La Voz

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, during May, celebrates the contributions of Asians and Pacific Islanders to American society.

"It's an opportunity for everyone to learn more about the contributions of Asians," says Dr. Michael Chang, former mayor of Cupertino and an intercultural studies instructor at De Anza College.

Diversity is no secret in California, especially in Silicon Valley. It's unlikely to not know at least one person who is of Asian or Pacific Islander ancestry.

Although we consist of about 5 percent of the United States population, that number does not reflect the amount of involvement and history Asians have made within this country.

Our stories run deep with America's rich and sometimes dark history. From the Chinese Exclusion Act and the Japanese Internment Camps to the Korean and Vietnam Wars, America's relationship with Asian American issues helped shape the country to become what it is today.

Major companies, such as Yahoo!, founded by Jerry Yang, wouldn't exist without Asian American involvement. Sony, Samsung, LG, Panasonic and Toshiba, all Asian companies, have influenced the American consumer market.

"If we were to neglect the contributions [of Asians] in this particular era, we would be ignoring the contributions of American history," says Roseryn Bhudsabourg, a De Anza student and an intern for the Asian Pacific American Leadership Institute.

Asians did a lot for and to this country, but it's not just Asian history. It's also American history - it's Asian American history. Like the "salad bowl" and "melting pot" ideology, the history of Asians will be a part of and blend in together with those of the Latino, black, white and Native American history. Their history will become our history. Fundamentally, American history is a collection of stories and experiences from people around the world.

That is why history months, such as the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, along with Black History Month and Women's History Month are important - because they are all also American history months.

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