May is “Asian American and Pacific
Islander Heritage Month”
This year’s theme is
“Building Leadership: Embracing Cultural Values and Inclusion.”
Initially, the week beginning May 4, 1979, was
designated as “Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week.” In 1990, the
week-long celebration was extended to a month-long celebration
designating the month of May as “Asian/Pacific American Heritage
Month.” The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration
of the first Japanese people to the U.S. on May 7, 1843 and to mark
the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad
by many Chinese laborers on May 10, 1869.
Because of the two important anniversaries
mentioned earlier, many people today assume the Chinese or the
Japanese were the first Asian Americans to set foot on American
soil; however, the first Asian Americans were Filipino men. In
1763, they fled mistreatment aboard Spanish ships, settled in Saint
Malo, Louisiana, and married Cajun and Native American women.
Fifteen years later in 1778, Chinese sailors settled in Hawaii and
married Hawaiian women. When Hawaii and the Philippines became U.S.
territories in 1898, residents who were mostly Asians received U.S.
citizenship. Later in the mid-19th century, Chinese and Japanese
immigrated into the U.S.
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent having origins in any
of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent,
including Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Vietnamese, Korean, and
Japanese. According to the 2010 Census, Asian Americans comprise
5.6% (17,320,856) of the U.S. population and grew 46% faster than
any other racial group between 2000 and 2010. Census projections
expect the number to increase to more than 40 million by 2050.
Pacific Islander are Americans who have ancestry in Polynesia
(including Hawaii, American Samoa, New Zealand), Melanesia
(including Fiji Island, New Guinea), and Micronesia (including
Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Marshall Islands, Palau). According
to the 2010 Census, Pacific Islanders make up .40% (1,225,195) of
the U.S. population and grew 40% faster than any other racial group
between 2000 and 2010. Census projections expect the number to
increase to more than 2.6 million by 2050.
The month of May is designated as a
time to recognize, appreciate, and celebrate all the contributions
of our Asian and Pacific Islander Americans. Please take the
opportunity this month to celebrate and learn more about the culture
and history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have helped
fulfill the promise of the American dream.
Source: Dept.
of Defense Education Activity:
http://www.dodea.edu/dodeaCelebrates/AsianAmericanHM/2013.cfm
AAPI Month Presentation
Click here for a
visual presentation in honor of West Asian American and Pacific
Islander Heritage Month, produced by the Gems of the Desert
Federally Employed Women Chapter in Las Vegas.
Membership Renewal
It's
already April. Don't forget to renew your APIO membership. Click
here for the 2013 application
form.
Consider becoming a
lifetime
member!
_________________________________
NRCS Translated Information Needed
Hi folks,
I thought I’d reach out and ask:
In Minnesota we’re seeing our numbers of
Hmong producers increasing, interest in programs rising and farmers
wanting to sign up for practices like Seasonal High Tunnels and
Rotational Grazing among others. However, we have is lack of program
material that is translated in Hmong. These items include:
Application, Appendix, AGI, job sheets, practice standards, etc.
Do you offer
translated material in your state? If so, what steps did you take to
get that material translated? Any
recommendations or thoughts you can send my way are greatly
appreciated.
Currently, producers are working with
interpreters, however we find that lacking application materials
written in their language is holding back many from applying for the
program.
Again, any feedback is appreciated.
Sincerely,
Sangeetha
Sangeetha Gummadi
Soil Conservationist
MN Asian
American/Pacific Islander
Special Emphasis
Program Manager
Wright County NRCS
311 Brighton Ave. Buffalo, MN 55313
763.682.1933
APIO Winter
Newsletter
January -
April 2013 Edition Now Available
_____________________________________________________
NRCS Conservation
Program Information Available in Mandarin Chinese
Thanks to some hardworking employees, the NRCS publication
Conservation practices and programs for your land is now
available in Mandarin Chinese.
2008
农业法案
您土地上可用的环保实践项目
助人以助地
Click here to download the pdf version.
Help keep your APIO Web site current. If you
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