Asian Culture Center celebrates 10th anniversary

An evening with a combination of speeches and cultural performances topped off with an elegant dinner honored the past 10 years of the Asian Culture Center.

The ACC held its 10th Anniversary Banquet on Friday evening in the Indiana Memorial Union’s Alumni Hall.

Co-chairs of the event Mai-Lin Poon and Thien Nguyen have been working along with volunteers from the ACC since January to plan the event, write sponsorship letters and create invitations. They sent invitations out to more than 4,000 alumni, Nguyen said.

One of the events included the launch of the Asian American Studies Program.

“Asian-Americans are the fastest growing race in the United States,” said Bennett Bertenthal, dean of the IU College of Arts and Sciences. “This provides an opportunity to redefine Asian-American studies.”

Also featured throughout the evening were different Asian culture dances and music provided by members and alumni of the ACC.

One of the high points of the evening was the presentation of the Distinguished Asian Pacific American Alumni Award.

This year’s recipient was Judge G. Michael Witte. He serves as judge for the Dearborn Superior Court No. 1 and was the first Asian-American trial judge to be elected in the state of Indiana.

“Never did I imagine my University would honor me with such homage,” Witte said.
He talked about how all Asian-American ancestors have preserved the future for the Asian American Studies Program. He spoke of how his relatives lived through the horror of World War II, when some of his mother’s family was placed without due process in internment camps.

“Historical events, such as the internment of the Japanese-Americans, the exclusion act of Chinese, laws banning the marriage of Filipinos and other Asians ... are stories that need to be told and taught lest we forget,” said Melanie Castillo-Cullather, director of the Asian Culture Center.

A slide show presentation followed featuring pictures from the last 10 years to show the history of the ACC and all it has accomplished.

“The ACC has demonstrated to IU the importance of a cultural center and its role in recruiting students and in achieving IU’s educational mission,” Castillo-Cullather said.

With the Banquet coming to an end, the ACC held a dance for those attending to unwind and relax.

“We heard positive and good things all night,” Poon said. “It is great to see how many people support the Asian Culture Center.”