SMC Celebrates APIDA Heritage Month With Graduation Ceremony
Santa Monica College (SMC) hosted its first Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) graduation ceremony to honor students with Asian heritage on Thursday, May 23. This ceremony is the second ceremony of the graduation season, following SMC’s May 10 Lavender Graduation for LGBTQ+ identifying students.
Thomas Bui, SMC Associate Dean of Student Life, served as the emcee for the event, and graduates’ names, photos, and quotes were displayed on the stage of SMC’s Orientation Hall.
The ceremony was scheduled from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., but started late and ended early, allowing students to mingle and congratulate each others’ successes.
Michael Tuitasi, SMC Vice President of Student Affairs, gave an introductory speech and spoke about the importance of cultural celebrations, mentioning the recent pushback against diversity initiatives in U.S.colleges and universities.
Tuitasi, who has Polynesian heritage, shared his full traditional name, Michael Vaosa Tuitasi Samoa Ilea’tua, with the audience. “I feel that our cultures and our identities, you know, are very important when we're telling our stories,” he said.
He spoke about his experience as a student and the role family support played in his life. “So, you see, in Polynesian culture, we refer to everyone as family. If someone is older, or an elder, you call them uncle or auntie… And yes, you can call me Uncle Mike,” he said, laughing.
Shortly after Tuitasi’s introduction, faculty members from SMC’s Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Alliance Employee Affinity Group were asked to give words of advice to students participating in the ceremony.
Kat Olvey, an SMC English faculty member, shared the importance of storytelling, citing her experience as a child of Vietnamese refugees. “We are a nation built on immigrants,” she said. “We have such a large refugee population, and I just think that it's so important to tell your narrative, because the refugee experience doesn't end once you get here. The children of refugees also get to experience that.”
Dr. Sang Chi, SMC’s history department chair, stressed the importance of finding community as a student of color, sharing his story of attending a predominantly white institution (PWI) in central Pennsylvania during the 1990s. “Find your people, find the people that you are going to become lifelong friends with, that will support you, that will be there for you,” he said.
Bui returned to the stage to share his advice, encouraging students to find space for themselves. “Be a little selfish. Eat that extra dessert, whatever it is, right? But take up the space that you need to take care of yourself and think about yourself as much as you do about your community,” he said.
SMC Associated Students president Cecilia Jeong gave a speech and shared some words of wisdom with her peers, reinforcing the idea of lifelong learning and encouraged her fellow students to continue celebrating their accomplishments alongside each other. “One thing is for sure: that growing with your community and walking with others is important,” she said.
Jeong, whose full name is Sung Min Jeong, sang a portion of “Ahrirang,” a Korean folk song that is a part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list and represents unity between North and South Korea.
Jeong explained the cultural relevance and power of the song. “It means two people in love, and eventually throughout our chapters of history, being jeopardized between the dynasties, colonized and [dehumanized] until 1945, through which the impacts we feel to our grandparent’s generation,” she said.
Following Jeong’s speech, graduates were called to the stage to share their post-graduation plans and accept their gifts: an SMC APIDA pin, and a red cord to be worn at graduation. A photo booth was also provided for students to celebrate and memorialize the experience.
Student Angela Arunarsirakul attended the ceremony with her infant to celebrate her completion of SMC’s Sustainability certificate. To Arunasirakul, who plans to continue taking classes at SMC, lifelong learning is invaluable. “That's the one thing I've learned throughout life; The only constant is change, and being a lifelong learner means taking new classes or meeting new people,” she said.
Afghan student Roya Amini credits SMC with helping her find her place as a Central Asian student. Amini, who is a part of SMC’s Muslim Student Association, completed a Liberal Arts degree and plans to transfer to UCLA for Sociology. “[The ceremony] makes me feel wanted because I don't see Central Asian people in this community. But I'm glad that this community is here, so I feel as if everyone's a family,” she said.
