AARCC honors 20 years of campus work
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This year marks the 20th anniversary of the UIC Asian American Resource and Cultural Center (AARCC), a milestone that is being celebrated with events highlighting how far the center has come since its founding. It is also an opportunity to evaluate the center’s mission–which was recently revised to address the new needs of Asian Americans on campus.
“Asian American-ness and the world for Asian Americans has transformed,” shared Mark Martell, PhD, executive director of AARCC and co-PI of the UIC Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) initiative. “The work has shifted from focusing on the cultural aspect to bringing out the aspects of social justice and health inequity, as well as the anti-Asian sentiment that rose during the pandemic which caused us to be more proactive and learn how to be more effective bystanders.”
Martell has served as AARCC’s executive director for the past 10 years and has watched the center’s essence and programming on campus grow over the past decade. He noted that the work has always evolved to meet the changing needs of Asian Americans and that those needs are responsive to what is going on immediately within society. Through ongoing institutional awareness and investment in these changing needs, AARCC has been and will continue to be able to best serve the campus and local communities.
The Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History (TEAACH) Act, passed in Illinois in 2021, allowed AARCC to expand its dreams beyond the doors of UIC. The UIC Global Asian Studies (GLAS) program also launched the new GLAS major in 2021 and remains one of the few units in the state that focuses on Asian American studies, leading the way for curriculum and work in the field. Increased authentic representation in media has sparked creative shifts and national conversations about Asian American experiences that resonate with new generations of students, staff and faculty coming through AARCC’s doors.
“We want everyone who comes to the center to be inspired to see the possibilities that are out there,” stated Alyson Kung, assistant director for programs & community engagement at AARCC. “Our hope is that many of the negative experiences that Asian Americans have in the current world will lessen and we will find more of our own spaces and our own homes here.”
Julian Ignacio, associate director for student development and evaluation at AARCC, added: “We are trying to create that which has not existed before for Asian Americans. We have often had very little space for dreaming beyond the realm of resistance, but now we are going beyond that to envision and build what we’ve always needed.”
The AARCC staff emphasized that landmarks are not final destinations, and that the center’s work is constant movement and progression. They encouraged all Asian Americans to dream big in seeking the lives and communities they deserve.
“Maybe there are things that I can’t even think of that we can hope for the future,” Kung said.
AARCC is currently hosting their “Race to 20” fundraiser through June 30. They have been spotlighting alumni once a month from January to April, with the four interviews available on their website (go.uic.edu/20).
Additionally, the UIC Asian American Mentor Program (AAMP) will be celebrating their 20th anniversary next year in 2026. AAMP has been recognized nationally for their work with easing the transition of new students during their first semester.
AARCC’s 20th Anniversary Celebration will be held on Thursday, April 17 in room 301 of Student Center East (750 S. Halsted) from 6pm to 8pm. The UIC community, including alumni and Chicago partners, is invited to attend.