We are a local community group formed in April 2021 when a few Centre County residents
came together in unity in response to the rising anti-Asian hate and bias nationwide. Our key
goal is to elevate the voices, needs and concerns of the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American
(APIDA) community of Centre County. We advocate for greater visibility, representation, and
inclusion of APIDA experiences in education, government, and social and cultural realms. We
acknowledge that the APIDA community is not a monolith and celebrate APIDA joy and the
many diverse identities, cultures, experiences, and ways of living and knowing in the APIDA
community.
 

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The PanAPIDA Circle aims to foster relationships and build community between the many
diverse APIDA groups in Centre County, and between the APIDA community and the larger
community by acting as a liaison and resource. We are committed to ensuring that APIDA
residents can celebrate their diversity of origins, ethnicities, languages and lived experiences,
and participate fully as productive members of Centre County. We work to protect and
promote rights of APIDA residents, prevent anti-Asian hate, bias, and discrimination, and to be
a support and resource to victims of anti-Asian bias/hate crimes. We stand in solidarity with all
marginalized and underestimated groups, participate in sustainability efforts, and work to
improve the lives of all residents of Centre County.

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As the PanAPIDA Circle grows, we aim to expand our work to:​

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• Partnering with local governments, businesses, and organizations to expand educational and cultural resources, language access and representation of APIDA residents in community leadership.

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• Advocating for culturally sensitive mental health resources for the APIDA community, and expanded educational curriculum in schools that focuses on the APIDA experience.

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• Preserving and promoting the cultural, religious, linguistic heritage and history of APIDA residents of Centre County, including documenting local history and contributions.​

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​Background image feature above is the public art of Thai-Indonesian-American artist Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya which she considers a visual language that speaks to the collective experiences and struggles of marginalized communities, giving them a louder voice to call for change. The posters displayed here feature APIDA individuals on a colorful background with red, pink, and orange flowers. The respective posters read: "Proud to be Asian" and "Amplify Asian Voices".