Faculty of Art
Sarina (she/her) is an Ismaili Muslim with a passion for community-engaged learning and scholarship. Born and raised on Treaty 7 territory (Calgary), she is grateful to have spent the last few years living and learning on Musqueam land. She is graduating with a BA in Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Social Justice and a minor in ACAM. Her undergraduate experience has been enriched by the community-based projects she has taken on. She is the founder of the BIPOC Reading Buddies program at the Vancouver Black Library, a grassroots program that foregrounds diverse literature and intergenerational mentorship for children of colour. She has hosted sessions in collaboration with Promise Vancouver and UBC Botanical Garden. She also founded @thebeautyinbipoc on Instagram, a photography collective built by and for women of colour that strives to address Eurocentric beauty standards through shared reflection. She is interested in exploring the intersections between art and activism.
Why did you declare a minor in ACAM? What drew you to the program?
Declaring a minor in ACAM was incredibly fitting, as its coursework complemented what I was already learning as a GRSJ student. In particular, it was the unique array of courses and the incredible faculty members that drew me to the program. One of the highlights included taking an ACAM directed studies course, under the supervision of Dr. Laura Ishiguro, in which I explored the rise in anti-South Asian racism on social media. I also enjoyed taking ACAM 320J: Asian Canadian Research and Engagement (now known as ACAM 400) with Dr. JP Catungal and christina lee, introducing me to the foundations of ethical and reciprocal community-engaged research. Lastly, I found that ACAM 350: Asian Canadian Community-Based Media with Alejandro Yoshizawa was particularly memorable, offering a creative approach to Asian Canadian storytelling.
Name an ACAM faculty whose class had a signficant impact on you and share why.
Dr. Alifa Bandali’s teaching has had a significant impact on my academic journey. I was lucky enough to take numerous courses with her throughout my undergraduate degree. She is an incredible educator who creates classroom environments that empower students to build better worlds. Every one of her classes was engaging and inspiring. Knowing that she was an ACAM faculty member made me even more inclined to pursue the minor. Last summer, I had the chance to work with Dr. Bandali as an Undergraduate Academic Assistant, reviewing proposed syllabus materials for ACAM 100, a new course offered for the first time in January 2026. It has been an absolute privilege learning from her.
Have you completed any projects through or related to an ACAM course? If so, could you share your experiences and, if possible, share a link to your project.
This year, ACAM nominated me to take part in the Rungh Wikipedia Scholarship program. In collaboration with the Rungh Cultural Society and Wikimedia Canada, we were tasked with producing public-facing knowledge on racialized artists and art movements in the Canadian context. I had the opportunity to present my research at the Surrey Art Gallery, participate in an Art + Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon, and produce meaningful research on an Asian Canadian artist. I enjoyed connecting with other scholars in my cohort. This experience furthered my interest in disrupting dominant patterns of knowledge production in online spaces. I am very grateful to the ACAM team for extending this opportunity to me.
