Asian/Asian American and Pacific American Islanders (AAPI) Heritage Month
Brooklyn College Community,
May is Asian/Asian American and Pacific American Islanders (AAPI) Heritage Month in the United States. The month of May was selected to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869.
There is vast diversity of AAPI identities, defined as people having origins in any of the original peoples of the East Asia, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent. With an estimated population of over 18 million, Asian Americans account for 5.7 percent of the nation's population and New York is one of the few states that hosts a very large population of Asians. The AAPI served as an integral part of the Brooklyn College community, including but not limited to students, faculty, staff and alumni.
In Recent months, we have seen an increase in hate crimes being perpetrated against the AAPI community. However, the Brooklyn College community stands against hate in solidarity with members of the AAPI community. I would like to highlight that the activism of our Asian/Asian-American faculty and staff are instrumental in launching the Asian American Faculty and Staff Association at Brooklyn College. The Association, dedicated to advocating for the interest of the AAPI Community on campus is set to announce its inaugural officers on May 11th. Anyone who would like additional information regarding the association, may contact Prof. Diana Pan: ypan@brooklyn.cuny.edu.
The federal government has taken steps to address hate crimes against the AAPI community. Specifically, on April 21st, 2021 the United States Congress passed the NO HATE Act, this measure would establish a position at the Justice Department to expedite the agency’s review of hate crimes regarding members of the Asian/Asian American community and expand the channels to report them. This measure was passed with almost unanimous support from both houses of Congress.
I invite you to learn more about CUNY’s Asian American / Asian Research Institute (AAARI) https://aaari.info/ a scholarly research and resource center that was established in 2001, covering policies and issues that affect Asians and Asian Americans in areas of, Asian American Studies; East Asian Studies; South Asian Studies; and Trade & Technology Studies. AAARI has a collection of over 1,000 videos covering a wide variety of lectures, workshops, activities and events.
Additionally, CUNY is presenting a variety of programs and events, highlighting the AAPI community, throughout this month. Please see the following link for more information. Link here—CUNY’s AAPI letter.
Stay safe and enjoy your summer!
Regards.
Anthony Brown, Esq.
Chief Diversity Officer
and Special Assistant to the President
Office of Diversity and Equity Programs
Brooklyn College
718.951.4128
Anthony.Brown@brooklyn.cuny.edu
