SAPAAC May 2025 Newsletter

IN THIS MONTH'S NEWSLETTER

Announcements
Upcoming Events
Recent Events
Member Spotlight

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

SAPAAC Awarded the 2025 Susan W. Schofield Oral History Award 🎉

SAPAAC has been selected to receive this year’s Susan W. Schofield Oral History Award for our Stanford Asian American Pacific Islander Oral History Project by the Stanford Historical Society Oral History Program for excellence in the practice of oral history.

Jan Thomson, Oral History Committee Co-Chair, stated that “the selection committee was impressed by SAPAAC's ambitious vision for the project; its dedication in preparing for, designing, and carrying it out; and the varied perspectives the interviews document, depicting the experiences of AAPI students over the decades and documenting important events in the community such as the establishment of the Tea House, the Asian American Activities Center, and more. The project has made a significant contribution to the archival record, and we are confident that it will be of great benefit to scholars, student researchers, and the university community for decades to come.”

Jacob Wang, ’74, who has been spearheading the project, told us: “The project stemmed from the 2022 SAPAAC Reunion event held at Okada House when alumni speakers from the past five decades shared their experiences with fellow API students: attendees were truly moved! When asked to find a way to record these and other alumni stories, I contacted the Stanford Historical Society’s Natalie Jean Marine-Street. Natalie quickly obliged by training committee members and offering the Society’s resources to conduct the recordings and prepare transcriptions for the Stanford Archives. I would like to thank the Stanford Asian American Pacific Islander Oral History Project committee members for their contribution: Nelson Nagai, Bo-Gay Salvador, Risa Shimoda, and Irene Yen.”

Stanford Day of Giving

Thank you to everyone who made the first Stanford Day of Giving a resounding success!

Your direct support raised $19,512 to keep A3C's wide array of programs and support alive and well. Thanks to the Trustee 1:1 match, that's over $39,000 raised for A3C!
With 83 unique donors, we unlocked another $5,000 challenge grant for A3C
The community centers collectively achieved 510 unique gifts, unlocking a $25,000 grant across the centers
SAPAAC board member Andrew Jabara, '18, secured third place on the Day of Giving leaderboard, unlocking another $10,000 that he has pledged to the community centers

With this united support, we're sending a clear message about the importance of A3C, our community centers, and AAPI spaces on campus.

SAPAAC Mini-Grants

Do you have an idea for an event related to AAPI alumni interests? SAPAAC is offering one-time mini-grants to subsidize and help you host an alumni event in your local area.

Mini-grants up to $200, provided through post-event reimbursement
Not required, but some preference will be given to underserved Stanford AAPI alumni regions
Eligible for events scheduled through Sept 30, 2025
Submit your proposal by May 31, 2025 - the end of AAPI Heritage Month

For more information and to access the application (just a simple Google form), go to SAPAAC Mini-Grant Proposal Form.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Book Talk with Kyla Zhao: Living the In-Between: Creativity, Identity, and Balancing Acts

May 22, 7-8 pm PST

Virtual

In this talk, award-winning author and tech professional Kyla Zhao shares how witnessing anti-Asian racism during the pandemic pushed her to write her debut novel—while she was still an undergraduate at Stanford. Now, with her fourth book coming out next year, her identity as an Asian woman continues to shape the stories she tells.

This Zoom webinar will start with a half hour of pre-prepared questions moderated by Stanford Peninsula Alumni Club treasurer and SAPAAC board member Kuldip Ambastha, followed by questions from the audience. This session will be recorded.

The Susan W. Schofield Oral History Award Ceremony

May 28, 4:15 pm

Pigott Theater, 551 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford

The Susan W. Schofield Oral History Award will be presented to SAPAAC in recognition of the Stanford Asian American Pacific Islander Oral History Project at the Stanford Historical Society annual meeting, at the Pigott Theater and live streamed.

RECENT EVENTS

Last month SAPAAC hosted a webinar with author Mayukh Sen, ’14, about his new book Love, Queenie on Merle Oberon, Hollywood’s first South Asian star. Watch the replay here.

