Celebrating AANHPI Heritage Month!
Pictured above: Yellow plumeria flowers that grow in the Pacific Islands. The island pictured is Palau, an archipelago of over 500 islands, part of the Micronesia region in the western Pacific Ocean.
May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage month, a time of celebration and recognition of their contributions and influences on the United States. We are proud to live in an area with a flourishing AANHPI community.
AANHPI Heritage Month History
First designated in 1992, we celebrate AANHPI heritage in May to recognize the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the United States on May 7, 1843 and the transcontinental railroad (built by more than 12,000 Chinese immigrants) that was completed on May 10, 1869.
A Community That Contains Multitudes
AANHPI includes all who trace their origins to geographic areas in Asia and across the 30,000 islands divided between the Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia regions. Some of these islands include: Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Hawaii, Papua New Guinea, Sai Pan, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and many more.
AANHPI Changemaker Highlights
Alice Wong
“We are multitudes and we are more than enough.”
is a disabled activist, writer, editor, and community organizer. She is the director and founder of the Disability Visibility Project, an online community dedicated to creating, sharing, and amplifying disability media and culture. In 2020 Alice was named by Time magazine as one of 16 people fighting for equality in America and in 2021 was named a changemaker by Marie Claire magazine. Alice recently published her debut memoir, Year of the Tiger: An Activists Life.
Information from the Disability Visibility Project. Photo by Eddie Hernandez photography.
Cecilia Chung
is a social justice activist, transgender woman, advocating for trans youth and those living with HIV/AIDS. She immigrated to the U.S. from Japan with her family in 1984. Cecilia was the first transgender woman and first Asian individual elected to chair the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Celebration, the first transgender woman and first person living openly HIV to lead the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, and she made San Francisco the first city in the U.S. to help pay for transition medical care for uninsured transgender people.
Photo from OutMemphis.org
Khanh Pham
is the first Vietnamese-American legislator in the Oregon State Legislature, currently serving her second term. In 1975, Khanm’s family immigrated to the US after the end of the Vietnam War. A passionate community organizer, Khanh has worked to address systemic racism in transit processes, environmental justice, and advocate for more greenspace and public parks in Portland. Khanh also works to address affordable housing and safer neighborhoods in the Jade District where she currently resides.
Photo from Khanh Pham for Oregon
Celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month with Events in Portland
Portland Japanese Garden
Founded in 1963 to heal the wounds of World War II, Portland Japanese Garden is proud to represent this community and exist as a place to Inspire Harmony and Peace. Visit the garden to experience their impactful events like cultural performances, tea ceremonies, live music, dance performances and more all month long!
Photo from JapaneseGarden.org
Lan Su Chinese Garden
Opening in 2000, Portland’s Lan Su Chinese Garden was built by Chinese artisans from Suzhou and is one the most authentic Chinese gardens outside of China. "Lan" (蘭 ) is also the Chinese word for "Orchid" and "Su" (蘇) is the word for "Arise" or "Awaken," so the garden's name can also be interpreted poetically as "Garden of Awakening Orchids." (蘭蘇園)
They are having a month long ‘Celebrate Our Stories’ theme accompanied by a variety events that is kicking off with a day of free admission Saturday, May 4th in partnership with Oregon Rises Above Hate. Explore their events here.
Japanese American Museum of Oregon
Visit the Japanese American Museum of Oregon and the Japanese American Historical Plaza the first weekend in May for activities, exhibitions, and giveaways celebrating Asian American, Native Hawai’ian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. They are having free admission to the museum the first weekend in May with a free Japanese American Historical Plaza tour, 2pm on Sunday, May 5th.
