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We celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Heritage month in May to recognize the experiences of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders and their many contributions to the history and culture of the United States. The influence of these communities started as early as 1763, when the first Asian settlement was established by Filipino fishermen in Louisiana. At Penn State, Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA)/AANHPI students, faculty, staff, and alumni have a rich history of shaping our institution and experiences, and inspiring and empowering all our communities within and beyond the university. Penn State’s current president, Dr. Neeli Bendapudi started her tenure as the 19th President of Penn State in 2022 as the first woman, the first person of color, and the first person of Asian origin to hold this office.  

Since 1970, April 22 has been celebrated around the world as Earth Day. This year’s “Planet vs Plastic” is also accompanied by a rallying call to decrease plastics by 60% by 2040. 

The warmer days of April see a lot of activity on Penn State campuses, including due to the Penn State community coming together to celebrate Campus Pride Month. This special celebration is undertaken when a vast majority of students are on campus during Spring semester, in the spirit of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) Pride month observed nationally in June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. The Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity (CSGD), and many other units, departments, colleges, and campuses participate in innovative ways to show their pride and support.

March has been celebrated as National Women’s History Month since 1980 when President Carter set aside a month to honor and celebrate the historic and current contributions of women to the country and beyond.

Lunar New Year will be celebrated this year on Saturday, February 10 by many Asian communities around the world and Americans of Asian origin, including those of Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tibetan, Mongolian, Singaporean, Malaysian and Filipino heritage. Though Lunar New Year is marked by different traditions, and called varied names across these cultures, all focus on celebrating and strengthening family and community bonds.

February is celebrated as Black History Month, and offers many opportunities to honor and celebrate the legacy and contributions of Black and African Americans and elevate their voices and experiences as part of the American experience.

Pronouns are an integral part of a person’s identity and beliefs, and putting in the effort to use someone’s correct pronouns is important to creating a Culture of Belonging. Yet, we often assign pronouns to individuals, using assumptions based on appearance, name, or some other factor.  

National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15 – October 15  to recognize the experiences of Hispanics and Latinos, and Americans who trace their origins to Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America, and their many contributions to the history, society and culture of the United States. The Hispanic/Latinx community is not a homogenous group; rather it is incredibly diverse.