On Saturday, May 23, 2026, the Finnish Hall was a sea of vibrant, unique colors as friends and family gathered to celebrate Berkeley High School’s Asian and Pacific Islander (API) graduates. Many of the graduates donned traditional clothing, reflecting the ceremony’s main themes of pride in one’s roots and freedom to express one’s identity.
The ceremony began with speeches given by Layla Cao and Katherine Howarth, co-presidents of the Asian Pacific Islander Club (APIC). Then, Berkeley’s first Asian American mayor, Adena Ishii, took the stage to deliver a speech on the importance of recognizing one’s heritage.
“Having a space where we, as API leaders, can be our full selves, can recognize all parts of our identities … we need to make sure that we continue to celebrate these spaces,” Ishii said. No matter what the graduates’ futures held, Ishii urged them to “make sure that you all are able to be proud of yourselves and bring all of this history in … different spaces.”
Her speech was followed by an original poem recited by Berkeley Vice Youth Poet Laureate Adalilly Chu, a traditional dance performed by the Likha Pilipino Folk Ensemble, and a song performed by Pheona Bun Vongphachanh. After the seniors walked the stage, they each gave a few words of appreciation to their loved ones, and then enjoyed a potluck provided by the community of family and friends at the ceremony.
Another highlight of the event was a moving speech given by API Literature teacher Matthew Laurel encouraging the graduates to be authentic to themselves and their identities. “You are the central characters of your stories. You exist, you matter … you are not extras, you are not background characters … (or) model minorities,” Laurel said, “You are whatever you want yourself to be. And don’t ever let anybody tell you otherwise.”