APASA Spotlight: Gloria Guo

Why did you apply to APASA?

I truly admired APASA's mission to create a safe space for APA students to unite, embrace their cultural heritage, and become compassionate for the cultural roots of others within such a diverse APA community. I was really drawn to apply to APASA, because I truly felt supported and encouraged to share my cultural roots within this friendly community, and APASA always presented me with so many opportunities to continuously learn about the intricacies of my heritage. Simply put, APASA feels so much like home and provided me with a family to celebrate the fundamental aspects of my identity.

Favorite APASA memory so far:

My favorite APASA memory is definitely the time that we went to Disneyland! From all the thrilling rides, sugary churros, ugly rollercoaster pictures, and cups upon cups of Dole Whip, I was happy for every second of it! It was honestly the happiest I had felt in a long time, and I was so thankful to have shared that experience with some of my loveliest friends. After that day, I knew I found a real family within APASA ♡.

A significant cultural milestone for you:

When Wong Fu Production released "Yappie"! As someone who had grown up watching so many Wong Fu shorts, it was surreal to see them tackle the "model minority" myth, a topic that I can personally relate to and a major issue that many APAs currently face. After its release, I definitely saw it have an impact on the young-adult crowd, as it caused students to become more aware of the APA issues that personally affect their lives and pushed them to create more dialogue on these topics.

What does being APA mean to you?

Being APA to me means embracing my heritage and appreciating the subtle nuances and intricacies of my cultural background that allow me to connect with others who share a similar narrative. It means resonating and connecting with people, although we may come from different cultures. I think it's really beautiful how empathetic our community is as we learn to understand each other’s heritage and find solidarity in the shared struggles and experiences that we’ve gone through.

If you could plan any event at USC, what would it be?

I would love to put on an event similar to the IDENTITY LA Music Festival, a concert hosted by ISA TV featuring APA artists and performers like 88Rising, Year of the Ox, DEAN, Jay Park, Kinjaz, and more. It would be so amazing to host a large-scale concert at USC that highlights the vibrant Asian Pacific American (APA) history, as well as showcases Asians in the music or creative industries. I feel like this would be an exciting way to engage the greater USC campus in a fun night of entertainment, but also unite the community through music and dance!

What is your long-term goal for APASA? 

My long-term goal for APASA would be to expand beyond just the confines of the USC campus and to extend the reach of our programming. I truly hope that we can reach out to the greater Los Angeles area by hosting events and organizing advocacy opportunities for a wider audience. In doing so, I hope APASA can tackle APA issues on an even larger scale and continue celebrating each other's cultural heritages by fostering a community that goes beyond just our campus.

Thank you Gloria! 😉