May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

At this week’s City Council meeting, the Council voted to adopt a resolution offered by Councilors Flynn, Wu, and Flaherty recognizing the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in Boston.

The Asian American population is the fastest growing racial or ethnic group in the country. Boston has the largest number of AAPI residents in the state, the third largest Chinatown in the United States, a vibrant Vietnamese community in Dorchester, as well as other AAPI communities throughout the City.

AAPIs are an integral part of our society, as they are our neighbors, business owners, educators, policymakers, military members, first responders, and youth sports coaches, among many other roles.

Councilor Flynn, who represents a large AAPI community in his district said, “It is important that we recognize the contributions of our AAPI residents, and recognize that their experiences and diversity make our City stronger,” he continued, “The AAPI community faced discrimination and racism in the past, and there are still challenges facing the community in the present. We have to continue to advocate and stand up for our AAPI community, especially at a time when the rights of immigrants are being violated.”

May is officially designated as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in the United States.