- Feb 4
- 5 min read
Updated: 6d
With the new year blazing ahead, we have new events, webinars, and programs that we are so excited to share with you. We can't wait to show you our impactful and intriguing developments! Keep reading to look at our events for this and next month.
2.24 Serica Storytellers: Poetry, Memory, and Remembrance
A couple months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an executive order that displaced and relocated Japanese American families to internment camps within the US. Over 100,000 Japanese Americans and their families had less than two days to pack their belongings and move to internment camps.
There has been fiction, visual artwork, and personal statements written by Nisei (second generation) Japanese American internment survivors, but little coverage has been shown about written works in Japanese during internment, especially by first-generation individuals, referred to as Issei.
Nancy Matsumoto (top right), a freelance writer and author, and grand-daughter to Tomiko and Ryokuyō Matsumoto, worked with translators Mariko Aratani (bottom left) and Kyoko Miyabe (bottom middle) to translate her grandparents' Tanka poems, along with Eri Yasuhara (bottom right), who contributed an introductory essay in the published book, where they reflected on existence in the US during the war, internment, and their wrongful displacement and incarceration during the time.
Tanka Poems have a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable meter, brimming with more content. While Haikus are mainly used to talk about nature and solitude, Tanka is used to talk about a multitude of topics, and was used as a tool of reflection, emotion, and political thought for the Matsumotos during incarceration.
Our new addition of Serica Storytellers unpacks and analyzes Tanka poems and incarceration in Nancy Matsumoto's published compilation of her grandparents' poems, By the Shore of Lake Michigan, reflecting on words of political thought, reminiscence, and history. Held in an intimate Flatiron setting, the evening brings together art, food, and memory.
Tuesday, February 24th, 2026
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM EST
Address: Flatiron District, Manhattan NYC
(to be provided after registration)
6:00 - 7:00 PM: Guest Potluck, Drinks & Networking
7:00 - 8:00 PM: Webinar/Live Program with Speakers
8:00 - 9:00 PM: Community Discussion
The evening will feature:
Japanese food, drinks, and a community potluck
A live + virtual conversation with editors, translators, and scholars
Opportunity to purchase the book of poems
On-site display of archival photographs and original Japanese-language materials (courtesy of Nancy Matsumoto)
An extended community discussion to reflect collectively on remembrance, resilience, and responsibility
This event moves beyond lecture format. It invites shared reflection in a space intentionally designed for conversation. Join us!
3.1 Serica x Atomic Minds: Trade Secrets for AAPI Top College Admissions Successes
Did you know that getting into a top school isn't only about getting high grades and good test scores?
Asian Americans constitute roughly 6% of the population, but populate up to 18% of Ivy League institutions. On top of this statistic, admission to Ivy League schools across demographics has increased by 33% from 2024 to 2025, making college admissions increasingly competitive for prospective college students.
With this rise in competition comes new processes and considerations when looking at a student's application -- that is -- contributions that go beyond test scores and grades. The effect of holistic admissions, or, colleges looking at the student as a whole, is becoming progressively more important, since grades and test scores are no longer the sole deciding factor for an increasingly competitive and populated admissions process.
So, how can you prepare your child to get into the best schools possible, and when should you start? It's best to hear from admissions officers and current consultants who have successfully gotten students into top colleges year after year.
Our upcoming event, Trade Secrets for AAPI Top College Admissions Successes, is a conversation with Leelila Strogov, the founder and CEO of AtomicMind, a company that has helped countless children get into top universities.
Sunday, March 1st, 2026
8:00 PM - 9:00 PM ET
8 PM: Online discussion and a Q&A with Leelila and a Princeton Admissions advisor
📍 Online Discussion and Q&A through Zoom
🎟️ FREE Event through Zoom
Join Leelila Strogov and a Princeton Admissions counselor for a deep look into how Ivy League and top schools identify candidates. From extracurricular planning to looking at events and competitions, gain knowledge about the admissions process and build strategies to help students of all ages prepare for college now.
3.6 Leading with Impact: Celebrating Asian American Voices in the Boardroom
Although the number of women in boardrooms has been slowly increasing since 2020, the number of women of color in boardrooms has been slowly dropping, going from around 7.7% to 7.4% in the last year.
Despite this, women of color, and Asian American women continue to bring such necessary, diverse, and important perspectives to the board room. However, it is necessary to understand how difficult it can seem to build a presence and career in the board room.
Join Serica for a webinar with three accomplished leaders as they discuss how to build a board career and how their experiences as Asian American women have shaped their experiences with being part of a multitude of boards. This is a perfect event for any executives, founders, investors, and operators who are looking to increase their board presence.
Friday, March 6th, 2026
12:00 PM ET
12 PM: Online discussion and a Q&A with Jane Li and Judy Lee, moderated by Lisa Lim
📍 Online Discussion and Q&A through Zoom
🎟️ FREE Event through Zoom
Join Jane Li, Judy Lee, and Lisa Lim as they talk about their experiences as public company board directors, their experiences as members of the AAPI community, and insights into the boardroom and leadership quality tips and information as boardrooms continue to grow and change.
We cannot wait to see you at our upcoming events, and look forward to learning
together with everyone!
Last but not least, our annual Trailblazers Gala is coming up on April 30th, kicking off AAPI Heritage month starting May 1st! Wearing a touch of blue is encouraged this year for our incredible & timely theme, THE POWER OF US! You can get tickets and learn more about sponsorship packages at the website.
Updates on our AAPI Mentorship Program:
Open Call for Mentors!!
The deadline for our mentor application for the Serica AAPI Mentorship program has also been extended to February 17th. The AAPI Mentorship Program took flight with our first cohort in 2025, and supports amazing, driven women looking to advance their careers from the mid-career level. If you are interested in applying as a mentor to support our amazing mentees we would love to hear from you! You can access our program overview and mentor applications below. We look forward to reading your applications!
Keep in Touch and Support Us!
Please consider supporting The Serica Initiative with a tax-deductible donation. Your contributions sustain and grow our programming and make it possible to carry out our work in the Asian & AAPI community.
