WASHINGTON, DC — New Asian Leaders (NAL), a non-profit Asian American leadership organization headquartered in Washington, DC, calls upon the diverse citizenry of America to join us in celebrating the month of May as Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. 

May 10th marks the day in 1869 that the Chinese workers heroically completed the building of the Transcontinental Railroad that linked the West and East Coasts of the U.S. Today, we stand together with all Americans in commemorating such past achievements of AAPI while embracing a New Era that heralds a bright future for AAPI and all Americans. We are very proud to contribute to the beautiful tapestry that is America.

Courage and faith in the American dream embodies the spirit of AAPIs.  From the first Filipino explorers who came to the shores of Louisiana during the 1600s, to the brave Chinese workers who built the Transcontinental Railroad that bridged the West and East Coasts of the US, to the courageous Japanese Americans who fought against all odds to end tyranny abroad while their family were imprisoned unjustly at home, to the South Asian Americans who built farmlands out of deserts in the Northwest and in the Central Valley of California, and onward to the struggle of the Hawaiian peoples to preserve and share their cultures with true Aloha spirit — We are America!

We as AAPIs have made remarkable progress in spite of many setbacks and discriminations that have and continue to face us.  Today, some segments of the AAPI community have made remarkable gains in education and socioeconomic achievement.  We have astronauts and a diversity of congressmembers who can trace their heritage to Asia and the Pacific.  We have our scientists, architects, and engineers who have designed and built some of the most amazing products and edifices globally. Individuals such as Iris Chiang and Carlos Bulosan demonstrate that AAPIs can be effective, powerful, and courageous writers, poets, artists, and performers who can tackle difficult subjects while encouraging us to see our deeper humanity.

Yet, discrimination and the glass ceiling still exists.  Barriers to full integration and participation in American life still affect AAPIs.  We continue to have difficulties with immigration, higher education equal access, governmental program inclusion, and highest corporate advancement.  Some of us are afraid of deportation, worried that we are seen as aliens or as foreign nationals that are unjustly perceived as a threat, and are linguistically isolated from the mainstream — all of these make the AAPI quality of life more difficult and stressful.

Here we are on the cusp of a New Era where we can create a new culture, embracing new technologies and ideas so that we can transform our conditions which we as Americans face today.  AAPIs have the courage, determination, and faith, as Maxine Hong Kingston said, ‘to make our universe wide.’  We call upon our AAPI brothers and sisters to be proud of our achievements and to continue our resolve to be more fully included in the civic, economic, and social life of the United States.  We join you in celebrating America and singing with Langston Hughes, “Let America be America, where equality is in the air we breathe.”  Together, we will reach higher!

Best regards,

Cliff Li, NAL Executive Director

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If you would like to schedule an interview with Mr. Cliff Zhonggang Li, Executive Director of New Asian Leaders, please call NAL direct at 954-233-0672 x 527 or email us at press@NewAsianLeaders.org.  New Asian Leaders (NAL) is committed to encouraging Asian Americans to participate in the political process and to ensure the establishment of future leaders in the Asian American community.