Register 96 Seats Remaining

Voices and Stories from the Toledo Asian American Community

A Better Toledo Program

Learn about the history behind the experiences of many first- and second-generations of Asian Americans in Ohio.

In honor of Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, this event celebrates the histories, cultures, and lived experiences of Asian Americans in Toledo, Ohio. Attendees will enjoy personal stories from eight local Asian American community leaders about their lives in Northwest Ohio and reflect on the many ways Asian American communities contribute to the region’s cultural fabric.

The program will feature speakers from diverse backgrounds with heritage spanning East, Southeast, and South Asia, including both first-generation immigrants, and second and third-generation Asian Americans born in the United States. As students, scholars, professionals, community leaders, these speakers will highlight the important role of Asian Americans in contributing to a stronger, better Toledo.

Asian refreshments will be provided for this event. 

The event features the following speakers:

• Mely Arribas-Douglas - Welcome TLC Specialist, Toledo Lucas Public Library
•  Samuel Chang - President and Co-founder, Midstory
•  Nina Corder - Executive Director, Women of Toledo
•  Lisa Hanasono - Professor, School of Media and Communication, Bowling Green State University
•  Amjad Hussain - Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Writer and Emeritus Professor at the University of Toledo
•  Justin Le - High School Senior and President of the Southview High School Asian Culture Club
•  Vandita Prasad - Assistant Principal at Toledo PreMed and Health Sciences Academy
•  Yulong Zhu - Global Casting Engineer at Dana Incorporated, and Former President of Chinese Association of Greater Toledo

This event is presented by the BGSU Institute for the Study of Culture & Society (ICS) and AWARE Ohio in collaboration with the Better Toledo program at the Toledo Lucas County Public Library. 

This event is organized and hosted by Louisa Ha, Distinguished University Research Professor in the School of Media and Communication at Bowling Green State University and Educational Program Director at AWARE Ohio. The event will also feature opening remarks by Bangladeshi graduate students, Shayla Dyuti and Russel Rabbi, from BGSU. Additional organizational support was provided by Cherice Chan, Youth Program Director at AWARE Ohio. 

Established in 1996, ICS is a public humanities hub at Bowling Green State University. Their aim is to encourage innovation in the arts, humanities, and social sciences, and to communicate the value and significance of that work to the wider public. The vision of ICS is to make the world more equitable, just, and inclusive. ICS strives to be a place where nuanced conversation and meaningful connections are made, and where complexity and ambiguity are valued.

AWARE (Advocacy and Workshops for Asian American Rights and Empowerment) Ohio is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to uplifting the voices and stories of Asian Americans in Ohio. Through a collaborative approach, they foster critical awareness, civic participation, media literacy, and collective action within the Asian American community.