NPIEN at NCORE

I had a tremendous opportunity to present at the National Conference on Race & Ethnicity in American Higher Education (NCORE), held May 26-30, 2009 in San Diego, CA. It was great to be part of a panel discussion with Founding NPIEN Board Member Sefa Aina, Associate Director, Asian American Resource Center, Pomona College, Dr. Keith Camacho, Professor, Pacific Islander Studies, UCLA, and the only Pacific Islander professor in the UC system, and Kehaulani Vaughn, Student Adviser, Academic Advancement Program, UCLA. The topic of our workshop was "Who are Pacific Islanders and Where Do They Fit in Higher Education?" We each shared our experiences in earning our colleges degree, and efforts we have each made to further the concept of higher education in the PI community. Also speaking at this conference was keynote speaker Dr. Haunani-Kay Trask, Professor, Center for Hawaiian Studies, University of Hawaii. Dr. Trask is a renown indigenous leader and human rights organizer, leader of the sovereignty movement in Hawaii, and producer of the film, Act of War: The Overthrow of the Hawaiian Nation. It was a true honor to be included with many leaders in the area of equity and diversity.