Celebrating APIDA Heritage Month 2024
Each year in May, Americans observe Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Heritage Month, also known as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The month celebrates the diverse and rich cultural heritage, contributions, and histories of Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and individuals of Desi (South Asian) descent. We’re highlighting just a few of the people and organizations who are advancing APIDA communities through their work, advocacy, creative endeavors, volunteer efforts, and more.
Connecting Asian and Asian American Alumni
For the past 20 years, the volunteer-led Northwestern University Asian and Asian American Alumni Association (NU-A5) has offered career, cultural, and social programming across the US. This dynamic organization also raises financial support for the University’s Asian American Studies program. In recent years, the dedicated volunteers who lead NU-A5 have developed innovative engagement opportunities for alumni, earning a “Club of the Year” award from the Northwestern Alumni Association in both 2020 and 2023.
Learn more about the NU-A5 affinity club’s efforts to foster a stronger global alumni network and support the continued excellence of Northwestern.
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Rising Star on Broadway
Congratulations to Chloé Nadon-Enriquez ’19, who has a swing role in the Broadway musical Cabaret, which received a Tony Award nomination in April for best musical revival. In 2023, we featured Nadon-Enriquez and other rising stars who share not only an alma mater and career field but also Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) heritage, which has historically been underrepresented on commercial stages.
The Healing Herbal Soups Lifestyle
Genevieve Wong ’04 MS grew up making Chinese herbal soups with her mother, Rose Cheung (’04 P), creating broths to help boost their immunity. Together, they have translated these traditional recipes into Healing Herbal Soups, a cookbook that combines traditional Chinese medicine with the concept of seasonal eating. Learn more from Wong and Cheung about the benefits of herbal soups in this webinar.
You can find Healing Herbal Soups and hundreds of other books written by University alumni in the CATalogue, Northwestern Alumni Association’s online resource showcasing alumni authored books.
Northwestern Intersections Podcast with Hannah Jurowicz
Hannah Jurowicz ’14 JD, LLM is a lawyer and assistant attorney general for the special litigation bureau in the Illinois Attorney General’s office. Since graduating from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, she has worked on numerous projects centering on human rights. Learn about Jurowicz’s work on the board of NU-A5 and her commitment to social justice in the legal field in this Northwestern Intersections podcast.
Learn MoreNorthwestern Intersections Podcast with Grace Hong Duffin
Grace Hong Duffin ’95 is the president and CEO of Kenneth Young Center, a community health organization in the Chicago suburbs. She serves on the National Council for Mental Wellbeing and has experience in public policy, law, and human services. Join Northwestern Intersections as Hong Duffin discusses her work with mental and physical wellness, as well as her role on the NU-A5 board, in this podcast episode.
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