“Power from the People,” is the motto for this year’s annual Asian Pacific Islander American Forum.

The event is in its ninth year at Fullerton and is a joint effort between the Cadena Center and the Asian Pacific Islander Faculty Staff Administration (APIA).

The event will discuss the creation of the term Asian American and the fight for ethnic studies in schools. There will also be food provided during the discussions. The forum will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 30 from 11:45-1:30 p.m. in building 200 Room 224.

This is the 50 year anniversary of the first Ethnic Studies curriculum being implemented to a college or university. The first program was created in 1969 at the University of California at Berkeley. This was followed the same year by San Francisco State University, which opened a college of Ethnic Studies. The integration of the program came after protests and strikes from the Third World Liberation Front (TWLF) and students who demanded scholarly programs that focused on the history of minorities.

The APIA is made up of staff and faculty from the North Orange County Community College District. All faculty and staff are encouraged to join, regardless of ethnicity. The membership is $25 a year, but all funds go towards student scholarships.

Two scholarships in the amount of $200 each are awarded annually to one Fullerton and one Cypress student. More information on how to apply for this scholarship, visit the district’s APIA webpage.