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Celebrating AANHPI Heritage Month

Happy Asian America, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month! Are you saying, “Wow, we celebrate something different every month?” Yes, we do! These monthly celebrations allow us to intentionally recognize various cultures and appreciate their significant contributions to American history, including the myriad of ways they have shaped American society, culture, politics, religion, science, technology, literature, medicine, sports, activism, and so much more. Did you know Asian American Heritage Week was first designated in 1978 under Georgia’s own President Jimmy Carter and extended to an entire month in 1992 by President George H. W. Bush? President Barack Obama changed the name to include Pacific Islanders in 2009, and in 2021, it was further expanded to include Native Hawaiians.
AANHPI month “pays homage to the visionaries and trailblazers who have shaped our AANHPI history and continue to influence our collective future. Innovation, resilience, and a pioneering spirit are cornerstones of American leadership. AANHPI leaders have made lasting contributions to our nation’s economic prosperity, technological advancements, and social/political change through their ingenuity and creativity while navigating significant cultural and systemic barriers.” (Federal Asian Pacific American Council, January 2024)
Some notable AANHPI’s are:
• Kalpana Chawla (first woman of Asian origin to go to space)
• Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (former professional wrestler and actor)
• Hiram Fong (first Asian-American U.S. Senator)
• Kamala Harris (the U.S. Vice President)
• Joe Hayashi (military leader)
• Ann Curry (American journalist)
• Peter Tsai (inventor of N95 respirator)
• Yo-Yo Ma (American cellist)
• Ajay Bhatt (inventor of the USB)
• Dr. Sanjay Gupta (American neurosurgeon)
We invite you to research famous people, customs, traditional food, or languages. You might also watch a documentary, listen to a podcast, or find a celebration nearby.
• Access Atlanta provides a list of some of the happenings around town: Events celebrating Pan-Asian culture around Atlanta for AAPI Heritage Month (accessatlanta.com)
• Here is another website that offers some good ideas to celebrate this month: 22 Ideas To Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month (goodgoodgood.co)
These monthly acknowledgments are just one of the ways we seek to embrace diversity at Springmont. Happy AANHPI Heritage Month!
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