This month, the Andrews University campus celebrates Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage. As a multicultural campus with a significant AAPI demographic—at around 10% in —represented by cultural clubs, including students from Korean, South Asian, Indonesian and Myanma backgrounds, these organizations have come together in collaboration to honor and uplift their heritage. The president of the Korean American Student Association (KASA), Abby Shim, discussed her background growing up Korean American, how that has shaped her open cultural perspective and the exciting events taking place in recognition of our integral AAPI community at Andrews.
What inspired you to get involved in student leadership as the president of KASA and can you share a bit about your cultural background and growing up Korean American?
I grew up going to an American church and Adventist academies. I had virtually no Korean friends growing up. Andrews was my first encounter with other Koreans my age, and I got to make a lot of friends who understood my culture, which was a first. Despite growing up in a household with two Korean immigrant parents and eating Korean food every day, speaking Korean in the house, and watching Korean media, I wasn’t used to having Korean friends. I was grateful for my diverse friend group but also had that longing for people who could relate to my heritage. I was able to meet a lot of people that I look up to in my cultural community, like Josh Pak, who was the president of KASA my freshman year. My sophomore year was my first year officially being part of KASA (as assistant treasurer) before I became executive VP my junior year. Then Rock [Choi] asked me to be president my senior year, and I knew that even though it would be hard work, I wanted to uplift the Asian community like previous KASA presidents.
What does AAPI Heritage Month mean to you personally? How do you see your Korean heritage intersecting with the broader AAPI experience?
I actually consider AAPI Heritage Month as a time for me to learn! I do approach it as a period for me to teach others about Korean culture, but what I look forward to the most is learning from people who come from different backgrounds within the AAPI community. It’s a time for us to highlight our wins and struggles as Asians and for us to foster community between our cultures. The AAPI experience is one marked with trials, but it’s also a beautiful experience that shows our perseverance and determination. We aren’t a monolith, but I know we can relate to each other.
Are there any cultural traditions or values from your Korean background that most people often don’t think of or get a chance to know? Are there any challenges that come from being Korean American that go unspoken?
My parents are both from Korea. They immigrated to the U.S. in their 20s. They are also very devout Christians. I am forever thankful for my parents and the way they raised me to be proud of my heritage but to also learn as much as I can and be friends with anyone and everyone, as Jesus exemplified. Probably the one thing people might not know about me is that my mother is actually the breadwinner in my family while my father stays at home. I think despite them being very traditional Koreans in every other sense, that’s the one way they kind of defy their generational expectations and cultural norms. I’d say the biggest challenge is seeing how Korean culture has blown up over the past few years. I remember I used to get made fun of for packing Korean food for lunch in grade school, but now it’s all the rage. Don’t get me wrong, I genuinely love that our culture is being appreciated now, but sometimes I notice that it’s often fetishized or idealized in an unhealthy way.
What do you wish more people knew about the diversity within the AAPI community? Can you give shoutouts to the other AAPI cultural clubs on campus and events they’ve held?
Despite being KASA president, I actually wish people showed more attention to the other AAPI clubs. Asia as a continent is often summed up as a monolith, but there is so much diversity within our demographic that should be celebrated more. East Asia is not the entirety of Asia, nor should it be [magnified]. SASA and Indo have hosted their own cultural nights already, and the Myanmar club has been fundraising for in their home country. AFIA hosted PCN [Philippine Culture Night] a month ago as well. Working with the leaders of these clubs has been a blast, and I’m very thankful for their leadership and willingness to share their cultures.
What events are taking place in support of AAPI Heritage Month this year?
We've been well underway with our celebrations, which included the AAPI vespers held at the beginning of the month in collaboration with Proximity and cultural nights hosted by Indo and SASA, but we're not done yet! We still have Myanmar's mission Sabbath [Saturday, April 19] and KASA's very own K-drama parody premiere, Singles Frostbite [Saturday, April 19]! The Social Justice Club is also [hosted] a fundraiser for the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) [on Thursday, April 17].
What legacy do you hope to leave behind as KASA president? If you could share one message with the campus community during this AAPI Month, what would it be?
I hope I set an example for my community to branch out and use our spotlight to highlight other cultures. I also hope that the celebration of AAPI month continues at Andrews even after I leave and that the AAPI committee expands to represent as many AAPI cultures as possible. The theme we chose for this month, “Together,” sounds simple, but it can actually be quite hard to get people to gather, especially with how busy people are and how comfortable people can get in their own friend or cultural groups. Fellowshipping together and celebrating the diversity God gave us is a little foretaste of heaven that I hope Andrews keeps creating spaces for.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.