09/25/2023
By Cherry Lim

We are excited to spread the word about AANAPISI Week (Sept. 25 through Oct. 1, 2023). This week celebrates Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), which were established by Congress on Sept. 27, 2007, to improve the availability and quality of postsecondary education programs to support low-income, first generation Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) students. UMass Lowell is proud to be designated as an AANAPISI since 2020 and received funding in 2021. This funding was used to the establishment of the Asian American Center for Excellence & Engagement.

AANAPISI Week commemorates the significance and achievements of AANAPISIs and provides the opportunity for organizations and institutions to celebrate the educational support of underserved AANHPI students. Our goal this year is to:

  1. Raise awareness and highlight the impact of AANAPISIs on AANHPI student success
  2. Expand our network of advocates and supporters
  3. Develop federal policy champions in support of AANAPISIs
  4. Drive action on issues and policies in the interest of our students

As we seek to build visibility around the impact of these important institutions, we invite our partners to learn more about AANAPISIs, and circulate information about AANAPISI Week to those in their networks who are interested in learning more and supporting AANHPI student success.

For more information, check out the toolkit.

To learn more about UML's AANAPISI initiative and minority-serving institution designation, check out the Asian American Center for Excellence & Engagement (AACEE) website or the Office of Equity & Inclusion page.