Approximately 20.6 million Americans are celebrated on May 1 with the start of Asian American Pacific Islander month which commemorates the achievements, contributions, and culture of people from East, Southeast, and South Asia in addition to the Pacific Islands. 

“[I think] it’s cool to have things like AAPI month [be talked about more] now because back when I was in school, if I saw somebody in mainstream media or TV that looked like me, I was like ‘oh, look, it’s just like a unicorn – it’s someone like me,’” Li said. “Now that time has gone by, I think that people are more aware of the importance of representing everybody – of recognizing the fact that the United States is colorful, it’s diverse.”

Along with every AAPI month comes multiple themes or goals put in place by various organizations. The Federal Asian Pacific American Council’s (FAPAC) theme is “Advancing Leaders Through Innovation.” 

“I think sharing and celebrating different Asian cultures is very important as it brings diversity and new ideas to our community,” sophomore Mary Katherine Sacil said. “Although I don’t know many people who, like me, are of Filipino descent, I enjoy learning about and partaking in other Asian cultures. I think it’s good to be aware of different cultures and traditions, as it helps build and strengthen connections between people.” 

However, some students such as sophomore Aiden Chan believe AAPI month could have a better impact on society if, in the future, there is more information circulating about it. 

“I think AAPI month is not influential enough right now because it’s not well known – at least from my perspective,” sophomore Aiden Chan said. “So, I think that if there’s more social media or things to introduce it [to people], that would make a huge impact and improve AAPI month.”