May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month and the Tea & Milk Coalition wanted to take this time to honor and celebrate the rich traditions, achievements, and contributions of Asian Americans. AANHPI month highlights the diverse cultures, experiences, and histories of Asian people throughout the United States. The Asian population is one of the fastest growing minority groups in the U.S., making up more than 7% of the U.S. population. This calls for more efforts to be made in disaggregating data on Asian people to better understand health disparities, such as infant feeding between the subgroups.
Asian American Heritage Month celebrates the diversity within this community, from East Asia to Southeast Asian, South Asia to the Pacific Islands. Being Asian American is intersectional as it encompasses a myriad of ethnicities, languages, religions, practices, and beliefs. Despite this variation, the literature and data that exists is not reflective of the experiences of Asian people in the United States as a heterogenous group rather, it portrays a disproportionate perspective.
So, we invite you to celebrate this month by sharing stories, engaging in conversations, and educating ourselves about Asian American history to foster greater appreciation and understanding of this heterogenous population. Join us in honoring the rich culture of the AANHPI population and continue to raise awareness of health disparities that exist in this group.
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