Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Initiatives

One Ocean, Many Journeys

Background & Rationale

In 2022 the California State Legislature voted to approve funding directed toward Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Student Achievement Program (CSU ASAP) via California Education Code Section 89297.1. Funding began in AY 2024-2025 with pilot programs. Proposals were solicited at the end of 2025 for 5-year plans for this funding; all CSUs received an amount based on number of AANHPI students on campus and the proposal plans. Cal Poly will receive this funding annually for the next 5 academic years.

Mission Statement

The CSU ASAP Initiative at Cal Poly is committed to advancing the academic achievement, professional development, well-being, and belonging of our AANHPI students, inclusive of those from lower-income and underserved ethnic communities. We aim to foster meaningful connections between faculty, staff, and students to honor and reflect their identities and to increase access to high-impact educational experiences. Additionally, we are committed to assisting faculty in building curricula that expands knowledge and understanding of contributions and topics related to the AANHPI population. We strive to build a campus environment where AANHPI students are visible and valued, and where the broader university community can deepen its understanding of the historic and contemporary strengths and challenges of this group.

One Ocean, Many Journeys

“One Ocean, Many Journeys” reflects our collective vision and goals to assist the AANHPI student community in its entirety, and acknowledges the ethnic diversity that exists in this cultural group. Recognizing the different journeys students and their families take to reach their potential allows us to work with every student as they move through their time at Cal Poly and beyond. 

Core Values

• Expansive AANHPI Student Success Across Ethnic Groups
• Visibility, student voice, empowerment and, representation
• Belonging, well-being, and engagement/connection with community

Upcoming Events

AANHPI Initiatives Launch | May 11th, 2026, 8:30 am–1:30 pm, in Chumash Auditorium

We’re proud to invite you to the launch of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Initiatives at Cal Poly, a new effort rooted in advancing student success, belonging, and visibility across the diverse AANHPI community.

Join us as we introduce CSU ASAP and the Cal Poly AANHPI Initiatives. We will share how we’re working to support the academic achievement, professional growth, and well-being of AANHPI students. This event will highlight our commitment to fostering meaningful connections, uplifting student voices, and expanding culturally inclusive learning across campus.

Schedule

• 8:30–9 am | Doors Open and Breakfast
• 9:10 am | Welcome and Opening Remarks
• 9:20 am | Overview of the CSU ASAP and Cal Poly AANHPI Initiatives
• 9:40 am | Data Presentation
• 9:50 am | Panel
• 10:40 am | Audience Q&A
• 10:50 am | Engagement with Strategic Goals
• 11:20 am | Andaaz Dance Team Performance
• 11:30 am | Closing Remarks and Lunch

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Thi Bui | May 27th, 2026, 5–7pm in Chumash Auditorium

Thi Bui is a Vietnamese-born American cartoonist and graphic novelist who came to the US in 1978 as part of the “boat people” wave of refugees at the end of the Vietnam War. 

Her best-selling debut 2017 memoir, The Best We Could Do, follows Thi Bui’s parents’ life before and during the Vietnam War, their escape during the war, and their migration to the US as refugees. It won the American Book Award and was a National Book Critics Circle finalist in autobiography and the Eisner Award for reality-based comics. It was also selected as a Big Read title by the National Endowment for the Arts, and has been featured as a Community Read by multiple colleges, universities, and communities, including UCLA, the city of Seattle, and San Francisco public libraries.

Thi has been an illustrator on many books, including A Different Pond, written by poet Bao Phi, and Finding Papa, by Angela Pham Krans. Along with her son, Hien, Thi co-illustrated a children’s book, Chicken of the Sea, alongside Viet Thanh Nguyen and his son, Ellison.