August 15, 2025
This week, I (David Siu) had the honor of hosting an Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) workshop at UC Berkeley for a group of international high school and local college students. After working with UC Berkeley, I also invited Matthew Sugiyama to speak alongside me. This presentation was an opportunity for me to educate others on AAPI history, as well as to learn from their experiences.
The goal of this presentation was simple: to build awareness and understanding of the AAPI experience in America. But outside of that, we discussed racial discrimination and what to do when someone experiences it. Many of the international students arrive in the U.S. with little context about the Asian American narrative, and I felt it was important to bridge that gap. I wanted the presentation to go beyond just facts and data. I included personal stories, case studies, and lots of examples highlighting the resilience of immigrant families, the power of coalition building during the civil rights movement, and recent efforts to combat anti-Asian hate.
Presenting at Berkeley was not just about teaching others, but also about learning. From the international students, I learned about significant cultural differences and the importance of giving spaces for students to feel seen and heard. After the presentation, I also spoke with many of the local students, who realized that AAPI history was rarely taught in the classroom. Many of the international students realized they had faced racism, but never realized how harmful it could be. I also realized that awareness is only the first step to this progress; advocating for the change in society is the other huge step in this process.