The Holland Museum is celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Month with a panel discussion that is open to the public.
The panel will be held from 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday, May 19, at the Holland Museum, at 31 W. 10th St.
The discussion will feature members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in West Michigan who will be sharing their culture and exploring ways to elevate AAPI presence.
“We are pleased to be able to provide a forum for this important conversation about (Asians) and Pacific Islanders,” said Ricki Levine, executive director, Holland Museum. “As a cultural institution, the Holland Museum has a responsibility to offer opportunities to learn from one another, to celebrate our differences and to explore our collective humanity.”
Jennifer Pascua, lead community relations specialist at Spectrum Health, will moderate the panel, which will feature Bing Goei, Ace Marasigan, Pujita Sieplinga and Stella Michael.
Goei was born in Indonesia and lived in the Netherlands until his immigration to Grand Rapids in 1960. He has served as chair of the Asian Pacific American Chamber of Commerce, chair of the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce and director of the Office for New Americans in Governor Snyder’s administration. He currently is CEO of Eastern Floral and the Goei Center in Grand Rapids.
Marasigan emigrated from the Philippines and has lived in Grand Rapids since 1993. He created the Grand Rapids Asian-Pacific Festival in 2017.
Sieplinga is an assistant vice president and consultant for PNC Organizational Financial Wellness. She also serves as inaugural board vice president for PNC’s Western Michigan multicultural group.
Michael was born and raised in a small town in India and serves as director of CRM platforms and applications at Spectrum Health. She is the co-founder of Asian American Community Engagement (AACE), the Asian inclusion resource group at Spectrum Health. She also is board chair of the West Michigan Asian American Association, a nonprofit that supports the needs of Asian communities.
Registration is here.
Facebook Comments