On May 3, SAPAAC partnered with the GSB Asian Alumni Chapter (GSBAAC), the GSB Asian Business Students Association (ABSA), the GSB South Asian Business Students Association (SABSA), and the Stanford Law School Asian Pacific Islander Alumni Association (SLS APIAA) for our 4th Annual Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month potluck, which was held on campus. Over a wide variety of food and drink, attendees were able to engage in rich conversations and connect with friends, both old and new.

Front row, left to right: Edith Wu-Nguyen, NaSun Cho, Eva Hung, Irene Lin Iwasaki, Dominic Yu, Priya Jhingan. Back row, left to right: Jon Chow, Daniel Kojiro, Kuldip K. Ambastha, Jessica Lee.

Mimi Gan and Kuldip K. Ambastha

Left to right: Sunny Trivedi, Jack Tse, Linda Tran, Kuldip K. Ambastha, Mary Tran, and Stephen Han

On May 9, Mimi Gan, ’79, received the Alumni Award at the Stanford Asian American Awards Ceremony. SAPAAC board member Kuldip K. Ambastha, ’04, delivered an introductory speech, stating: “Through her lifelong dedication to storytelling, advocacy, and civic leadership, Mimi Gan has not only uplifted the voices of AANHPI and BIPOC communities but has also strengthened the Stanford community through mentorship, service, and historical preservation. Her legacy as a journalist and changemaker is undeniable, and she exemplifies the highest ideals of the Stanford Asian American Award.” Congratulations, Mimi!

With both POTUS and AAPI Heritage Month top of mind, we hosted a virtual conversation with Adrian Miller and Deborah Chang, both Stanford alumni from the Class of 1991, about their new history and recipe book Cooking to the President’s Taste: Asian Heritage Chefs in White House History. Watch the replay here.

On May 13, we had a strong turn out for our annual boba mixer for students and alumni at Okada House designed to facilitate mentorship opportunities. Many thanks go to Okada's Resident Fellows Edith Wu-Nguyen and John Nguyen for supporting the event and welcoming alumni to campus!

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT🔦

Name: Jacob Wang

Position: founding SAPAAC member, spearheads the SAPAAC Asian American Pacific Islander Oral History Project

Stanford Affiliation(s): BA Psychology 1974

In 1969 I was part of the organizing group that founded AASA. In my senior year, I served as AASA Co-Chair and was the first manager of the Teahouse. I was a founding member of SAPACC in 1989 and its Treasurer from 2018 to 2022, and I am a member of the Stanford Historical Society.

What I'm currently working on.

I am fully retired, focusing on supporting the growth of my three young grandchildren, playing pickleball and gardening. My career field was child development, with my most recent job being the Executive Director of the Child Development Department for the San Francisco Unified School District. My part-time job transitioning into retirement has been as a lecturer regarding the administration of child development programs for City College of San Francisco.

I am currently coordinating the SAPAAC Asian American Pacific Islander Oral History Project in conjunction with the Stanford Historical Society. This committee is in the process of hiring a student intern to enrich the Stanford Asian American Advocacy website.

What I’m currently enjoying.

I am currently reading science fiction novels by Mike Chen and watching TV series featuring API actors. I enjoy going to Hawaii, my second home, and traveling internationally.

Fun fact.

I have attended four Rose Bowls to cheer for Stanford!

GET INVOLVED! Do you want to have an impact on AAPI alumni? Work with any of our three working committees, which focus on organizing events, advocating for Asian American issues within the university, and growing our membership. Our next committee meetings will be held in July.

Events

Chair: Andrew Jabara, ‘18, [email protected]

West Coast Leader: Jin Park, ‘91, [email protected]

East Coast Leader: Josephine Lau, ‘06, [email protected]

Advocacy & Education Committee

Chair: Takeo Rivera, ‘08, [email protected]

Membership Committee

Chair: Kuldip Ambastha, ‘04, [email protected]

Other questions for SAPAAC? Email us at [email protected]

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