Introducing the AAAYA Lantern!
Welcome to the AAAYA Lantern - our brand-new newsletter! Through this newsletter, we will:
Highlight upcoming events that will be available globally
Spotlight all the awesome events from our various chapters
Take a trip down memory lane with campus updates from our AACC Alumni Liaison
In future editions of this newsletter, we will also communicate information and updates around key programs/fellowships that AAAYA manages. We are excited to share the vibrancy of the Yale Asian American alumni community in upcoming issues and look forward to seeing you at upcoming events!
Eric Moy (YC '13)
Secretary
Upcoming Events
To celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month, AAAYA National will be hosting a series of virtual and hybrid events in May. We will be sending out a separate email with all the event details in the coming days!
For more events in your area, check out our full list of events on our website.
Chapter Spotlights - Winter/Spring 2023
DC Chapter
AAAYA DC had a busy, fun-packed Q1 with numerous events including a fun paper origami lantern making event for alums and family, our AAAYA DC 2023 Planning event (which was open to all AAAYA DC alums), multiple Second Sunday DC Socials, and a chapter visit to the Smithsonian American History Museum for the National Day of Remembrance. The DC Chapter also had a welcome event for three Yale Externs (Cynthia, Julia, and Julie). Pictures from our new year dim sum and dragon event are below!
New York Chapter
The New York chapter held a well-attended lunar new year event at Congee Village; attendees went to the Lunar New Year parade in Manhattan Chinatown afterwards. Key members from the New York board - Rocky, Dayle, and Aggie - coordinated and represented AAAYA at a Yale for Humanity event.
Northern California Chapter
The NorCal Chapter kicked-off the lunar new year with our annual potluck in San Francisco. Alums attended former Tina Yeh Fellow, Lauren Yee’s musical “Cambodian Rock Band” at the Berkeley Rep. Lauren also provided a pre-show talk for alums.
Southern California Chapter
Our SoCal chapter had a relaunch event on Lunar New Year Sunday 1/22/23 at the Venice Whaler restaurant in Los Angeles. We had a great turnout and a lot of enthusiasm from attendees for the chapter. YAA generously sponsored the event. We also had a Yale-UCLA Joint Alumni Dinner Event on Saturday 4/8/23 at Ayara Thai with Chef Vanda who is an alumni of both institutions. It was a wonderful meal with great company! Finally, we have also expanded our SoCal board and have recruited three additional board members for the chapter: Caroline Nguyen as events chair, Tiffany Liao as recruitment chair, and Kate Huh as community outreach chair.
Campus Update from our AACC Alumni Liaison
Greetings from the Asian American Cultural Center!
Lunar New Year festivities were alive and well at the AACC and in New Haven! Lunarfest 2023, celebrated right here on Whitney Ave, and the Chinese Language department's Spring Festival, all honored the Year of the Rabbit, and were among the most memorable in recent years.
This past March, we commemorated Pan Asian American Heritage Month under the empowering theme of "Asian Pride, Power, and Possibilities." Our PAAHM kickoff featured a fantastic Keynote Event, headlined by a stand-up comedy show from the talented D'Lo, followed by numerous enriching events celebrating our diverse Asian heritage.
In addition to PAAHM, the AACC was proud to send 15 students on alumni-hosted externships during Spring Break. These one or two-week experiences allowed our students to gain valuable mentorship from Yale alumni and make meaningful contributions to their host organizations.
Our Student Affiliate Organizations have been equally busy, hosting an array of fantastic events such as SAS's Dhamaal, KASY Cultural Show, AASA's Night Market, and much more! Last but not least, we wrapped up our Ramadan celebrations with a heartfelt Iftar dinner, bringing the community together to break fast and strengthen bonds.
Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to sharing more exciting news and events from the AACC!
Kenny Li (YC '25)
AACC Undergraduate Student Coordinator for Alumni Engagement
Support AAAYA with a Donation
Our events, as well as our national operations, are funded through the generosity of our alumni community.
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation* to help sustain our operations and keep our events free to the community.