Discrimination, stereotypes and racism are struggles that Asian Americans have experienced and still experience to this day. Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Month is dedicated to honoring the contributions and resilience of these communities while also promoting awareness, understanding and celebration of their rich heritage. At WCHS, many student-led organizations are engaging in activities to celebrate AAPI Month, reflecting the school’s commitment to embracing and showcasing Asian culture and identity.
“During AAPI Month, the Asian American Alliance Club will partner with Korean Culture Club and the South Asian Club to present a student-led pride lesson to educate all WCHS students and staff, along with announcements that spotlight influential Asian figures,” WCHS senior and officer of the Asian American Alliance club Matthew Kim said. “We are also playing music from Asian artists during passing periods.”
Planning this initiative has not been easy, as it requires thorough research to create these lessons and almost 100 participants to present this information to the student body. Nevertheless, the Asian American Alliance Club remains optimistic and determined to reach their goal.
“Despite having a large Asian population at WCHS, our biggest obstacle has been a lack of student volunteers to lead these pride lessons,” Kim said. “Thankfully, advertising such events over the announcements, flyers or word-of-mouth has helped us gain the most traction.”
The Asian American Alliance Club’s dedication to spreading awareness and appreciation towards Asian culture stretches beyond AAPI month. The club’s mission is to create a welcoming community where everyone, not only those of Asian descent, can learn about different Asian cultures while meeting new people regardless of the month of the year.
“Throughout the year, we hold monthly meetings where we explore and inform others about specific Asian holidays and traditions that are often overlooked,” Kim said. “Our emphasis on recognizing lesser-known Asian cultures is what distinguishes us as an alliance. It helps us realize that we can all come together as a tight-knit group to celebrate our similarities and differences.”
The Asian American Alliance Club is committed to sharing these ideas of inclusion and recognition of Asian cultures in and out of school. Specifically, they are looking to spread awareness to the WCHS community, including parents, siblings and friends of students.
“We are hosting a booth at the WCHS Cluster Community Carnival where we will sell boba to raise funds for the club while bringing awareness to the WCHS community about our club and Asian culture,” Kim said. “The money will help us fund activities that help the club bond and and celebrate our culture within WCHS.”
The Asian American Alliance Club is among several WCHS organizations that have taken proactive steps this year to showcase Asian culture to the community. Focusing on a more specific Asian community, the Chinese Honor Society—which recognizes students for academic excellence in Chinese classes, as well as leadership and service—has achieved significant milestones throughout the year in promoting Chinese culture.
“The Chinese Honor Society and Chinese Culture Club hosted the Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration during lunch in Sept., where students participated in a mooncake-making activity, games, paper cutting and a lesson on the history of the holiday,” WCHS junior and Co-President of Chinese Honor Society Lumina Zhang said.
In addition to highlighting aspects of Chinese culture through language, food and art, the Chinese Honor Society also collaborates with other student organizations to plan events aimed at reflecting the vast diversity and richness of all Asian cultures.
“Our Lunar New Year Gala featured different Asian cultures and it was a fantastic event that celebrated WCHS’s diversity,” Zhang said. “We will continue hosting events to celebrate and recognize all types of Asian culture, and we are also making the Lunar New Year Gala an annual event.”
The Chinese Honor Society’s Lunar New Year Gala, held on Feb. 1, showcased over 20 student performances—including martial arts demonstrations and traditional dance—to celebrate the Year of the Dragon. Various cultural groups like the Korean Culture Club were featured. Attendees of the event also had the chance to try a diverse selection of Asian cuisines provided by parent volunteers. The success of the event allowed the AAPI community at WCHS to come together and appreciate their cultures.
“With such a large population of AAPI students at WCHS, it is so important that we create a safe environment and sense of belonging for students to appreciate their heritage,” Kim said. “I think that this year especially, these WCHS clubs have made strides to help with that and will continue to do so for years to come.”
