Happy Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
If this past year has taught us anything, it is that hatred and bigotry continue to be infused in all areas of our social landscape. The assaults on our Asian and Asian-American brothers and sisters over the course of the pandemic are just the latest chapter in a history that includes the abuse of Chinese immigrant laborers during the building of the transcontinental railroad, Asian exclusion, and Japanese-American internment. Of course, there are also the everyday slights many contend with—the othering “where are you really from?” microaggressions. But May, the month that bridges the spring and summer, brings with it new possibilities and the opportunity to celebrate the beauty, diversity, and contributions of the Asian-American and Pacific Islander Community. The AAPI experience in the US is also the history of California, and the influence of the AAPI community is suffused throughout the fabric of the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. ...
