Please join us for APARRI 2026 on June 9-11 at UC Berkeley. 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?
APARRI 2026 opens on June 9 at 3pm with a welcome reception followed by Michelle Mush Lee’s keynote address, and closes in the evening on June 11 with our traditional banquet. Meeting events will be held at Towle Hall/Unit 2 (2650 Haste St.) on the UC Berkeley campus.
We invite you to submit a paper or panel proposal by the March 9, 2026 deadline.
Conference Registration is at capacity and is now closed. If you would like to be included on the waitlist, please email infoaparri@gmail.com.
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.
Registration Information
Registration will cover lunch and dinner (except for dinner on June 10) and all conference activities. All participants must register. Space is limited to 100 attendees, so please register early. (Note: last year registration filled to capacity, and we were unable to accommodate late registrants).
Registration Fees: early/regular
* Limited income applies to anyone in need.
Please note that we cannot offer refunds on registration.
Early Registration Deadline: May 4, 2026
Registrants after May 18 are not guaranteed meals.
Meeting participants have two options for lodging during the APARRI meeting: UC Berkeley dorm housing or the Graduate Berkeley, a nearby hotel. Please reserve early, as space is limited.
UC Berkeley Dorm Housing: We encourage all out-of-town APARRI participants to stay at the Towle Mini-Suites, the same building as our meeting site. Each 3-person mini-suite consists of two spacious bedrooms, plus its own bathroom with shower. One of the rooms will be double-occupancy, the other will be single-occupancy. Each mini-suite will be single gender. Rooms are furnished with linens, towels and soap. Towle was recently renovated and features contemporary architecture with polished concrete, glass, and abundant natural light. APARRI participants who select dorm housing must commit to lodging for all three nights (check-in: June 9, checkout: June 12). For the three-night stay, double-occupancy rooms are $307, and single-occupancy rooms are $416. All dorm housing includes a cafeteria breakfast each morning. Dorm housing is only available for the nights of June 9, 10, and 11. Please note that we cannot offer refunds on housing.
You must register for dorm housing through the conference registration form by May 4, 2026.
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.
Thanks to the generous support of the Henry Luce Foundation and UC Berkeley, APARRI will be offering a limited number of scholarships for 3 nights lodging in a shared double-occupancy dorm room, and plane travel, with priority given to conference presenters with limited funds. Scholarships are open to anyone in need, regardless of status or seniority. We encourage anyone with institutional support to access those resources first.
Important Dates and Deadlines
Paper Proposal Deadline: March 9
Scholarship Application Deadline: March 9
Paper Acceptance Notification Date: April 3
Scholarship Notification Date: April 3
UC Berkeley Housing Deadline: May 4
Early Registration Deadline: May 4
For questions, please contact us at infoaparri@gmail.com.
Getting to and from UC Berkeley
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 Towle Hall/Unit 2.