What are immersions?
The Office of Inclusion and Diversity hosts immersions, otherwise known as cultural celebrations that involve deeply engaging with and experiencing different cultures through sound, taste, touch, and thought.
Explore 2024-2025 Immersions
September 15-October 15: Latine Heritage Month
Latine Heritage Month is an annual celebration of the history and culture of the U.S. Latine and Hispanic communities. The event, which spans from September 15 to October 15, commemorates how those communities have influenced and contributed to American society at large. Visit the Yale Latino Networking Group and La Casa Cultural Center for more.
October: Disability Awareness Month
In October, Yale observes Disability Awareness Month (nationally celebrated as National Disability Employment Awareness Month) to recognize our differences, including differences in ability. Visit DAY Affinity Group’s disability facts page for more information about disabilities.
October 14: Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a holiday in the United States that celebrates and honors Indigenous American peoples and commemorates their histories and cultures. It is celebrated across the United States on the second Monday in October. Check out the Native American Cultural Center at Yale.
November: Native American Heritage Month
Native American Heritage Month is is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people. Heritage Month is also an opportune time to educate the general public about tribes, to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges. Check out the Native American Cultural Center at Yale.
November 11: Veterans Day
Veterans Day is a significant observance celebrated to honor all those who served in the United States Armed Forces and thank them for their service. Veterans Day is also a reminder of the sacrifices military members make and an opportunity to acknowledge the courage and dedication of their service.
November 20: Transgender Day of Remembrance
Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual observance on November 20 that honors the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. Check out the New Haven Pride Center and the Yale LGBTQ Center.
January 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday in the United States observed on the third Monday of January each year. King was chief spokesperson for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which protested racial discrimination in federal and state law and civil society.
January 29: Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. It is the most important holiday in China, and it is also widely celebrated in South Korea, Vietnam, and countries with a significant overseas Chinese population. While the official dates encompassing the holiday vary by culture, those celebrating consider it the time of the year to reunite with immediate and extended family. Check out the Asian American Cultural Center and the Asian Network @ Yale.
February: Black History Month
Black History Month, also called African American History Month, is a monthlong commemoration of African American history and achievement that takes place each February in the United States. It officially began in 1976. Check out the Af-Am House and the Yale African American Affinity Group.
March: Women’s History Month
Women’s History Month is an annual observance to highlight the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. Check out the Yale Working Women's Network.
March: Pan-Asian Heritage Month at Yale
While the month of May is federally designated as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, the Asian American Cultural Center (AACC) at Yale celebrates it university-wide throughout the month of March and into early April.
March 5: Equal Pay Day
On National Equal Pay Day, we highlight the injustice of gender wage gaps by marking how far into this year women have to work, on average, to earn what men made last year. Over a lifetime, these inequities can amount to millions of dollars lost for women who do not receive the wages they deserve.
March 8: International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality. Check out the Yale Working Women's Network.
March 31: International Transgender Day of Visibility
Each year on March 31, the world observes Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) to raise awareness about transgender people. It is a day to celebrate the lives and contributions of trans people, while also drawing attention to the poverty, discrimination, and violence the community faces. Check out the New Haven Pride Center and the Yale LGBTQ Center.
April: Pride at Yale
Yale celebrates Pride starting in April (to include our student community) and continuing through June. Learn more through Belonging at Yale.
April: Arab-American Heritage Month
National Arab American Heritage Month celebrates the rich Arab American heritage & history and pays tribute to the contributions of Arab Americans and Arabic-speaking Americans.
April: Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month
Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month is an annual designation observed in April. The mission of this month is to raise awareness about sexual violence around the world, and to educate communities on how to prevent it. Learn more through Yale's Sexual Harassment and Assault Response & Education (SHARE) resources.
April 24: Holocaust Remembrance Day
Holocaust Remembrance Day commemorates the victims of the Holocaust, which resulted in the genocide of one third of the Jewish people, along with countless members of other minorities by Nazi Germany between 1933 and 1945. Check out the Joseph Slifka Center for Jewish Life at Yale.
May: May is Mental Health Awareness Month
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Since its inception in 1949, Mental Health Awareness Month has been a cornerstone of addressing the challenges faced by millions of Americans living with mental health conditions. Review mental health resources at Yale Well.
May: Jewish American Heritage
Jewish American Heritage Month in May recognizes Jewish contributions to American culture, history, military, science, government, and more. Check out the Joseph Slifka Center for Jewish Life at Yale.
May: Nationwide Pan-Asian Heritage Month
Pan-Asian Heritage Month is an annual celebration that recognizes the historical and cultural contributions of individuals and groups of Asian and Pacific Islander descent to the United States. The AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) umbrella term includes cultures from the entire Asian continent—including East, Southeast, and South Asia—and the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Check out the Asian American Cultural Center and the Asian Network @ Yale.
June: Nationwide Pride Month
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. The Stonewall Uprising was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. Check out the New Haven Pride Center and the Yale LGBTQ Center.
June 19: Juneteenth
Juneteenth commemorates the freedom of 250,000 Black American enslaved people in Galveston, TX, who were freed two years after Emancipation Proclamation was made effective in 1863. Check out the Af-Am House and the Yale African American Affinity Group.