Students, alumni and Champaign-Urbana community members gathered Friday afternoon to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Asian American Cultural Center.
The open house allowed visitors to explore the center and hear how it has changed over time.
One of these permanent changes includes a renovated library filled with books, DVDs and even a Nintendo Switch to keep visitors entertained. Activities for the open house were also set up around the center for everyone to enjoy, such as cornhole, giant Jenga and more.
Kelly Liu, 2025 University alum and former AACC intern, said that the center’s setup has drastically changed in the three years since her internship.
“When I was interning, the setup was completely different downstairs; we didn’t even have a switch,” Liu said. “Coming back, it’s been really nice because everything looks really different, there’s a lot more improvements to student activities.“
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Since its establishment in 2005, the center has acted as a resource and space for the University community to learn about Asian American culture. The AACC also hosts a large variety of events for everyone regardless of race, color or nationality.
Anish Sabnis, former AACC intern and graduate student studying electrical and computer engineering, spoke about how Asiantation, one of the events hosted by the center, was influential in his college career.
“It impacted me more than any other event has ever impacted me,” Sabnis said. “I had no expectations going into the event. I just ended up meeting these people, and one thing led into another, and a few years of my life were heavily impacted by that event.”
Speakers ranging from student interns to alumni who attended the University before the center’s creation also spoke about their experiences with the AACC and how it has changed after 20 years.
One of the speakers, Isa Sargan, senior in LAS and Asian Pacific American alumni leadership intern, said that the center acted as a home for her community.
“In a world where we are running out of third spaces for us to create a village and for us to find a family in our community, the AACC has prevailed to create and build a home from the ground up,” Sargan said.
Following the speakers, refreshments were provided for everyone as the event continued.
After 20 years, the AACC is united by its community, and if there’s something visitors of the open house could take away, it’s that the AACC is here to stay.
“We have a long way to go,” said Kanittha Fay, advisory committee member for the AACC. “We should get organized and connect with other groups in the country to work together. We are all American, and the only way the country can move forward is to listen to our voices and recognize every group that made this country great.”
