Throughout the month of May, we celebrate Asian Pacific Islander Desi American/Asian (APIDA/A) Heritage Month and highlight the important role that the members of this community have played in our shared history. We also spotlight members of the MSU community who strive to uplift these individuals and advance belonging through research and advocacy.
Our May Access Torch is Lin Cabada. Cabada is a rising senior majoring in Political Science and Linguistics with minors in Asian Pacific American Studies and Women and Gender Studies. Next fall, she will be entering her third year of working with the Asian Pacific American (APA) Studies Program as a Program Assistant.
Cabada describes her upbringing as ‘unconventional;’ she was raised in a diverse household with family located in both Grand Rapids and Quezon City-Metro Manila, Philippines. Her early experiences of frequent travel to the Philippines also led her to want to learn more about Asian culture and her own heritage.
Cabada’s family heritage has also influenced what she has chosen to study at MSU. She is a first generation college student; her grandfather served in the Vietnam War in order to earn American citizenship for himself and his children, including Cabada’s father. Her personal background being directly tied to her ability to live and study in the United States has led to a feeling of both gratefulness for and awareness of being part of a greater history.
“I wouldn’t be here or be who I am without the people who raised me and the sacrifices they made,” she said. “That curiosity is what inspired me to get involved in APA Studies and to become knowledgeable on these topics.”
Cabada also wants to play a role in educating others on the history of the APIDA population in America. “War history in Southeast Asia has dictated a lot of immigrant and refugee history, and I didn’t learn much about that during history classes growing up,” she said. “I realized that there’s a story to be told here, and it’s not one that is being taught in mainstream history.”
With this, she wants to make sure that what’s talked about in history classes includes not just stories of hardship, but ones of success and celebration as well. “When we do hear about Asian American history, it often focuses on war and poverty,” Cabada explained. “That’s not what I want to focus on. I want to amplify [APIDA] voices and do research that exemplifies experiences of Asian American joy.”
One way in which she has done this is through the publication of an oral history project for her Asian American History class, titled “Following the Apple Blossom: Spoken Stories of the Asian Diaspora in Michigan.”
“Being able to share those stories and give agency back to these communities was really amazing,” she said.
While in her freshman year, Cabada applied to work as a student assistant with the APA Studies Program, and is now looking ahead to serving as Senior Program Assistant next fall. She assists with event planning, helps students get involved with APA Studies and organizations like the Asian Pacific American Student Organization (APASO), and has served on the APIDA/A Heritage Month committee. One of her favorite parts of the role is helping students find support and community on campus.
“Having an academic space like APA Studies at MSU legitimizes the mission of ethnic studies as a whole, which is to get people involved, spread visibility and form community,” she explained.
One of the most important aspects of APIDA/A Heritage Month, Cabada says, is the opportunity it presents to increase visibility and recognition of this population. It creates a space for conversations about our shared history and not shying away from the stories of struggle and tragedy, but ensuring we highlight the happy moments as well.
“I believe that finding joy and celebrating the everyday lives of individuals is one of the most powerful acts of resistance available to researchers, and one of the most meaningful ways they can impact our communities,” Cabada said.
“Being able to come together and celebrate just adds legitimacy to the cause. Having that ability to celebrate one another is crucial, especially in times like these. It’s us rising from the ashes and saying, ‘We’re still here, we still have a voice, and our stories still matter.’”
Honorees’ views are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the College of Social Science.