During the heart of winter in Philadelphia, East and Southeast Asian diasporic communities will begin to march through the streets of Chinatown. Community groups, cultural associations and local organizations, from the city and suburbs alike, walk as one, united against chaos and fear.
Similarly, at the height of autumn in Philadelphia, South Asian diasporic communities reunite with friends and family to illuminate their homes. Families, student organizations and vendors, from the city and suburbs alike, stand as one amidst a sea of flickering diyas, also united against ignorance and greed.
In the light of these beautiful Asian cultural celebrations, among others, GA students remain in the dark. Despite being encouraged by their school, family and even peers to embrace their culture, many students identifying as Asian still struggle in finding time to celebrate.
Nearly 15% of the 1226 students who attend Germantown Academy (GA) identify as Asian. A significant portion of these students participate in the Asian American Student Association (AASA), whose mission is to strengthen the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community through providing a safe haven for connection and affirmation.
However, it is difficult to feel truly “affirmed” by an institution that recognizes the importance of these traditions in theory, yet mandates school attendance in practice.
The conflict is not merely about missing a few classes; it is about the “hidden tax” placed on Asian students. While their peers enjoy designated breaks for major religious and federal holidays, Asian students are often forced to choose between missing school and their cultural identity.
“Choosing school” means neglecting cultural celebrations to prioritize a load of schoolwork, while “choosing family” means missing assignments to prioritize culture and heritage.
By formalizing these days off, GA would do more than just provide a break; it would provide legitimacy to their equity and diversity statement. When a holiday is marked on the school calendar as a day of closure, it sends a clear message: This culture is a fundamental part of our community.
If Germantown Academy seeks to be a leader in diversity and inclusion, it must move beyond “no-HTTPQ days”. True inclusion requires more than just a sacrifice of time, but also acknowledging that for a significant portion of the student body, the “New Year” doesn’t always start in January and the most important lights aren’t always on a tree.
The AAPI community at GA is vibrant, growing and essential to the school’s academic and social fabric. To support the AASA’s mission of providing a “safe haven,” the school should protect the time required to maintain that haven at home.
Closing school for major Asian holidays like Lunar New Year or Diwali is not an “extra” request; it is a just one. It allows students to march through Chinatown or light diyas in their homes without the looming shadow of a chemistry test the next morning. It allows them to embrace their full identity. If we truly want GA students to “embrace their culture,” we must give them the time to do so.