Walking into Levin Ballroom on Saturday night, the familiar venue was taken over by a giant, illuminated backdrop hung on its stage-the lights outlined a map showing American and Asian continents. A bridge connected the two continents, upon which an acronym was superimposed in large sweeping letters: APAHM.

Standing for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, the acronym marks a month-long celebration of Asian culture, which is commemorated at the University in March by the Brandeis Asian-American Student Association. To kick off the next few weeks of programming, BAASA, the umbrella-organization for the Asian culture clubs on campus, hosted an opening ceremony Saturday night. 

"Our theme this year focuses on this idea of Identity. Our opening ceremony, Bridging the Gap, attempts to address the issue of the duality of being Asian-American-having Asian roots, but being American at the same time," BAASA's executive board wrote in the evening's program. The two-and-a-half-hour long ceremony certainly communicated the idea of identity-from speakers to slam poets, from dances to films, issues that make identity a difficult concept to understand were brought into the open.
The night began with opening remarks from Do Dang '15 and Catherine Cho '15, the president and vice president,

respectively, of BAASA, who were followed by BAASA's Events Coordinator Tifani Ng '16, who recited a personal anecdote. Though the event was hosted by BAASA, it was also co-sponsored by the Brandeis Pluralism Alliance, the Korean Student Association, Project Plus One and the Taiwanese Student Association, and the distinct experiences that each of these groups' members bring to the table were melded together wonderfully.

The audience had just settled into the formal venue, complete with round tables set with cups and sparkling cider in lieu of the normal rows of chairs, when the acts started to rile them from their seats. After BAASA's introductions, the slew of artistic acts began. Bharatanatyam and Bhangra showcased two kinds of Indian dance: the first spiritual and feminine and the second very high-energy. 

The night's keynote speaker, Baruch College student Dan Tran, spoke about the Asian-American Identity Development Model, and his more formal speech was complemented by three very outspoken original slam poetry pieces by popular YouTube personality Yevin Roh. Roh's poetry, especially "Dear Young Asian Dudes," and "10 Things I Want to Say to an Asian Woman" drove the audience to snap, holler, cheer and laugh as he addressed racism and stereotypes. 

A vocal performance from Leila Pascual '15 on behalf of the medical charity Project Plus One, which assists a clinic in East Timor, followed Roh. A breathtakingly beautiful and precise performance of the thousand-hand bodhisattva, a Chinese dance, spotlighted Buddhist art, and led into an endearing skit by the TSA called "Brand-Ice," which parodied the new animated film Frozen. 

By far, the hit performance of the night was delivered by hip-hop dancer Yuri Tag, whose appearance on MTV's America's Best Dance Crew launched her into the limelight. As a trailblazer for young Asian-Americans who seek to pursue a career outside of those stereotypically considered "Asian," Tag's presence at the ceremony elicited screeches of joy from the audience.
For an event that aims to break down boundaries and make people feel comfortable in their own skin, no matter how their heritage differs from that of those sitting next to them, APAHM's opening ceremony certainly succeeded.
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