On October 1st, the Asian Culture Center—a unit under the Office of the Vice President for Diversity Equity and Multicultural Affairs—celebrated its 21st Anniversary with “Stepping Forward, Then and Now,” with a special reception and a talk featuring IU Alumnus Michael Singh and his father, Dr. Arun Singh. To commemorate the anniversary of the founding of the campus culture center in 1998, the ACC has served as a second home for many students. The cultural center was also the first of its kind in the Midwest. As detailed on the Asian Culture Center website, The Asian Culture Center aims to promote awareness and understanding of Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander cultures, history, and issues at Indiana University and in the Bloomington community. The culture center has worked throughout the years to provide institutional resources, educational support, and community outreach activities to students, faculty, and staff.

After the special reception in the University Club at the Indiana Memorial Union, the talk moved to the Dogwood Room for a full discussion by the two IU Alumnus. Dr. Arun Singh spoke about his life in his new book, Your Heart, My Hands: An Immigrant's Remarkable Journey to Become One of America's Preeminent Cardiac Surgeons. The book details Singh’s life as he overcomes struggles to become one of the most prolific heart surgeons in America. His son, Michael Singh, works at the Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) as an advisor for clients and their families for business development.

The two spoke about their different experiences and the many changes that have happened on campus since they were in school. Dr. Singh spoke on his immigration journey to the U.S. and the many struggles he faced, including his hand injury.

Jenny Yang, a senior majoring in biology from Carmel, described why she came to the talk.

“I thought it’d be really cool to hear from him because he has a different background than other students here. I wanted to hear more about how his immigration experience, how he ended up being so successful, and what lessons he’s learned. One of the main takeaways I got from the event is to always be positive and always work hard because the end result is based on how much effort you put in. Through his story he showed his childhood, the struggles he’s gone through, and all of the obstacles that he’s overcome.”

Around the room, the Asian Culture Center was celebrated with multiple generations of IU alumni and community members gathering to share their experiences and personal importance of the center.

For more information about upcoming events and available resources at the Asian Culture Center, visit the center's website.