Dozens of students gathered on Deering Meadow Thursday afternoon to participate in the Asian NU Project’s Pride Rally.
As music blared in the background, Asian NU Project members distributed bandanas, temporary tattoos, and signs bearing slogans such as “I [heart] Asians” and “Proud Asian at NU” in a festival-like atmosphere.
MJ Kim, one of the organizers of the rally, acknowledged that the Asian NU Project was “approaching it a little differently” than previous diversity events.
“At times, NU for Diversity was a little bit aggressive,” said Kim, “I understand that … but I think these kinds of things need to happen too.”
Kim, along with Asian NU Project members with a boombox, led students in a march toward the Arch, chanting, “What do we want? One Northwestern! When do we want it? Now!” At the Arch, the mass of students paused for a moment to chant at passersby.
“Together ignited, we’ll always be united,” the students repeated in unison, and then proceeded north. Asian NU Project members decided to extend the march to Tech instead of the original end point of Lunt Hall as a result of the large turnout.
After a brief stop to dance and chant on the Tech plaza, the rally returned to Deering Meadow, where members of the Asian NU Project addressed the crowd.
The first speaker, Pamela Hung, President of the Intercollegiate Taiwanese American Students Association, described her struggle coming to Northwestern from a predominantly Asian high school. Hung told how she failed to connect with her P-Wild group and felt “ashamed” to be Asian.
Hung then explained how her feelings of shame were not unique. “The Asian community is uncomfortable with itself,” said Hung. Speaking on the goals of the Asian NU Project, Hung added that “we seek to show that the Asian community is different from others, and that difference is beautiful.”
The following speaker, Jinah Kim, a professor in Northwestern’s Asian American Studies Program, expanded on Hung’s need to replace shame with pride.
Citing past issues with racist party themes at the University of Chicago and other schools, Kim said that diversity was “a national problem,” and cautioned that it could not be fought with additional racism.
“We fight racism with solidarity,” said Kim, quoting Bobby Seale, one of the founders of the Black Panther Party.
Kim went on to lay out the four areas she is focused on addressing as part of her administrative committee on diversity, including diversifying Northwestern’s “demographics,” the NU “environment,” the “curriculum,” and the “intellectual culture.”
The rally concluded with a brief speech by Eric Salcedo, a Northwestern alum who now serves as the Asian American Liaison for the Illinois Attorney General. During Salcedo’s time at NU, he helped lead a hunger strike to petition the University administration to add an Asian American Studies program.
Salcedo praised the Asian NU Project for putting together the rally and stressed the importance of solidarity between cultural groups on campus. Salcedo ended his speech by asking rally attendees to continue to “force the University’s hand.”
“Dare to dream, but dare to dream crazy,” Salcedo said.