UNM OFFICE OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PRESENTS ASIAN/PACIFIC HERITAGE EVENT

April 28, 2003

UNM OFFICE OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PRESENTS ASIAN/PACIFIC HERITAGE EVENT

The UNM Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) presents "Salute to Liberty," a commemoration event to celebrate Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month on Friday, May 2, noon to 1:30 p.m., at Keller Hall, Center for the Arts.

"The purpose of this event is to provide a greater understanding and awareness of the contributions that persons of Asian/Pacific American heritage have made and continue to make to this great country. It is this diversity that makes our nation strong. The Office of Equal Opportunity is committed to bringing an appreciation of diversity issues to the campus," said Dori M. Freudiger, OEO director.

Dr. Norman Bay, visiting assistant professor in the UNM School of Law, will present a keynote address.

Cultural performances include the dance, "Rabindra Nritya" by Moumita Si, an East Indian graduate student in the College of Education's Organizational Learning and Instructional Technologies (OLIT). Other dances include "Tinikling" and "Bamboo Holders" performed by a group of UNM students representing Philippine, Chinese, Japanese and East Indian heritages.

"The Bamboo Holders dance is performed with lighted candles," said Edna Cisneros y Luna, OEO compliance representative and event organizer.

India Palace and New China City are providing ethnic food samples. "Peng Mak, from UNM A.S.I.A. [Asian Students in America] arranged with his family at New China City, to provide several of their specialties including lo-mein noodles and dumplings," said Cisneros y Luna.

Another student organization, the India Student Association, is taking a lead role in the event.

For more information, call 277-5251.

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