Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
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What is the origin of Asian-American & Pacific Island Heritage Month?
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What is the origin of Asian-American & Pacific Island Heritage Month?
Hello everyone!
May is Asian-American & Pacific Island Heritage Month. I think it’s important to remember how and why we recognize these cultural markers. Who was behind the scenes supporting this change? What is the significance to our focus on DEI for students and professionals???
On May 4, 1979, the first 10 days of May were designated as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week to commemorate the accomplishments of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. This decision followed five joint resolutions, one of which was introduced by the late Senator Daniel Inouye. In May 1990, President George H.W. Bush designated May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. This was later changed to Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
As I think about the impact of this generation of students and leaders, this excerpt from the late senator’s bio is especially poignant (emphasis mine).
Inouye joined a wave of young Japanese-American World War II veterans graduating from college and returning to Hawaii in the early 1950s. This group, respected for their contributions to the war effort and freshly educated, made an immediate impact on Hawaii’s political system. “The time had come for us to step forward,” Inouye said of this generational shift. “We had fought for that right with all the furious patriotism in our bodies and now we didn’t want to go back to the plantation.? We wanted to take our full place in society. (Source: History, Art & Archives)
Students are not just the leaders of the future, they are leaders now. From Gen Z to Traditionalists, campuses are experiencing a generational shift. I believe the melding of generations, values, ideals, and dreams is the alchemy that will transform DEI, higher education, and the influence of the student union.?
How is your campus recognizing AAPI Heritage Month?
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Stacey Givens
Director of Strategic Initiatives and Senior Diversity Officer
ACUI
Bloomington IN
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