The Origin
APALI began in the fall of 2001 as an initiative of the Pan-Asian American Community House. Through collaboration, PAACH staff and students developed an experiential program to meet the needs of the Asian pacific American (APA) community.
The Mission
The mission of the Asian Pacific American Leadership Initiative (APALI) is to empower students through identity exploration and leadership training in order to provide a foundation to support future endeavors.
The Objectives
APALI achieves this mission through the following objectives:
1. students will explore their leadership style through a multicultural lens;
2. students' individual experiences will contribute to the growth of the entire group;
3. students will experience the complexities of the APA community;
4. students will gain an understanding of a Pan-Asian American identity;
5. students will be equipped to serve as agents of change in their future endeavors.
The Program
The Retreat
The APALI Retreat sets the foundation for the rest of the program. Participants go off-campus for a weekend retreat and begin to build relationships with each other and develop tangible leadership skills that can be used in the future. They do this as they explore their identities and discuss issues that are pertinent to the Asian Pacific American community.
The Sessions
Following the retreat, members commit to attending 6 sessions throughout the semester. These sessions are usually every other Tuesday from 6:30PM - 9:00PM and are led by two facilitators who have undergone the APALI experience. Topics vary from year to year and evolve with the issues that are facing the APA community. Topics that have been discussed in the past include public speaking, consensus building, model minority, perpetual foreigner, affirmative action, hate crimes and other issues that are relevant to the APA community. By sharing their past experiences, engaging in dialogue, and participating in planned activities, participants learn experientially about their identity, empower themselves, and consequently prepare themselves for leadership roles in the future.
The Resources
In addition to the workshops, APALI subsidizes conference attendance for each student to develop leaderships skills relevant to issues within and beyond the APA community. Some conferences that past APALI graduates have attended include the East Coast Asian American Student Union Conference (ECAASU), the Korean American Students Conference (KASCON), and the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue (FIND).
Furthermore, by collaborating with other groups and campus resources, APALI participants are exposed to different aspects of campus life.
Looking Back
“I didn’t know what to expect from APALI, but I soon found out. Not only do you learn more about AA issues but you also get a chance to meet others who share your interests. These are the same people that will lead our AA organizations on and off campus in the future. It’s a great way to get involved early.”
Herman Dulay, APALI Fall 2001
“It was APALI that gave me a sense of membership among and responsibility to my AA peers. The program’s intent is far from passive education; in APALI one doesn’t just sit around and meditate on your identity, and its activities are a far cry from the ‘victim-of-racism’ group therapy sessions one finds amongst Asian-American programs nowadays. APALI aims to make all its members pro-active as well as well-informed. It’s made me more interested and active in what I now consider my Asian American community.”
Sahang-Hee Hahn, APALI Spring 2002
“Although APALI is first a leadership program, it built an understanding of the communities and issues of Asian Pacific America that gave me an awareness of myself necessary to be a productive leader not just in the realm of APA organizations but any facet.”
Dana Nakano, APALI Fall 2001
“APALI was one of the best experiences I’ve had during my time at Penn. It really helped me to explore my own Asian American identity, as well as the issues surrounding Asian Americans today. Another amazing thing about APALI is how it facilitated constant dialogue between myself and other campus leaders. I don’t think I could have bonded as much with these awesome people under any other circumstances.”
Christina Yang, APALI Spring 2001
Graduate Profile
APALI members graduate with a sense of serving the community through leadership. APALI alumni serve as board members in student organizations across campus, such as:
alpha Kappa Delta Phi
Alpha Phi
Asian American Studies UAB
Asian Pacific American Heritage Week
Asian Pacific Student Coalition
College House System
The Daily Pennsylvanian
Living Water Fellowship
Penn Philippine Association
Strictly Funk
Student Federal Credit Union
Undergraduate Assembly
West Philadelphia Tutoring Project
Getting Involved
To become a part of APALI, you must be nominated and submit an application. For more information, you can contact paach-apalifac@dolphin.upenn.edu
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