BY KARISHMA RAMKARRAN ‘27

COPY CHIEF

On Nov. 14, students and members of the Mount Holyoke College community gathered in Chapin Auditorium for the College’s 51st celebration of VariAsians, an annual cultural showcase of Asian culture, talent and heritage. The event was hosted by the Asian Student Association — abbreviated as ASA — a Pan-Asian organization dedicated to increasing awareness and appreciation of those of Asian descent on campus and in the wider community.

The theme for this year’s VariAsians was “In Bloom,” a choice that was not only visually stunning but teeming with complex Pan-Asian references. When introducing the theme, the ASA board members pointed to inspiration from the 2025 Nepalese Gen Z protests, numerous flower festivals throughout Asia and the Hindu holiday Diwali. Each table donned hand-painted flowers as centerpieces, through which ASA aimed to demonstrate the uniqueness of Asian culture and both demographic and environmental diversity.

In an interview with Mount Holyoke News, ASA Senior Co-Chair Maggie Doig ’26 described the process of planning one of the College’s largest cultural events of the year: “The obstacles faced were ensuring we represented as many cultures as possible and correctly. We made sure to get the information out to as many student organizations and students as possible to represent different cultures through performances while expanding the restaurants we catered from to include more, within our budget restraints.”

Indeed, this year’s VariAsians included an impressive amount of variety in terms of both catering and performances. Students at Mount Holyoke were able to register for free tickets for both dinner and the show; food was provided by Kiao Wan Thai, Priya’s, India House and Ichiban Chinese and Japanese Restaurant, and entertainment by Five College performers such as Raunak Bhangra, Lion Dance and Rainbow Jelly.

Although VariAsians brought vibrant energy to both the stage and the audience, the event harmoniously balanced both an appreciation of Asian culture and an awareness of issues facing the Pan-Asian community today. Throughout the showcase, the audience was reminded of the intersection between heritage and activism: “ASA would not be here today without the activism and petitioning done by those who came before us to establish our organization in 1973. We would like to recognize and remember that this event is one of many that created space for unity and allows us to celebrate our cultures,” Yurim Oh ’26 said.

As a preface to the elaborate performances, the ASA board members spoke of VariAsians of the past. The event, one member noted, originally began as a potluck in 1977. It was not until 1999 that VariAsians bloomed into the massively successful cultural showcase held each fall semester.

VariAsians has come far from its origins, with 14 performances necessitating extensive organization and collaboration. The event was planned in three months, with most preliminary planning of the theme “In Bloom” taking place during last year’s VariAsians 2024: All Around Asia.

“The most rewarding aspect of planning was seeing everything come together as we envisioned after countless hours of planning and collaboration. Hearing the board, audience and performers enjoying the event was what made everything worth it,” Doig said.

The event kicked off in a darkened Chapin, with the only light centered on the stage’s runway. Cheers and applause filled the room as numerous students from the College walked the runway in their cultural clothing, ranging from Myanmar’s Burmese longyi from the Konbaung dynasty to Pakistan’s kurta originating from nomadic tunics in ancient Central and South Asia.

Immanuelle Niez ’28 orchestrated the cultural fashion show. “Each ensemble represents the story of a unique cultural heritage, offering a window into the craftsmanship and prosperity of the past and present civilizations,” she said in an interview with Mount Holyoke News.

The diversity of Asia was not only demonstrated through beautiful cultural wear, but also through the variety of performances that took place.

For Doig, the Pan-Asian focus of VariAsians inspired her in 2021 when she saw a virtual recording of it as a prospective student. “I wanted to be part of an event that brought together students from different backgrounds to create a space of community and celebration of our differences and similarities,” Doig said.

Siyan Zhang ’28 commenced the live performances with a self-choreographed classical Chinese dance that was inspired by the novel “The Dream of the Red Chamber.” Zhang was perfectly emblematic of the theme, “In Bloom,” as she exercised almost effortless command over the stage. Although the performance was classical in nature, it promised a night filled with vibrant energy in Chapin.

Amherst’s K:NETICS, DJB Dance Crew, Smith K-Pop Dance Crew and Mount Holyoke’s very own Rainbow Jelly Dance Crew brought a wide range of high-energy and high-production performances inspired by the K-Pop genre. With excellent synchronization and intense passion, each dance demonstrated how group performance could be both an incredible source of community and of individuality. Rainbow Jelly Dance Crew performed KATSEYE’s “Gnarly,” which was a particular crowd favorite.

The sound of ankle bells behind the curtains was followed by energetic performances by Raunuk Bhangra and Jhumka, which represented South Asian dance culture. The performers utilized various props, from suitcases to poles, to aid in their celebration. Bursts of energy in the performance elicited ecstatic crowd reactions.

“Bhangra isn’t just a dance,” one ASA board member said, “but an explosion of energy, laughter and love.”

