HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 05/03/2022 - PROCLAMATION DECLARING MAY 2022 AS ASIAN AMERICAN
PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, recognition of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week began on May 4, 1979, and has now
expanded to the entire month of May as Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, and
WHEREAS, the AAPI community invites Fort Collins to celebrate its diversity and the triumphs of its
community members through their historically unique journeys and struggles; to honor their history, an inherently
immigrant story—and thus akin to many American stories—of overcoming cultural barriers, language struggles,
and systemic challenges; and to understand the reality of the need to assimilate to survive, which may lead to
painful cultural distancing and erasure, and yet still be made to feel alienated from 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; 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; and post-9/11 profiling; and
WHEREAS, the City acknowledges the sustained violence, harassment, and hate incidents against those
who identify as AAPI, especially against the more vulnerable members of their community, such as their women
and elderly, both here in Fort Collins and across the nation; that both new and existing discrimination and
injustices may have been exacerbated by conversations surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic; and that the AAPI
community faces gaslighting against their own testimonies, namely the silencing and denial of the aforementioned
harassment, violence, and hate incidents taking place against its community; 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, as well as contributing to the economic health of the
community; 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 the founder of Unified Workforce, Karen Wong-Brown.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Jeni Arndt, Mayor of the City of Fort Collins, do hereby proclaim the month
of May 2022 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 3rd
day of May, A.D. 2022.
____________________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
_________________________________
City Clerk