Asian American and Asian Resource and Cultural Center announces fall events

Purdue’s Asian American and Asian Resource and Cultural Center (AAARCC) has announced several in-person, hybrid and virtual events for the fall semester.

A collaborative event, Express Fest: Open House and Resource Fair, will kick off the academic year. The event will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday (Aug. 25) at the AAARCC outdoor space, 915 Fifth St. Co-organized by AAARCC, the Latino Cultural Center and the Native American Educational and Cultural Center, this event puts students on the fast track to connecting to resources and student organizations on campus and in the community.

A virtual, interactive reading program will take place in September. AAARCC, the Brian Lamb School of Communication and the West Lafayette Public Library will host a collaborative experience to read and explore “The Land of Big Numbers,” a collection of short stories written by author and Wall Street Journal writer Te-Ping Chen. Two virtual sessions will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. Sept. 13 and Sept. 20 to discuss the stories. The experience culminates with a virtual meet and greet with the author at 6 p.m. Sept. 27. For information about participating in the reading program, email aaarcc@purdue.edu. To attend the virtual meet and greet, register here.

In October, the AAARCC Speaker Series will feature award-winning writer Kao Kalia Yang. Yang is a Hmong American writer and author of “The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir,” “The Song Poet” and “Somewhere in the Unknown World.” Yang is also the author of the children’s books “A Map into the World,” “The Shared Room,” “The Most Beautiful Thing” and “Yang Warriors.” Her work has garnered numerous literary awards, including the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Chautauqua Prize, the PEN USA literary awards and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. Yang has been recognized and honored also by the National Endowment for the Arts. Her in-person talk is at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 18 at Matthews Hall, Room 210. Registration is available online.

The AAARCC will continue the weekly Lunch and Learn Series from noon to 1 p.m. on Thursdays at AAARCC. All events will require advance registration to attend in person. Virtual attendance options are also available.

For a complete listing of events and more information, visit the AAARCC webpage.