AAPI Heritage Month

For last week’s spotlight, we acknowledged May as Older American’s month and while we are very excited to honor older adults, the month of May marks another, important diversity celebration that deserves to be recognized.

This week, we honor Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. (AAPI Heritage Month), an annual celebration that pays tribute to the historical and cultural contributions of individuals and groups of Asian and Pacific Islander descent to the United States. Although AAPI people are grouped together in the same category, we should note that this group comprises folks with backgrounds from Southern and Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Western Asia, the Indian subcontinent and the Pacific Islands. All with their own unique language, history and culture.

AAPI heritage was originally commemorated during the first week of May following a congressional resolution passed in 1978. It was meant to shed light on the immigration of the first Japanese Americans to the United States as well as the role Chinese-Americans played in the completion of the Transcontinental railroad. Today, the entire Month of May is dedicated to AAPI heritage and is meant to celebrate all AAPI individuals.

As we proudly and enthusiastically celebrate AAPI Heritage Month, at the forefront of our thoughts is our AAPI community members here at San Diego Oasis. We celebrate our fellow Oasis members from AAPI communities and honor the various perspectives, dedicated service, and invaluable participation in Oasis. Together, let us use AAPI heritage month as a reminder to continue cultivating a space in which every San Diego Oasis member — regardless of who they are or where they come from— has an equal opportunity to thrive in to older adulthood!