But does any one care?
I survived Vice President Joe Biden’s warning yesterday having taken a cross-country plane trip, a bus ride, and a subway ride all within the same 24 hours.
I’m not sure what I’m incubating, but I’m proud to say I lived to see the start of another APA month.
Coincidentally, Asian Pacific Americans are competing with others who have declared May Anxiety Disorders Month, Digestive Disease Awareness Month and Better Sleep Month ( and that’s a short list among others including bike enthusaists and hug givers).
That means there’s probably no better way to celebrate May than to find a crazy Asian American with lactose-intolerant inspired gas attacks, then ride a bike to their place in order hug and sleep (just sleep) with them.
But, of course, only if you really want to get into the spirit of things.
APA Month was originally a week, but expanded to a month, perhaps because it gave people more time to forget that it was a time to celebrate.
I’ve long complained during APA month that another one comes along and no one ever sends me so much as a Hallmark card. Some public employees groups and non-profits annually celebrate with food and music fests (APA Month is a good excuse to have one more lumpia and dance the tinikling). This year, Asian Week no longer publishes but it does have its public display, the big street festival.
But that’s for us Asian Pacific Americans. Generally, the month is lost what with seemingly everyone else claiming May, or the month is taken for granted, if not totally forgotten. That of course is the shame. APA month is a chance to spotlight the community and let others develop their experience and appreciation of us. If prejudice and discrimination are based on ignorance, an APA Month should be seen as our educational tool to help non-Asians understand that their “foreign” neighbors have real American roots. Old hat? Effective education requires repetition.
But on the eve of our month, I was forced to rethink who this month was really for.
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