After a brief hiatus, the Asian Affinity Club has returned to campus and is working to expand its membership in the upcoming school year.

Originally founded in 2021, the club dissolved after its initial leaders graduated. It was relaunched in spring 2024 by Zaina Deshpande ’25, Natalie Aber ’25, Aryaa Mutha ’26, and Mary Wang ’26, who were eager to revive a space for students to explore and celebrate Asian identity and heritage.

Currently smaller in size compared to other affinity groups on campus, the club’s leaders are focused on building a stronger presence and fostering community among Asian and Asian-American students.

In the affinity space, members often discuss topics not frequently brought up in the general community, such as geopolitics in Asia, Asian-Americans, and how their status has been changing over time in the U.S–most recently after removal of D.E.I initiatives by Trump.

Members also reflect on personal experiences as AAPI students at the school.

Looking ahead, the club is ambitious to both grow in its membership, as well as to host cultural celebrations oriented around Asian traditions, possibly involving guest speakers and maybe even working with other affinity spaces to raise awareness about specific issues in order to assemble a stronger sense of community around the School’s Asian population.

The group aims to foster a welcoming and supportive environment where students coming from all backgrounds can learn more about Asian culture and see the world from different perspectives.

Sebastian Velastegui ’26, an important member of the club, described his thoughts on the importance of the group.

“Honestly, just having people to talk to about things I wouldn’t talk about with other people,” Velastegui said. “It’s how I really see it.”  

In recent years, the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes and the rollback of DEI programs nationwide have made the importance of affinity spaces like AAPI only more important in the current setting.

With these events in mind, new conversations around identity, representation, and advocacy are brought up to the table.

The Asian Affinity Group allows students to unpack these issues in a thoughtful and supportive environment, while also empowering them to raise their awareness within the larger school community.

“We’ve sort of been discussing current events and politics,” Co-club leader Aryaa Mutha ’26 said. “but we want to expand what’s currently being done.”

For many of its members, the club provides an outlet to process current topics and events that often hit close to home. 

Looking ahead, the group hopes to collaborate with other student groups and host events open to the entire school, which could potentially include heritage month celebrations, food festivals, or film screenings.

“We definitely want to start doing more things during lunch,” Mutha said. “such as arts and crafts, looking at short films, and analyzing cultures that are in Asia.”

With the hope for new gains in membership and recognition from the school body, these ambitions can be achieved.

The goal is not only to build up the community between AAPI students and their peers but also to invite and educate allies of AAPI into the conversation. 

The group meets every Tuesday during Upper School lunch and is open to all students interested in cultural dialogue and discussion, as well as community building.

Whether you’re looking to connect with certain cultural heritages, explore certain social or political issues, or are someone who is just curious about the group, the club welcomes you with open arms and urges you to join!

Editor’s note: Mary Wang ’26 also serves as Editor-in-Chief of The Gator.