Asian, Asian American, Pacific Islander Employee Resource Group (AAAPI ERG)
Our Mission
The effort to form the AAAPI ERG was initiated by several colleagues who came together to support one another, led by Susan Cheng, senior associate dean for diversity, equity & inclusion and associate professor of family medicine at the School of Medicine, Jesse Szeto, Jocelyn B. de Guzman and Jaime Brown.
“Over the past two years of anti-Asian bias, violence and xenophobia heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have recognized a need to come together and support one another more,” says Cheng. “While identifying a need, there is also great joy in forming and building community and solidarity across Georgetown University.”
The AAAPI Employee Resource Group (AAAPI ERG) strives to support and sustain a network of professionals (faculty and staff) whose objective is to celebrate, empower and advance AAAPI identifying employees and allies at Georgetown University.
Our mission is to center AAAPI employees at Georgetown University and their distinct experiences, creating an inclusive, equitable, and just workplace environment. We envisionan institution in which AAAPI employee voices are amplified through civic engagement, leadership cultivation, and advocacy.
Announcements
As the fall semester gets underway after an eventful summer, we’d like to start this month’s newsletter by expressing our gratitude to a few individuals who have made an outsized impact on our Asian, Asian American & Pacific Islander ERG community:
Thank you to ERG volunteers Sandy Lee and Hannah Hahn for conducting a fair and thorough elections process. Their leadership has been invaluable, and we’re incredibly appreciative for their work, which brought us to another exciting summer development:
Thank you and a very warm welcome to Saurabh Mitra and Katie Fan for joining us as the newest members of the AAAPI ERG Executive Board! Both have been enthusiastic participants in our past events, and now they are stepping up as our new Communications/Events/Membership Chair and our new Medical Center Representative. We’re so grateful they’ve joined our board — excited to see their contributions unfold!
Thank you to two board members who have recently stepped into emeritus roles: Susan Cheng and David Mao. Susan has joined the leadership team at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo , while David has been named the Librarian of the Supreme Court of the United States . We couldn’t be prouder of their achievements and we’re lucky they both maintain ongoing affiliations with Georgetown. Their leadership and friendship have made a lasting impact on our group.
Please read on for more group member shout-outs following our events/resources round-up below!Upcoming Events (at Georgetown)
Upcoming Events (at Georgetown)
Tomorrow: AAAPI ERG DÌDI (弟弟) film screening & discussion
October 23, 5:30 PM ET | 2115 Wisconsin Ave NW, Room G308
We’re excited to present a movie screening of Dìdi on Wednesday afternoon, followed by a short community discussion exploring the movie’s themes. Light snacks will be provided, but please feel free to bring your own as well. (The synopsis of the movie reads: In 2008, during the last month of summer before high school begins, an impressionable 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy learns what his family can’t teach him: how to skate, how to flirt, and how to love your mom.) Please RSVP and reach out to kff13@georgetown.edu or aaapi@georgetown.edu with any requests for accommodations or questions about the event.
This week: Disability Cultural Center Come Sew With Us Workshop
October 24, 2 – 3 PM ET | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
You’re invited to contribute to a mixed-media art installation to display the disability wisdom of interdependence. Anyone is invited to sew, stamp, paint, or draw a 5×5 square to be featured in the mixed-media quilt, celebrating disability culture and community. This workshop will focus specifically on sewing, and all levels are welcome!
Next month: Creating Safer Spaces Inter-ERG Workshop
November 12, 12 (noon) – 1 PM ET | Hilltop Campus (Location TBA)
We invite all Georgetown University faculty and staff to engage in a meaningful dialogue about building inclusive, intersectional communities. Facilitated by the team from Art Reach, this session will focus on developing best practices to create environments where all members, regardless of identity or background, can show up authentically and feel supported. Hosted by the Disability, AAAPI, Black Diaspora, and LGBTQ ERGs, this event is an opportunity to connect over lunch and take collective action towards lasting, positive change.
AAAPI ERG Quarterly (FY25 Q2) Town Hall
December 12, 12 PM (noon) ET | Virtual via Zoom
AAAPI ERG x GWA Lunar New Year Celebration
January 29, 2025, 3 – 6 PM ET | Fisher Colloquium
Recent Programming
October 3, 2024 | FY25 Q1 Town Hall
Big thanks to everyone who joined us for our first virtual Town Hall of the academic year! We are so grateful to have been joined by Ejaz Baluch, Jr., senior trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice specializing in Employment Litigation. He shared fascinating insights and findings from his detail with the White House Initiative on Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI), including:
The impact of disaggregated data seen through the “WHIAANHPI 2024 National Overview”
Ways to get involved, starting with signing up for the WHIAANHPI newsletter
September 26, 2024 | Staff/AAP Appreciation Picnic on Leavey Esplanade
Upcoming Events (Local/Community)
Liwanag: Filipino Lit Fest DC
October 27, 2024 | Washington, DC
A celebration of Filipino American Heritage Month featuring Filipino authors like Gina Apostol, Abi Balingit, Regie Cabico, and more. Family-friendly event with a pandesal opening, kids activities, and a karaoke afterparty.
Diwali: Asian Art Museum
November 1, 2024, 5-9:30pm | Washington, DC
Celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, with an evening of food, music, dance, and activities! Learn how different regions celebrate this Hindu holiday, create crafts to take home, and see the museum lit up once the sun goes down.News/Articles of Interest
Bloomberg: “AI Detectors Falsely Accuse Students of Cheating—With Big Consequences”
(Shared by Anupam) “The students most susceptible to inaccurate accusations are likely those who write in a more generic manner, either because they’re neurodivergent like Olmsted, speak English as a second language (ESL) or simply learned to use more straightforward vocabulary and a mechanical style, according to students, academics and AI developers. A 2023 study by Stanford University researchers found that AI detectors were “near-perfect” when checking essays written by US-born eighth grade students, yet they flagged more than half of the essays written by nonnative English students as AI-generated. OpenAI recently said it has refrained from releasing an AI writing detection tool in part over concerns it could negatively affect certain groups, including ESL students.”
Reminders
Connect with us on Instagram to hear (or tell us) about events happening between sends that we haven’t gotten to include in our newsletter yet.
More information about board elections coming soon! Please send us an email at aaapi@georgetown.edu with your questions about any of our open positions (Faculty Co-Chair, Communications/Events/Membership Chair, and Medical Center Representative).
Resources
- AAPI Tool Kit
- View slides from the Town Hall Meeting (June 15, 2023)
- What should we do next? Fill out our Summer (& beyond) Availability form
- How are we doing so far? Email us here or use the anonymous feedback form
Contact Information
Susan M. Cheng, Ed.L.D., MPP
Senior Associate Dean, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Associate Professor, Department of Family Med Deputy Title IX Coordinator,
School of Medicine
aaapi@georgetown.edu
