Asian American Center celebrates official opening

After almost a decade in the works, the Asian community at Northeastern finally has a place of its own.

The official opening of the Asian American Center last Thursday was celebrated with keynote speakers President Richard Freeland and acclaimed scholar Dr. Ronald Takaki. The center's home, which will tentatively be ready later this fall, will open in two stories of Northeastern's newly purchased brownstone at 109 Hemenway St.

The event was held in the Curry Student Center Ballroom, and the night opened with center Director Andrew Shen's explanation of his "well-crafted ploy to have dinner" with Takaki, renowned scholar of ethnic studies. He then introduced President Freeland, who took the podium for what he said was a "wonderfully joyous occasion."

Freeland said the night marked an overdue and appropriate point in "finally recognizing and institutionalizing" Northeastern's largest and fastest growing minority, he said.

Laughing and waving, the University of California- Berkeley Professor Emeritus intertwined anecdotes with lectures.

Takaki gave a brief lecture, explaining American history through the perspectives of different cultures. He urged students to study America's history through different viewpoints.

The celebration ended with Takaki pronouncing to the audience, "All of you get A's tonight!"

The night's high spirits were still alive after the celebration, as Takaki signed copies of his books, including "Strangers from a Different Shore: A History of Asian Americans," which was selected by the New York Times as a "Notable Book of the Year" and by the San Francisco Chronicle as one of the best 100 non-fiction books of the 20th century.

Students said they were inspired by Takaki's words.

"I'm jealous of not having him as a teacher, " said middler Laura Tolentino, co-chair of the Pan Asian American Council and vice president of Barkada.

Though very active around campus, the center had previously been located in the cramped Student Affairs office. Now the new center will offer centralized networking for the diverse Asian American community.

"It's about the education and unification of the Asian community," said sophomore Thade Wolfe, events coordinator of the Asian Student Union.

A number of programs are already in effect, such as the mentor program, which helps 16 Asian freshmen per year adjust to college life, Tolentino said. The center will bring in many speakers and host charity events, but, Tolentino said, the center is not limited to just the Asian student body.

"It's for everyone to make use of," she said. "There is a skewed perspective that this organization is only for Asians, but we have a lot of resources for everyone to use. It is a reference for everyone on campus."

The night's turnout included a diverse audience; not only were different ethnicities represented, but also different faculty and staff throughout the Northeastern community were present.

"Visibility is one of our main goals, and the turnout tonight really meant a lot to me," Tolentino said. "I'm happy to see so many people. It's a huge accomplishment."