Charles Wei-hsun Fu Center for Asian and Pacific
Studies
Fiscal Year 2024-2025
Dear Donor,
On behalf of the Charles Wei-hsun Fu Center for Asian and Pacifc Studies (CAPS), I extend our deepest gratitude for your generous support.
The Asian Studies Program at SDSU remains on its current path of growth solely because of your support, and I cannot emphasize enough how essential your gift is to both the operation and promotion of CAPS, as well as to our students’ academic pursuits.
The impact of your support is also evident in the growing sense of community among both CAPS faculty and Asian+ Studies students. It is deeply rewarding to hear how connected CAPS faculty and students feel to the program. I am also looking forward to seeing the impact of the new Charles Wei-hsun Fu Center for Asian and Pacifc Studies Endowed Scholarship established for Asian+ Studies students.
In addition to continuing eforts to support Asian+ Studies students and cultivate ways to connect with CAPS faculty and students, I look forward to developing new major curriculum, creating internship and community outreach opportunities, and further promoting Asian+ Studies programs.
Thank you again for being part of this meaningful journey.
Minjeong Kim, Ph.D. Director
Charles Wei-hsun Fu Center for Asian and Pacifc Studies
Propelling the SDSU Community Forward
Charles Wei-hsun Fu Center for Asian and Pacifc Studies Endowment
Thanks to your contributions, we are able to provide our students with fnancial support through student assistantships, where they have the opportunity to apply their Asia-related knowledge and heritage connections while gaining skills that enhance their career readiness.
Charles Wei-hsun Fu Center for Asian and Pacifc Studies Endowed Scholarship
We have established the Charles Wei-hsun Fu Center for Asian and Pacifc Studies Scholarship, and we plan to select the frst recipients in Summer 2025. We are deeply grateful for this generous support.
L to R: Jerald Lipa, Cassandra Fuller, and Nya Kim, CAPS Student Assistants at 2025 Explore SDSU.
Thriving in the Aztec Experience
Jerald
Lipa, Class of 2026
Class Level: Undergraduate Student
College: Arts and Letters
Major: Asian Studies
Working as a student assistant at the Charles Wei-hsun Fu Center for Asian and Pacifc Studies (CAPS) has profoundly shaped my experience at SDSU. Financially, it has helped me cover essentials like books, but more importantly, it has deepened my connection to the Asian community as an Asian studies major.
Starting with event support and eventually leading studentoriented initiatives, I’ve conducted research to better understand the signifcance of the events we host. This has broadened my knowledge of Asian cultures and histories and empowered me to help connect Asian communities on campus. Before CAPS, I wasn’t very involved in either student life or the Asian community—now, I feel part of both.
This role has also helped me learn more about myself and others. Listening to students’ stories showed me that many share similar struggles, while others have unique experiences I’ve come to better understand. These interactions helped me realize the deeper impact of my role: to connect, support, and build a more open and inclusive campus community.
Before CAPS, I wasn’t very involved in either student life or the Asian community—now, I feel part of both.
Nya Kim, Class of 2025
Class Level: Undergraduate Student
College: Faculty Advancement and Student Success
Major: Interdisciplinary Studies
My time at CAPS was incredibly meaningful and transformative for my college experience. As a commuter student, I often felt disconnected from campus life. I wasn’t the type to attend events or easily put myself out there, so fnding a sense of community was difcult. That changed when I joined CAPS. It gave me more than just a job—it gave me a cultural community and a reason to be involved.
I’m deeply grateful for what CAPS brought into my life. In addition to fnancial support, it connected me with the Asian Studies community, introduced me to coworkers who became close friends, and helped me form valuable relationships with faculty and staf. CAPS became a place of growth and confdence, especially as I prepared to graduate and enter the workforce. It gave me purpose and consistency—I genuinely looked forward to being there, sharing cultural snacks, and welcoming new faces.
Over time, I watched CAPS grow into a vibrant, welcoming space flled with events, thoughtful dialogue, and opportunities to celebrate culture and connection. I’m proud to have contributed to this community. Centers like CAPS are more than support resources—they are vital spaces where students can thrive.
Centers like CAPS are more than support resources—they are vital spaces where students can thrive.