APARRI 2026 Conference
Hope and Struggle: Navigating Today, Nurturing Tomorrow
June 9-11, 2026
UC Berkeley
Towle Hall/Unit 2 (2650 Haste St.)
The Asian Pacific American Religions Research Initiative (APARRI) is the largest and longest-running interdisciplinary conference series in the United States addressing issues of religion and race in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. Since 1999, APARRI gatherings have provided opportunities for scholars and community leaders involved in work on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander religions to share research, exchange ideas, and build collaborative relationships.
As we gather in this year of unprecedented social and political challenge, we invite participants to reflect on sources of hope and struggle for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander religious communities. How have Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander scholars and religious communities grounded themselves in hope? How has hope anchored their collective struggle for meaning, fulfillment, and social change? When and where have we also witnessed the limits of that hope? How have Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander scholars and religious communities wrestled with the struggle of hopelessness and unfulfilled hopes?
Michelle Mush Lee
Keynote speaker, APARRI 2026
Poet, Writer, and Non-Profit Leader
We are delighted to be featuring Michelle Mush Lee as our keynote speaker. Michelle Lee, affectionately known as Mush, is a nationally-recognized poet and leader in the field of youth spoken word and narrative pedagogy.
As the former Executive Director of Youth Speaks, Inc—the nation’s largest spoken word and youth literary arts organization—Mush has led culture initiatives calling for inclusive systems, healing narratives, and greater funding for the next generation of culture bearers and civic storytellers.
As a speaker, writer, and poet, Mush’s insights and stories have been featured on HBO, PBS, AfroPop, New York Times, and Vogue. At her core, she is a Korean American writer and child of voluntary immigrants, who has thrived by telling, and retelling, her story.
Program and Meeting Location
View the schedule here. Program is subject to change.
Registration & Housing
Conference Registration is at capacity and is now closed. If you would like to be included on the waitlist, please email infoaparri@gmail.com.
Housing: Conference housing in the dorms is no longer available. Those who requested housing when they registered were accommodated; we will notify you a month before the conference. (See Conference Housing Check-In below.)
If you are still looking for accommodations, we recommend:
The Graduate Berkeley Hotel: The Graduate Berkeley is a 5-minute walk from Towle Hall. We’ve reserved a limited number of rooms from June 9-12 at special rates. A single queen room is $209 plus tax/night. A double occupancy room with 2 beds is $229 plus tax/night, with an additional $20 per person up to four people per room. For example, a room for three would be $249 ($229 + $20) plus tax/night. Guests must make their own arrangements by using this link: APARRI Hotel Reservation.
The link and special room rates are available until May 10, 2026.
General Information
Meeting Location: All meetings will take place in Towle Hall/Unit 2 at 2650 Haste St.
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The closest airports are Oakland International Airport (14 miles away) and San Francisco International Airport (25 miles away). Both airports are publicly accessible to UC Berkeley by BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit). The closest BART station is Downtown Berkeley, which is a 23-minute walk to Unit 2, the dorms and conference location. You can find more information about transit in and around Berkeley, including bus line information, here.
If you would like to coordinate a ride to or from the airport with another conference participant, please add your name to this list and arrange your own rides. Please note that this list is public.
Unit 2 guests may check in at the Unit 2 Front Desk starting at 12 pm until 11 pm on June 9. Information for check in after 11 pm is available on the door of the front desk. Check-out is 11 am on June 12. In addition to bedding, Unit 2 guests will be provided with two towels, a face cloth, and a bar of soap. Breakfast is included for Unit 2 guests. For more information on Unit #2, please see here.
A 24-hour overnight parking pass is available at the Underhill Lot ONLY for those who pre-purchased overnight parking at registration. You will get the pass when you check in to Unit 2. You must display the pass on your car dashboard.
If you did not purchase an overnight parking pass, local street parking is free and available from 6 pm – 9 am.
Daily parking is available at the Telegraph Channing Lot at 2450 Durant Avenue and the Underhill Lot at 2645 Haste St.
Berkeley summers can be foggy, cool, and damp, especially in the late afternoon and evening. Please bring appropriate clothing. Our evening dinner reception on June 9 will be outside. Feel free to dress casually or as you would at an academic conference. Please also bring footwear suitable for walking (should you choose any of the optional excursions that involve a lot of walking)
The restaurants on Southside (the area south of campus where Unit 2 is located) include a number of casual, budget friendly options. You can find a list of Southside restaurants here: https://www.telegraphberkeley.org/dine/
Downtown Berkeley, which is within walking distance of Unit 2, also has restaurants ranging from casual to semi-formal. You can find a list of Downtown Berkeley restaurants here: https://www.visitberkeley.com/maps-neighborhoods/downtown/
UC Berkeley is located in an urban environment. For your safety, we recommend walking in groups at night.
The closest hospital is Alta Bates at 2001 Dwight Way. The Alta Bates Hospital phone number is 510-204-4444.
Berkeley Masjid, 2716 Derby St.
Newman Hall – Holy Spirit Parish, 2700 Dwight Way
Berkeley Buddhist Temple, 2121 Channing Way
Meeting participants are not required to show proof of vaccination or wear a mask to attend the conference or access any of the buildings at UC Berkeley. We do, however, encourage participants to maintain risk mitigation strategies in the interests of public health.
As noted in the registration notes, all meals are covered save dinner on Wednesday, June 10.
Our Sponsors
APARRI 2026 is generously funded by the Henry Luce Foundation, UC Berkeley Division of Social Sciences, UC Berkeley Division of Arts & Humanities, UC Berkeley Othering & Belonging Institute, and the Institute for Teaching Diversity and Justice.