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Swarthmore Asian Organization

SAO with spoken word artist Phil Kaye (April 2012)

The Swarthmore Asian Organization (SAO), est. 1987, is a support, social, and political group open to any Swarthmore student who self-identifies as an Asian, Pacific Islander, Asian American, or Pacific Islander American.  SAO aims to provide:

  • A place for API/As to find community and support
  • An educational and cultural setting to explore, share, and celebrate experiences and perspectives as API/As.
  • A channel for political action, social awareness, and cultural programming for the campus community at large.
More specifically, SAO:
  • Hosts general meetings once a week throughout the semester discussing issues that API/As face, ranging from the model minority myth to representations in media
  • Provides a big sib/little sib program for incoming freshmen, complete with activities such as a scavenger hunt and potluck
  • Sponsors API/A Heritage Month, a month full of speakers, events, and performances centered around API/A identity. In the past, we have brought Wong Fu Productions, Youtube artists Taiyo Na and Magnetic North, and various API/A activists.

2012-13 Meetings: Wednesdays at 9pm in the IC room

Contact: Alpha Chau & Oscar Chen

Social Media: Blog / Twitter / Facebook