On the Banks is an anthology crafted by Michigan State University students by means of oral history interviews with people who are a part of the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American and Asian (APIDA/A) community. Together, our essays form a narrative with underlying currents of familiar connections, youth identity, and students engagement. We explore broad thematic elements throughout the book, including the role of family, multiculturalism, and education in the experiences of our interviewees. The goal of our project is to honor the voices, explore the perspectives, and center the lived experiences of APIDA/A residents within the Great Lakes State. In doing so, we aim to challenge the model minority myth and complicate historically incomplete narratives.