Keynote Speakers
Our Keynote Speaker: Curtis Chin
A co-founder of the Asian American Writers’ Workshop in New York City, Curtis Chin served as the non-profit’s first Executive Director. He went on to write for network and cable television before transitioning to social justice documentaries. Chin has screened his films at over 600 venues in sixteen countries. He has written for CNN, Bon Appetit, the Detroit Free Press, and the Emancipator/Boston Globe. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Chin has received awards from ABC/Disney Television, the New York Foundation for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and more. His memoir, "Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant" was published by Little, Brown in Fall 2023. His essay in Bon Appetit was just selected for Best Food Writing in America 2023 and he just produced an episode of America's Test Kitchen's podcast, Proof. See more about Curtis here!
Welcoming Remarks from Dr. Connie Tingson Gatuz
A higher education leader, facilitator, and innovator, Dr. Gatuz is currently serving as the University of Michigan’s Associate Vice President for Student Life. Over the past three decades, her track record of leadership cultivation, mission integration, mentorship development, strategic community partnership, and organizational effectiveness continues to grow. Dr. Gatuz was one of the co-founders of MAASU.
Performances from GenAPA
As the largest, student-run Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) cultural show in the Midwest, Generation Asian Pacific American (GenAPA) has been a proud tradition of the University of Michigan since 1995. GenAPA aims to foster cultural awareness and appreciation by providing a platform in which students may showcase their talents, thereby illustrating the richness and diversity of APIA culture.
GenAPA will be hosting 200 student performers and 1300 audience members for its 2024 show, GenAPA: Eclipsed, at the Power Center for Performing Arts. Audience members can expect a variety of acts, such as modern band performances, traditional dance, martial arts demonstrations, and much more. GenAPA also invites a celebrity headliner every year. In 2023, Vietnamese singer and songwriter ‘Thuy’ performed for GenAPA. Past notable headliners include YouTube sensations ‘KevJumba’, ‘CantoMando’, and urban dance crew, ‘Poreotics’. Check out their Instagram here!
