It’s May! May means graduations and summer break! But it’s also Asian American and Pacific Islander month in the United States.
It’s great to see so many people being honored and recognized during this month … but, many organizations and companies forget about the PI part!
Pacific Islanders are a minority demographic within a minority demographic. When people forget to talk about the Pacific Islanders that have greatly contributed to our rich history, it adds to the erasure of this demographic. I’m really not sure why Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have to share a month because both groups of people really deserve their own. Both groups are filled with many different cultures, so why are we cramming all of them into one month?
Celebrate your child’s Native Hawaiian teacher, the Pohnpeian family next door, your Tongan program manager, the Samoan pastor that waves hi to you every day at school, the Kosraean boy at the library, the Maori woman at the grocery store, your Tahitian classmate, the Papuan food truck chef, and the Fijian lifeguard at the neighborhood pool.
So when you celebrate this month with your job, your company, your agency, your classrooms, your book clubs, your family, your social media accounts, don’t forget to include Pacific Islanders!
Happy Curl, Happy Girl
Signing off,
Curly Island Girl
Tales of A Curly Island Girl 