Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Asian+American+Pacific+Islander+Heritage+Month

Mariah Potoa'e, Reporter

Asian American Pacific Islander heritage month takes place in May. It is the month where America celebrates Asian and Pacific Islanders for their many contributions to the United States. AAPI started off as a heritage week that took place during the first 10 days of May and was later made into a month in 1990. May has been Asian American Pacific Islander heritage month for 32 years now. This is the month where Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders appreciate their roots and get in touch with their heritage & culture through many things such as cultural dances, music, food, family gatherings, etc. Although this is a beautiful & inclusive month, it is important to shed light upon the fact that Asians and Pacific Islanders are not the same. Asians and Pacific Islanders are two different ethnic groups, yet they are way too commonly grouped together. Many similarities are shared between the two, but they both do deserve to be known and appreciated individually as well. None the less, it is a wonderful and inclusive month that is shared between two amazing groups of people. Fun fact, we have a club here at Lakes that is known as AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) club. The club provides all students at Lakes with an opportunity to learn about Asian and Pacific Islander culture and over all just have a good time. Regardless of the name, it is open to all students! Lastly, an important event that we have coming up here at Lakes is a dance performance that the girls in AAPI club have been working hard on for a while now. The dance is called the Siva and is a traditional Samoan dance. This performance will be on the 25th of May (Wednesday), and it will be held in the cafeteria during all three lunches. Make sure to check it out and be respectful if you choose to attend! Happy Asian American Pacific Islander month!