Puja Chakraborty ’27, Ishita Panigrahi ’27 and Lam Dinh ’29 performed an amalgamated combination of “Mora Saiyaan” and “Burn” from the American musical “Hamilton.” On the stage with just their instruments and their cultural clothing, the trio demonstrated with ease the convergence and divergence of Asian identity. In fact, most performances of the night represented how Asian students at the College personally interpret and interact with their heritage.

Asian American Students In Action — also known as AASIA — took center stage to share poems from Palestinian writers. AASIA board members read out loud Refaat Alareer’s poem “If I Must Die,” and Mosab Abu Toha’s “What is Home?” Alareer was killed by an airstrike on Dec. 6, 2023 during Israel’s still-ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people.

“If you’re enjoying the culture tonight, sit with the fact that culture is never apolitical … The joy you see on stage exists because our communities and our ancestors have lived through and continue to live with and resist those colonial legacies, occupation, displacement and genocides,” one AASIA board member said.

The student organization left the audience with a moment of reflection: “Tonight, consider what it means to stand in solidarity with all of those ongoing struggles, because none of us are free until all of us are free.”

Leah Dutcher ’28 contributed fact-checking.

BY ELIZABETH MURRAY ‘28

FEATURES EDITOR

To mark the start of Indigenous Heritage and Trans Awareness Month, Mount Holyoke College’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the Zowie Banteah Cultural Center and the Office of Community and Belonging welcomed Dr. charlie amáyá scott for a two-day residency on campus. scott gave a talk on Thursday, Nov. 6 about the Indigenous transfeminine experience, intergenerational wisdom, ancestors and community, which was held in Gamble Auditorium and featured a Q&A segment.

Emma Quirk ’26 opened the talk with the College’s Land Acknowledgment. This was followed by Kijua Sanders-McMurtry, vice president of equity and inclusion at the College, who highlighted Mount Holyoke’s Indigenous alums, such as Zowie Banteah and Ruth Muskrat, and their work to advance the rights and representation of Indigenous people on campus. Sanders-McMurtry also highlighted the work around inclusion of trans and gender-nonconforming students on campus.

scott was then introduced by Ashley Mantanico ’27, who is an assistant at the Zowie Banteah Cultural Center. scott, who is a member of the Diné nation, also known as the Navajo, has a Ph.D. in education and has amassed a substantial following on social media, where she shares her culture and advocates for Black and Indigenous people of color as well as decolonization.

scott began by introducing herself and her background. She was raised in the Diné nation and uses the English pronouns of she/her; the Diné language does not use pronouns. scott explained that her content addresses serious topics with humor and education. She also took a moment to recognize the genocides and wars occurring across the globe, and reminded the audience that they can make the world a better place.

The talk began with a poem of scott’s called “In My Dreams,” which was written in 2021, and features artwork done by her sister. scott then explained that she dreamed of a world where Two-Spirit and Indigenous LGBTQ+ people are “offered reciprocity rooted in radical kinship and unconditional love.”

The second part of the talk focused on scott’s manifesto. She first began by giving a crash course on what a manifesto is. scott, a self-described “theory ho” finds healing in theory and its use as a tool for liberation. In Indigenous culture, stories are a tool to pass down memories and lessons from generation to generation.

Her manifesto was broken down into several parts, with each title written in a drawing of several flowers joining at the stem. The first two parts of the manifesto highlight the sanctity of Indigenous womanhood and its traditions, with scott telling the story of her people’s survival of U.S. colonization and their intergenerational healing journey. The third part is a reclamation of sovereignty and power, followed by the importance of listening to others’ experiences with our hearts to understand them.

The next part focuses on a relationship with one’s environment. scott highlights how, on her reservation, recycling is not an option, and they must find their own ways to use and reuse local materials and support local artists.

The final part of scott’s manifesto ties back to intergenerational healing and decolonization. scott shares the story of how her mother came to accept her gender identity. She had originally come out as nonbinary, but later realized she felt more gender euphoria with she/her pronouns.

scott never made this known to her mother, but one day her mother began referring to her with she/her pronouns. She shared an anecdote about when her mother first referred to her as her daughter, which occurred when her mother was in the process of adopting scott’s three younger siblings. Her mother told the social worker that she had two older daughters. This moment served as a marker of healing in their relationship.

The talk closed with a Q&A with Lily Rood ’27 and Ashley Mantanico ’27. This discussion drifted into different topics around what is currently happening across the U.S., processing the feelings of grief for what is lost and hoping for better in the future. The Q&A also touched on the work of education, and specifically how institutions of higher learning benefit off of the work, or “heartwork,” of activists and academics of color, while also having profited off of colonization and the Atlantic Slave Trade. scott noted the importance of rest and care, and making sure one’s well-being is not taken away by oppressive institutions.

Leah Dutcher ’28 contributed fact-checking.

'In Bloom': Asian Student Association celebrates VariAsians

Dr. charlie amáyá scott gives her Indigenous transfeminine manifesto