“In Celebration of 15 years of AANAPISIs” 

As students settle into their fall terms on campuses across the country, we at APIA Scholars know how important it is for all students to feel welcomed and have the tools they need to thrive. Later this month, we will celebrate the 15^th anniversary of the Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) program. AANAPISIs have provided critical support for many of our 165 AANAPISI scholars from this past year and the nearly 1800 AANAPISI scholars we have awarded since this federal designation was established in 2007. We also know that this is the moment to lift up these colleges and universities that serve nearly half of APIA students across the nation, for doing the hard work of understanding students’ diverse backgrounds, learning needs, and how essential it is to design culturally competent supports to help them succeed in school.

And these students are nothing short of amazing. A majority of them are the first in their families to go to college, often traveling far from the families and communities they call home to navigate a higher education system that was never originally designed for them. The colleges and universities who celebrate these students and recognize the distinct strengths they’ve gained, from managing multiple worlds simultaneously, are also worthy of celebration. When students enroll in English Language classes, for instance, there is an important difference between the institutions that treat this as a skill gap or deficit, vs the ones that see speaking more than one language as a skill in and of itself and the asset that it truly is.

And as students return to campuses amidst the continuing rise in anti-Asian hate and acts of violence, we should follow the examples of these colleges and universities that create communities of belonging and talk about the importance of including APIA students in conversations about campus climate and justice, all while targeting learning resources and health supports that help them succeed both inside and outside their classrooms.

APIA Scholars applauds the AANAPISI community of colleges and universities on reaching this milestone of 15 years. While we have built relationships with 33 AANAPISI campuses to date, we hope to expand this community to broaden support to many more students. Our commitment for the next 15 years is to  deepen our understanding of student success; improve our programs that prepare students for college and beyond; expand our network of partners in this work; and advocate for more equitable federal funding for APIA students and the colleges and universities that serve them.

Noël S. Harmon, PhD

President & Executive Director

Messages from the President