Irvine : Asian Week at UCI Due to Begin April 6

UC Irvine, which has the highest percentage of Asian students of any state-supported university on the U.S. mainland, will hold its annual Asian Week celebration April 6-11.

UCI’s current overall enrollment is 26% Asian, and 34% of the freshman class is Asian. The Asian Week activities are sponsored by UCI’s Asian Pacific Student Staff Assn. “By educating and exposing the non-Asian as well as ourselves to our various cultures and traditions, we hope to break down stereotypes, continue to install a sense of pride in our heritage and make people aware of issues that affect us,” said Shirley Park, chairwoman of the association.

Most of the events on campus are free and open to the public, including a forum on the Philippines, to be held at 7 p.m. April 7 in the Heritage Room. Larry Zavala, from the Philippines Consulate in Los Angeles, will be among the speakers.