Local, state, and community leaders share their thoughts on the importance of celebrating AAPI Heritage Month, especially in this time of anti-Asian hate, bias, and violence.
State Sen. Manka Dhingra
“AAPI Heritage Month is an opportunity to celebrate our vibrant and diverse cultures and to educate our whole society about us. It is also an opportunity to stand together against hate crimes—they are a poison in our civil society by making whole communities feel unwelcome. Nobody who calls Washington home should live in fear because of who they are, how they are perceived, or what part of the world they or their families came from.”
— State Sen. Manka Dhingra
State Sen. Joe Nguyen
“Anti-Asian hate crimes are on the rise all across the country, so this AAPI Heritage Month, I’m drawing strength from the resilience of my parents and the community who welcomed them here after they fled the Vietnam War as refugees. My parents came here looking for a brighter future, and were able to build one for me and my siblings because our community held us up. For me, that’s what AAPI Heritage Month means—an opportunity to remind ourselves of our own strength and resilience in times of crisis.”
— State Sen. Joe Nguyen
Toshiko Hasegawa
“AANHPI communities are deeply rooted in Washington, where we have long contributed to our state’s history, culture, economy, and politics. There is no single story to describe who we are, and it is this complexity that makes us one of the most vibrant and enriched places in the nation. This Heritage Month, it’s an honor to share in celebrating our vast diversity in identities, cultures, experiences, and contributions.”
— Toshiko Hasegawa, Executive Director of the Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs
King County Executive Dow Constantine (Photo by Kai Curry)
“This month of May, and every day, King County rejects hatred and racism. Let us take time to celebrate the many Asian American and Pacific Islander cultures that are so core to our history and personality as a region, and to lift up with gratitude the people who make King County exceptional.”
— Dow Constantine, King County Executive
Faaluaina Pritchard, Executive Director of Asia Pacific Cultural Center
“People need to respect, honor, and love one another for who we are—not for what you want us to be!!!”
— Faaluaina Pritchard, Executive Director of Asia Pacific Cultural Center
Why would you put a white guy in this, and his comment sounds fake.