“AANHPI Month is not just a celebration, but also a reminder of the complex and sometimes difficult histories that have shaped these communities in the U.S.,” says Maham Luqman, an Ida B. Wells High School junior and a Pakistani American. “It’s a month to acknowledge both the beauty and struggles that come with being part of these identities.”
May 1 marked the beginning of the 52nd Asian American Native Hawai’ian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Month. During AANHPI month, the diverse cultures, histories and contributions of Asians, Polynesians, Pacific Islanders and Native Hawai’ians are honored and celebrated.
AANHPI is a term that includes people with heritage from the entirety of the Asian continent — including East, Southeast and South Asia — as well as Native Hawai’ians and people with heritage from the Pacific Islands, which includes Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia.
Around the world and at IBW, AANHPI Month marks a weightful moment in society.
Campbell Morgan is an IBW junior and is half Chinese and half white. He says AANHPI month is a time to recognize the efforts of people for those who are not typically acknowledged, and to share culture. “I see it as a way to show the rest of the world what our lives are like and a way to promote the acceptance of others,” says Morgan.
At times, May is still referred to as Asian American Pacific Islander Month, but in recent years, the name has been expanded to AANHPI Month. This was an effort to ensure the voices of Native Hawai’ians were included and honored.
Luqman describes this month as a celebration of her journey as a Pakistani American. “I feel like there [is] always a journey of reconnecting and realizing how important it is to hold on to your cultural roots, especially in a country where cultural identity can feel diluted or misunderstood,” Luqman says.
Others hope that this time is used to reflect and learn about different cultures. “I just hope that people simply recognize that this is our heritage month and take a moment to think about what that means to themselves,” says Morgan.
At IBW, there are many ways to get involved with and learn about the AANHPI community. Morgan, a leader of the Asian Desi Pacific Islander (ADPI) Club, encourages everyone to attend the weekly meetings, held every Friday in room 234 at lunch. “It is a welcoming space where it is encouraged to not only be able to speak of your culture, but accept others as well,” Morgan says.
In addition, a multicultural week will be held at IBW from May 19 to May 23. On May 19, the APDI Club will spend lunch in room 143, offering various activities for students to connect with Asian and Pacific Islander cultures. At the end of the week, on May 23, the ADPI Club can also be found at a fair of all affinity groups after school.
Luqman hopes to see the theme of diversity taken to heart this month. “The term AANHPI covers a wide range of cultures, languages, histories and experiences, from East Asian to Southeast Asians, Native Hawai’ians and Pacific Islanders,” says Luqman. “But also as a South Asian myself, I’d also want to share perspective from my own background, which is sometimes less visible in conversations about AANHPI experience.”
Taking every chance to learn about the AANHPI community will take people far. “I think that the more we understand about other people’s cultures, the more harmonious of a society we can achieve,” says Morgan. “That is more achievable when we become more understanding of others and open to different ideas.”
At the end of the month, on May 30, the ADPI club will hold a celebratory lunch of AANHPI heritage in partnership with Tango Crab, a local restaurant in Hillsdale. Leading up to May 30, students will order their lunch from Tango Crab through ADPI, and lunch will be spent together.
