Filipino American blogger Emil Guillermo wonders aloud if Asian American Pacific Islander History Month is still needed, particularly on college campuses.
The month which happens every year in May, laments Guillermo, is an “afterthought” on many college campuses where finals take precedence over recognizing Asian American history.
In his blog published in Diversity Through Higher Education, he does offer one consolation to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
At least Asians aren’t shortchanged like blacks, he jokes. You see African American History Month falls in February, the shortest month on the calendar.
Guillermo points out a recent hate crime at Columbia University is proof just how much Asian American Pacific Islander History Month is still needed. An athlete is facing hate crime charges after following an Asian American from his dorm, pushing him against the wall and screaming racial obscenities at him.
Guillermo concludes “the fight for cultural understanding in our quest for diversity is ongoing and never-ending,”
You can read more on Guillermo’s thoughts in Diversity Through Higher Education.
