Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 

The month of May marks the national celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Through this celebration, we recognize the history, resilience and often underrepresented perspectives of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI).  

AAPI is a diverse group, including people with heritage from across a huge expanse of the globe. Within AAPI, we find peoples from all of the Asian continent as well as the Pacific islands of Melanesia (New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji and the Solomon Islands), Micronesia (Marianas, Guam, Wake Island, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru and the Federated States of Micronesia) and Polynesia (New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Rotuma, Midway Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia and Easter Island). 

CCC recognizes the robust and diverse cultural history of AAPI peoples in our community. We stand in solidarity with AAPI communities nationwide and condemn the traumatic and hateful anti-AAPI violence that has surged devastatingly since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, we wish to recognize the need for spaces of healing, joy, connection, celebration, and community this month and beyond. 

Learn More and Get Involved

We hope you’ll join us in celebration! Check out this list of events, both locally and online. You’ll also find many resources for learning more about our AAPI community.   

Events:  

• A whole month of events from Pacific University. 
• API Forward celebration at HK cafe on May 6, 5:30-8:30 pm. 
• Celebrate AAPI Month: Cultural Symbols of Chinese Gardens on May 18 with AARP Oregon and Lan Su Chinese Garden. 
• Seton Hall University’s AAPI Month featured lecture: “Anti-Asian Sentiment Amid the Covid-19 Pandemic” by Cindy I-fen Cheng, PhD.  

Resources: 

• EverOut’s list of ways to support AAPI communities and businesses in Portland. 
• 15 more ways to support Portland’s AAPI communities from Portland Monthly. 
• 20 new books by Asian authors to get excited about. 
• Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon’s Call to Elected Leaders.