May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPIHM)! During this month, Asian American and Pacific Islanders (APIs) are celebrated and recognized for the achievements our communities have made, while society simultaneously recognizes that APIs have also played an integral role in the development of the United States. When we live in a society that often refuses to portray API’s as anything but perpetual foreigners, AAPIHM is important. But we also recognize the tension this rhetoric of celebration can create, for example through language portraying API as the “Model Minority”.This year, we celebrate with the theme of Building Power. Just like our communities, APANO’s work is diverse and vast, and it is centered around the goal of building power within, and with our communities - whether it be through organizing, training, leadership development, and more. Each week of AAPIHM will feature a different topic that explores how API members and organizers in Oregon are building power.

There is so much complexity among API’s. Our greatest contributions are not only measured by what our diverse communities do, but what we achieve together as a larger community. As we celebrate heritage month this May, we invite you to join us in examining the complexities of the API experience through the fights, challenges, and wins we have faced in building power with our communities.

Follow these hashtags all throughout May:
#APIsBuildingPower #AAPIHM

See the full list of our content:
We Matter, We Fight, We Vote
Get Out the API Vote
Our Heritage Our History Part 1: Portland Chinatown's Beginnings and Displacement
Our Heritage Our History Part 2: Portland Chinese-American Migration and Displacement
What's Gentrification Got to Do With It? Anti-Displacement as Climate Resilience Strategy
Organizing Douglas Square: What We've Learned In Our Fight Against Displacement
Anti-Displacement and the API Community: An Infographic
Climate Justice and the Art of Healing
One Step Closer Towards Healthcare For All
Social Determinants of API Health
We All Need to Advocate
Moe and Kaiya on Ethnic Studies
Helensview High School Student, Genesis
Helensview High School Student, Trayvon

If you enjoyed reading our posts, please consider donating to APANO so we can continue our work! As if that was not a good enough reason, as awardees of the Coulter Foundation, all donations to APANO at $100 or more will be matched dollar for dollar- that means you can double your gift and extend its impact!