The Asian American Student Union (AASU) aims to fight stereotypes, spread knowledge about Asian culture, and provide an opportunity for some students to reconnect with their Asian heritage.

Sophomore Derek Nguyen, the founder of AASU, aims for the club to be inclusive for all and create a community that he thought the school lacked before.

“I felt like there was this gap that needed to be filled in terms of what our school needed and what the Asian American community here needed, so I think creating this club filled that gap,” Nguyen said. “I think that having AASU better unites and empowers the Asian American students here and it also gives us an opportunity to educate others about our history and culture.”

Members participate in volunteer opportunities and other activities, learning more about Asian culture along the way. Although there weren’t very many major volunteer events this year since the club has just been created, Nguyen hopes there will be more opportunity in the future once the club becomes more established within the school. Members will also be able to earn a cord by volunteering for the club.

But this club is not just about volunteering. Throughout the year there are plenty of other fun and interesting activities for AASU members to attend, from club-related events like the Asian American Youth Leadership Conference at Concordia University to more casual gatherings like karaoke nights or potlucks.

Junior Lawson Dietz enjoys spending time with his friends in AASU. “I joined because I needed to join a club and it seemed interesting,” Dietz said. “It can help shed some light on Asian heritage.”

Sophomore Anoushka Chilakala, vice president of AASU, hopes the club provides a healthy blend between fun activities and learning. “I hope they get some cultural awareness and I hope they enjoy the club and have fun,” she said. Chikala is also excited to plan bigger events next year when the club is more well-known. “From what we have planned, I’m really excited and I can’t wait to progress with this and leave an impact on the school,” she said.

For some of their members, that impact could be especially meaningful. “I hope [our Asian American members] really reconnect with our heritage because for a lot of us, it’s sort of this distant thing that we don’t really have much connection to since we were born and raised here,” Nguyen said.

Both Chilakala and Nguyen feel that the club has been running smoothly so far, having already gathered around fifty members in a few weeks since it began.

AASU will be participating in International Night tonight, where they will have a booth set up with free food, along with boba or henna that you can pay for. They hope anybody who is interested drops by and checks them out.