Starting with delicious ‘Wraps’ and ending with exploding colors, students celebrate the cultures of the Asian and Pacific Islanders

Each April, the College honors Asian cultures and history with a monthly program of lectures, festivities, meals and other events. Although typically celebrated in May, Bowdoin is moving the celebration a month earlier to avoid conflict with the end-of-year hustle and bustle of exams and academic events.

This year, Bowdoin’s Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month included an Eid Al-Fitr dinner (in which President Safa Zaki participated), an evening of stand-up comedy with Sri Lankan-born comedian Sureni Weeraskekera, a pan-Asian fashion show and a Holi festival, to name just a few festivities.

The kickoff event in late March spotlighted a food item that comes in various forms around the world and is loved by just about everyone: dumplings, or a type of filling wrapped in dough that is usually fried or baked.

Students from various affinity groups volunteered to prepare their cultural version of the popular staple and gathered on March 30 to share the results during a meal they informally called “wrap night.” The last buffet offered shumai, crab Rangoon, samosas, gyoza, spring roll and others. “That brought people from different cultures together,” said Pazos.

Student planners also revived a tradition that had been put on pause during the pandemic: the Pan-Asian Fashion Show. Student activities set up a catwalk in Smith Union for the April 20 event.