HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - PROCLAMATION - 05/04/2021 - Proclamation Declaring May 2021 as Asian-American
PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month became nationally
observed from the introduction of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week to Congress on May 4, 1979,
later expanded in 1992 to designate the entire month of May, and finally updated to its current official
nomenclature in 2009; and
WHEREAS, the AAPI community invites Fort Collins to celebrate its diversity and the triumphs
of its AAPI community members through their historically unique journeys and struggles; and
WHEREAS, the AAPI community invites Fort Collins to honor their history, an inherently
immigrant story-in this generation and previous-of overcoming cultural barriers, language deficiencies,
and systemic challenges; and to understand the reality and difficulty of the need to assimilate for survival,
which may lead to painful cultural distancing and erasure, and yet still be denied their American identity;
and
WHEREAS, the City acknowledges the nation’s historical injustices against the AAPI
community, such as the People v. Hall in 1854 where Asian witnesses were barred from testifying against
a white man convicted of murder; the Page Act of 1875; the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882; the
scapegoat of San Francisco’s Bubonic Plague on its Chinatown in 1900; Japanese internment during
WWII where nearly 62% were American citizens; the murder of Vincent Chin in 1982 where his
murderers were sentenced to just probation and a fine of $3,780; the post-9/11 profiling toward South
Asian, Sikh, Muslim, and Arab Americans; and the recent rise in violence, harassment, and hate incidents
against those who identify as AAPI, both here in Fort Collins and across the nation; and
WHEREAS, despite past and present challenges, the AAPI community thrives in the City of Fort
Collins, wielding their work ethic, resiliency, and vibrant cultures; and
WHEREAS, the Fort Collins City Council and staff have committed to make Fort Collins a
welcoming place for all community members, and to celebrate such members who lead, educate, and
invite into the AAPI community, such as CSU’s Asian Pacific American Cultural Center, its director
JoAnn Cornell, and its staff.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Jeni Arndt, Mayor of the City of Fort Collins, do hereby proclaim the
month of May 2021 as
ASIAN AMERICAN & PACIFIC ISLANDER
HERITAGE MONTH
in the City of Fort Collins and encourage all community members to participate in and celebrate the rich
cultural tapestry of the AAPI community.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and the seal of the City of Fort Collins
this 4th day of May, A.D. 2021.
____________________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
_________________________________
City Clerk