President Steenkamp: Join us to celebrate and support one another

May 1 marks the start of Asian Heritage Month — a time to honour the Asian communities whose cultures, histories and contributions have enriched our university and society in countless ways.

This year, we begin the month with heavy hearts following the senseless tragedy at Vancouver’s Lapu Lapu festival. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this heartbreaking event at a celebration of Filipino culture. Please know support is available for students and staff.

Lapu Lapu Day, recognized in BC since 2023, celebrates the enduring influence of Filipino values. In the wake of this tragedy, I am reminded of the importance of unity, resilience, and compassion across all communities.

Preserving and celebrating culture helps us connect to our past, honour our roots, and appreciate the rich traditions of our friends and neighbours. By sharing in one another’s practices, we build understanding, foster belonging, and strengthen inclusion — and that’s one of the many reasons I so appreciate this month.

This year, Royal Roads University’s Asian Heritage Month theme is Cultural Threads: Exploring the rich traditions, languages, and arts of Asian heritage.

To explore this theme, we’ve asked a few students to share more about their own Asian heritage and what this month means to them. Reflections from Shimaya Suresh, MA in Tourism Management (India), Trang Luong, MA in Intercultural and International Communication (Vietnam), and Kinzang Choden, MA in Tourism Management (Bhutan) are available on our News page and on our Asian Heritage Month webpage. I encourage you to have a read.

I also invite everyone to join me for two guest lectures, organized by Royal Roads’ Associate Director of Human Rights and Accessibility Alejandro Campos-Garcia. First, we’ll welcome Dr. John Paul Catungal, assistant professor in the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice at the University of British Columbia Tuesday, May 13 for an online presentation. This will be followed by a hybrid presentation Monday, May 26 from Dr. Fred Chou, assistant professor in the University of Victoria's Counselling Psychology program. Keep an eye on our Asian Heritage Month webpage for details on both.

Make sure to visit the webpage throughout the month for updates and while you’re there, you can also find educational resources including a link to the Library’s digital display.

Please know that this month — and always — we’re here to support you. I invite you to connect, if and when it feels right, and to come together this month as an RRU community to celebrate, support and stand with one another.