Mission Statement

The Asian and Pacific Islander Student Center (APISC) is dedicated to the promotion, education and celebration of the Asian and Pacific Islander community.

The APISC strives to assist the university’s dedication to advancing knowledge and learning while preparing students for life, leadership and careers in a changing, multicultural world. It coordinates projects, resources and services designed to meet the needs of Cal Poly Pomona’s Asian and Pacific Islander students, while providing an open environment to engage and learn about important issues regarding the community.  The Asian & Pacific Islander Student Center exists to support all students at Cal Poly Pomona in their efforts to become multiculturally competent.

What/Who is "Asian & Pacific Islander?"

"Asian & Pacific Islander (API)" includes people from the continent of Asia and the islands of the Pacific Ocean.  This includes Middle Easterners, some Central Asians, South Asians, Southeast Asians, East Asians and Pacific Islanders.  Examples include Armenians, Lebanese, Pakistanis, Indians, Koreans, Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodians, Pilipinos, Malaysians, Tongans, Fijians, and Hawaiians.  Our center builds community around these identities and ethnicities while preserving and honoring differences in culture, gender, class, sexuality, language, religion and immigration status, to name a few.

Goals of the API Student Center

Develop a greater sense of community at Cal Poly Pomona.
Raise social consciousness and cultural awareness.
Provide opportunities for leadership, academic and personal development.
Increase collaborative efforts among faculty, staff and students.
Develop and cultivate relationships with surrounding schools and community agencies.
Increase student retention and success through programs and services.
Educates students and helps prepare them for the professional world by providing mentorship, counseling, and supporting the development of their leadership skills.

The APISC mural depicts Asian American history. The mural was created in the year 1998.  The APISC of Cal Poly Pomona, in collaboration with the Ethnic and Women’s Studies (EWS) department, created an opportunity for students to learn about the Asian and Pacific Islander American experience through a fun and exciting hands-on community mural development course. The workshop-style course was designed to teach and guide students in the creation of a mural that now stands in the APISC at Cal Poly Pomona. The 20-foot mural was unveiled in April 1998 during The Asia & the Pacific Heritage Month, representing Asian and Pacific Islander Americans from 1587 to 1998.