Bloomington community members will share their immigration stories over cookies and tea Wednesday at a panel discussion titled “Remembering our Beginnings: Stories of AAPI Immigrants.”
The free event, part of the Over a Cup of Tea discussion series, will be from 5-6 p.m. at the Asian Culture Center and will allow students of all backgrounds to gain insight into immigration stories in a way that is difficult to do in casual conversation, program associate Sarah Stamey said.
“Come for the chance to hear people’s stories that you might not have an opportunity to hear otherwise,” Stamey said. “It’s just kind of like a window into other people’s experiences, and then maybe it will get people to reflect on their own experiences and thoughts.”
Stamey said the discussion will feature five panelists, including IU staff and Bloomington community members who have immigrated from Asian countries.
Christine Peralta, a postdoctoral scholar with the Center for Research on Race and Ethnicity in Society, will moderate the discussion by asking the panelists questions about their immigration experiences.
“For the students, since this panel is with slightly older people, it’s to understand how even in one and two generations, how immigration stories are still similar and how they’re different,” Stamey said.
The panel members include Counseling and Psychological Services staff psychologist Wilson Hsiao, local physical therapist Cindy Berin, Hartzell’s Ice Cream owner Hartzell Martel, Kinsey Institute director of libraries Liana Zhou and assistant professor of speech and hearing sciences Rita Patel.
Daniel Park, a graduate assistant at the Asian Culture Center and an immigrant himself, said he plans to attend the event. Park said immigration stories may help international students transition into living in a new country.
“It will be a great opportunity for people, even if you cannot relate to the stories of journeys from immigrants,” Park said.
Cindy Berin, a local physical therapist who was chosen to be on the panel, said she immigrated from the Philippines in 1997 on a worker’s visa and ended up in Bloomington after getting a job at a nearby hospital. Berin said she and her husband have helped Filipino students transition into IU since they moved here, building a supportive community for Filipino immigrants in the area.
“How we actually kind of got them into our little community is, ‘Hey, get out of your dorm and have Thanksgiving dinner at least,’” Berin said. “That’s how we’ve helped. We can’t help them in terms of their papers, we help them by providing them a culture away from home.”
Berin said the sacrifices she and other immigrants make are important to discuss for international students, second generation immigrants and non-immigrants alike.
“When my dad died, my green card was still in the process, so I couldn’t at that time just leave, I had to do my grieving here,” Berin said. “I think it’s important for students to know that, so that they don’t take their parents for granted.”
