PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Chuong M. Le
(303) 564-0263
chuong_le@comcast.net
National Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) Celebrations Planned for May
Colorado Schools Tapped to Host APAHM Project Performances and Classroom Education
DENVER (April 21, 2010) - The month of May marks National Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) and several organizations throughout Colorado have partnered to bring the newly created Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month Project to four school districts throughout the state.
Select schools from Denver Public Schools, Jefferson County Public Schools, Cherry Creek School District, and Adams 50 School District will play host to the APAHM Project during the month of May. The Project is the only one of its kind in Colorado intended to pay tribute to and celebrate the accomplishments of Asian and Pacific Islanders throughout America's history.
The APAHM Project features three main components centered on this year's theme, "Lighting the Past, Present, and Future." It is designed to recognize the contributions and accomplishments of our nation's Asian and Pacific Islander citizens', past, present and future through a combination of live performances, exhibitions, and a week-long classroom series.
Each school will incorporate Asian-Pacific American studies as part of its classroom curriculum and exhibit informational displays during the entire month that include historical and cultural artifacts, costumes, and artwork, that commemorate the culture, history, and contributions of Asian-Pacific American citizens in the United States. The week-long curriculum is designed to showcase the diverse Asian cultures and countries and explain how Asian-Pacific Americans fit into the fabric of American history. Live cultural performances will also be held at each of the schools. The performances will include cultural dances from Burma, Hmong, Nepal, China, and Japan, as well as a special performance by the all-woman professional Japanese drum ensemble group, Mirai Daiko; and Chinese based martial art performances, combining both contemporary and traditional Kung Fu, by the National Martial Arts Academy. Community members are encouraged to contact individual schools regarding admission for the general public.
May 10 - 9:00 am
Ellis Elementary School
1651 South Dahlia Street, Denver, CO
May 11 - 1:30 pm
Green Mountain Elementary School
12250 West Kentucky Drive, Lakewood, CO
May 12 - 9:00 am
Swanson Elementary School
6055 West 68th Avenue, Arvada, CO
May 14 - 9:00 am
Mesa Elementary School
9100 Lowell Boulevard, Westminster, CO
May 18 - 8:15 am
Dakota Valley Elementary School
3950 South Kirk Way, Aurora, CO
Project organizers are Chuong M. Le, Khanh Nguyen Le, George Yoshida, and Ge Thao. Volunteers for theAsian-Pacific American Heritage Month Project are Lam Nguyen, Jinny Kim, Mary Grace Legg, Bunkhuon Chhun, Duy Andy Le, Kim Garcia, Mark Chung, Bryan Yee, and Mayla Yang.
Partnering organizations for this first ever APAHM Project in Colorado are the Asian Pacific Development Center, Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Confucius Institute at the Community College of Denver, Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, Asian Chamber of Commerce, Asian Roundtable, and the Hmong Radio Station.
About Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
APAHM originated from Congressional resolutions, the first of which came in June 1977 in a House Bill introduced by Representatives Frank Horton and Norman Y. Mineta, to observe Asian Pacific American Heritage Week during the first week of May. A similar bill was introduced in the Senate in the following month by Senators Daniel Inouye and Spark Matsunaga. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed a Joint Resolution designating the annual celebration. The date was chosen to commemorate the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush expanded the celebration from a week to a month, and in 1992, the designation of May as APAHM was signed into law.
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