Adirondack Diversity Initiative (ADI) News | May 2024 | |
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It has been nearly 50 years since the US government started honoring the accomplishments and contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in the month of May. In 1978 it started as a 10-day observance proclaimed by Pres. Jimmy Carter but became a month-long dedication in 1992 by the proclamation of Pres. George Bush Senior. May was chosen to celebrate AAPI due to two historical events. The first was the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants on May 7,1843, and the second was in recognition that 80-90% of the workers laying the tracks for the Transcontinental Railroad were Chinese (roughly 13,000 workers), with the completion of the railroad occurring on May 10th,1869. The railroad that was built by hand, took six years to complete and became the first continuous railroad line across the United States.
For many, their American Story includes achievements and contributions, often overlooked, but also dark experiences where they have been met with fear and hate. These moments include the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the internment of over 120,000 Japanese in concentration camps during World War II, and more recently the rise of anti-Asian racism and Xenophobia during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is our moral responsibility to learn from our history-- the good, bad, and the ugly. We must honestly reflect on our past to move more justly into the future.
Onward,
Tiffany Rea-Fisher, ADI Director and
Melanie Reding, ADI Associate Director
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Learn More
May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month – a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. A rather broad term, Asian/Pacific encompasses all of the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia (New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji and the Solomon Islands), Micronesia (Marianas, Guam, Wake Island, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru and the Federated States of Micronesia) and Polynesia (New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Rotuma, Midway Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia and Easter Island).
Learn more by visiting one or all of these resources:
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Learn about the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a segregated unit comprised of mostly Japanese Americans, that became the most decorated in U.S. military history, earning the nickname: the "Purple Heart Battalion.
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(President Truman reviewing the 442nd,
National Archives)
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Upcoming Events:
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Did you miss the We Are All in This Together Symposium hosted by Talking Rivers? The series of three virtual events explored how we can honor the more-than-human guardians of the natural world. The recordings can be found here.
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Nature As Medicine
May is also Mental Health Month. From a stroll through a city park to a day spent hiking in the wilderness, exposure to nature has been linked to a host of benefits, including improved attention, lower stress, better mood, reduced risk of psychiatric disorders, and even upticks in empathy and cooperation. In Ecopsychology: How Immersion in Nature Benefits Your Health by Jim Robbins, Yale Environment 360, we learn the beneficial effects of nature and how policymakers, employers, and healthcare providers are increasingly focusing on the importance of nature in public health policy.
Yet as our understanding of nature's benefits increases, we know that not everyone has equal access to nature. In How ‘Nature Deprived’ Neighborhoods Impact the Health of People of Color by Alejandra Borunda, National Geographic, we learn how decades of systemic racism have left people of color without access to the vital health benefits of nature.
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“Nature is the great equalizer. Nature knows no difference between black and white. The biggest challenge the environmental movement faces today is transcending class, gender, and the racial divide so we can come together on climate, both domestically and internationally."
~ Aaron Mair
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Growing Up Chinese American
~ by Allyson M.
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The Freedom Story Project is a project of John Brown Lives! that collects and broadcasts three to five minute audio stories and related photographs online, centering around themes of freedom and justice, human and civil rights, activism, and engagement at local, national, and international levels. Freedom Story Project uses the OurStoryBridge methodology, making stories easily accessible and shareable.
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World Cultural Diversity Day
Held every year on May 21st, the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development celebrates not only the richness of the world’s cultures but also the essential role of intercultural dialogue in achieving peace and sustainable development. "Three-quarters of the world’s major conflicts have a cultural dimension. Bridging the gap between cultures is urgent and necessary for peace, stability and development."
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Have you joined the ADI Facebook Group?
This is a platform allows for ADI to share articles, history, events and resources for allyship and action. Visit us on Thursdays for "Do The Work Thursdays"- where we share resources to help you personally engage more deeply in racial equity and justice in your personal life and community.
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Support the Adirondack Diversity Initiative
ADI exists at the intersection of environmental and transformational justice, working to make the Adirondacks a more welcoming and inclusive place for both residents and visitors while ensuring a vital and sustainable Adirondack Park for future generations.
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Become an ANCA Member
ANCA members are growing our region’s New Economy by building strong, resilient systems for local food, clean energy and small business. As home of the Adirondack Diversity Initiative, ANCA is committed to advancing equity and inclusion in the Adirondack North Country.
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