emerging scholars and creatives.

Held on April 17-19, 2025, the AAAS Conference is the premier national gathering for scholars, educators, artists, and activists in the field of Asian American Studies. Founded in 1979, AAAS has become a vital hub for interdisciplinary scholarship rooted in the civil rights and student movements of the 1960s. This year’s conference brought together thousands of participants from across the country to explore topics such as racial justice, immigration, identity, decolonization, education equity, and the lived experiences of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Over 800 of those participants were college students in higher education, roughly 20 being community college students. 

Thanks to support from the Student Achievement Program (SAP) grant, students were able to engage directly with scholars, authors, and fellow students who are shaping the future of AANHPI research, advocacy, and creativity. Devin Grace, an SWC Bayan Learning Community student, described the experience as “...nothing short of inspirational.”

Surrounded by scholars who looked like him and had achieved incredible milestones, he reflected on the deeper value of higher education. “To see so many faces like mine and to hear the amount of hard work everyone has put into their studies, it shows that the sky's the limit,” Grace expressed. “Education has more value than any dollar amount. I was in pure awe… to even be blessed with the opportunity to be in the same room as these authors, professors, newly tenured and ones still working for it.”

Edelfonso “EJ” Bagaporo, another SWC Bayan Learning Community student and aspiring artist, shared how the conference inspired them to connect their academic journey with their creative growth. They explained, “I want to use my education to influence my art, to use what I learn be it historical or technical, I want to grow as a person, and grow myself as an artist.”

This year also marked the first time community college students were highly visible at the AAAS Conference, with their voices included in panels and their experiences highlighted. SWC students had the opportunity to present on the Research Initiatives and Service Education (RISE) Program and its recent educational delegation to the Philippines, sharing insights on identity, diaspora, and global solidarity from a community college perspective.

As an eligible Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI), SWC is proud to uplift student voices during AANHPI Heritage Month—and year-round—through opportunities that celebrate culture, learning, and leadership.