The Asian Pacific American Coalition is celebrating the diversity of their culture and promoting awareness this week in honor of their heritage.

Dexter Rassavong, senior in accounting, is the student adviser to the Asian Pacific American Coalition and one of the original founders of the awareness week.

“The club was declining, and there was very little presence on campus, and we wanted to spread awareness. May is Asian American month; in honor of that, we decided to host a week of awareness and celebration,” Rassavong said.

The week’s events are being kicked off with the opening ceremony in the free speech zone in front of Parks Library by Tom Hill, vice president of student affairs.

“I’m there to help them join in their celebration week and celebrate their culture, sharing in diversity,” Hill said.

Hill said it’s important to share these experiences as a community.

“It’s an opportunity to share the culture with the masses, to get the community to the point of interest of diverse cultures, and to ask questions. [Students] need to understand different worldviews,” Hill said. “Everyone will come into contact with each other, and they’ll need to know these different experiences and cultures.”

Ethnicity is one element of diversity, and this week gives an opportunity to highlight that, Hill said.

The goal of this week is to also empower Asian Americans on campus and to bring knowledge and awareness to the community.

“We want people to know about the history and culture of Asian Americans. A lot of people don’t know about us and our history; it doesn’t get told in popular media and in the textbooks. We also hope this will bring education and break stereotypes,” Rassavong said.

Phetsalath Bounyalath is the president of the Asian Pacific American Coalition and hopes for a successful week.

“May was when the first Japanese came to America, and the awareness is for heritage, presence and our culture. It’s to celebrate everything we are, not just that we are students,” Bounyalath said.

Bounyalath said Culture Night is by far the most anticipated evening of the whole week, where American Idol finalist Andrew Garcia will be performing.

The week’s events are free and open to all ISU staff and students.