APIMEDA PROGRAMS & SERVICES

Asian Pacific Isander Middle Eastern Middle Eastern Desi American (APIMEDA) Programs and Services provides community and retention support for students who are part of our large and diverse APIMEDA communities. As the newest initiative within the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion organizational structure, we are continuing to develop and grow programs that help our APIMEDA population find their place and thrive at UC San Diego.

Who We Are

“APIMEDA” describes domestic students who are Asian (including East, South, and Southeast Asian), Pacific Islander, and/or of Southwest Asian North African descent. APIMEDA people come from a large diversity of ethnic identities, whose population size varies widely in the US, California, and UCSD.

The students from the Coalition for Critical Asian American Studies (CCAAS) who advocated for this office used APIMEDA to describe the population. They sought to have an office that provided specific and targeted services for students who came from marginalized ethnic populations who were not being served directly by other campus offices.

Our Staff

What We Do

We encourage community development that enhances coalition building with and within the APIMEDA students, staff, and faculty by fostering greater visibility for the diversity within the APIMEDA community and helping students gain skills for success in their future careers. Here are some notable programs we regularly hold!

APIMEDA COMMUNITY & COALITION

This conference is designed to provide students with strategies for creating coalitions and community through authentic experiences from your mind, heart and hands. Students are supported in implementing their plans with their peers and gain a deeper understanding of ways they can think about their shared experiences.

Ask Apimeda Series

For this series, we bring in members of our community that have expertise in a wide range of topics so that students can hear about some of their experiences! Past invitees include academic advisors, CAPS staff, and alumni. We hope to give students the chance to make connections and enhance their college experience.

Hosted by APIMEDA and the LGBT Resource Center, this is a quarterly gathering for LGBTQ APIMEDA identified folx to be in community and find each other! Whether it be discussing the intersections of identities or having fun bonding, we hope to foster a supportive environment where our family can feel safe and thrive!

Community Time

This is a weekly community building event open to all, giving a chance to build new friendships and feel connected to others around campus. There are a variety of activities that happen each week, ranging from fun social gatherings to professional development to a collective study space.