Asian American Heritage

Asian appreciation

Students celebrate Asian culture during Asian American Heritage month

Malak Samara samarmal000@hsestudents.org

On May 7, 1843 the rst Japanese immigrant arrived in the United States and on May 10, 1869, the transcontinental railroad was completed by a majority of Chinese immigrants. May is Asian Paci c American Heritage month in order to commemorate these 2 events. The month allows people to celebrate and educate themselves on Asian heritage and traditions. “For me, it’s [Asian American Heritage month] more awareness of all the di erent Asian cultures,” Spanish teacher and Asian Culture Club sponsor Brooke Chan said. “Educate the public about all the di erent Asian Cultures out there and how unique they are.” Asian American Heritage month is an opportunity to acknowledge all of the accomplishments Asian Americans have achieved and their contributions to American advancements. More so, it is a time to self-educate and raise attention to Asian hate. “I’m glad that there’s a month just 2 to represent us,” freshman Vince Dieu said. “But I feel like there needs to be more engagement in school or in life in general about it.” Every May, the National Park Service shares Asian history and culture through celebration in parks and communities. “When we talk about it, [Asian American Heritage month] just kind of lets me know more of my culture or past,” sophomore Trinity Ho said. “It gets me more connected to that side of my family.” Recently, xenophobic violence and discrimination have seen a rise in the United States. According to the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, COVID-19 fueled, and continues to unleash, hate towards Asian-Americans. “It’s depressing, it’s sad,” Chan said. “I’m glad to see that there’s focus on it because it’s always been there. That way, changes can be made.” There has been more than a 164% increase in Asian hate crimes in the rst quarter of 2021. Furthermore, Asian Americans are being told to “go back to where they came from.” Ho sees this as another addition to her struggle of dealing with xenophobia in public, especially when she is with her mother who is from Korea. Due to the recent acts of violence towards Asian Americans, the Stop Asian Hate movement has risen up to ght against it. People have been highlighting those acts of violence on social media to raise awareness about it. There have 1 even been marches on the streets to protest and speak out against antiAsian hate. “With Stop Asian Hate and there being a lot more actions about it, I feel like I have a good community,” Dieu said. To bring focus to the Fishers community, FHS hosted Asian Night which took place on April 29 via Zoom. It was a way to showcase Asian culture, talent and countries. It also had educational aspects, such as some acts speaking about Asian discrimination in America. “Asia Night was divided into three segments: talent show, country presentations and club fair,” senior Maggie Chen said. “For the talent show, we invited clubs, individuals and groups to audition and perform. For country presentations, individuals or groups were invited to present aspects about their country such as food, cultural practices, attractions or current issues. For the club fair, we invited di erent clubs to promote their club and club activities.” Asian Night was a collaboration between FHS’s Asian Culture Club and Hamilton Southeastern’s Asian Student Union. That way, the students from both schools could come together to share their traditions and culture as well as nd that their community cared for the celebration of their heritage. “With the current events, the question ‘How can we better support AAPI students?’ became more prominent in our district,” Hamilton Southeastern senior Chelsea Allanigue said. “Through this event, we hope other students nd the connection that may have been missing in their schools. In addition, by starting these conversations, we help continue to embrace diversity.” 1. In the back row from le to right, sophomores Ava Martin and Sarah Vega, and in the front row, sophomore Zebee Villagran, junior Jillian Howell and sophomore Laila Nahas from the FHS K-Pop club perform their dance to K-Pop music for Asian Night. Photo used with permission of Brooke Chan. 2. Jennifer Jo and her sister bow down to their grandparents in Hanbok on New Year’s day. Photo used with permission of Jennifer Jo.