Asian Pacific American flag to be raised Thursday

Corryn Brock, News Editor

Eastern will raise an Asian Pacific American flag Thursday on the We Are EIU Flagpole. The flag with be risen at noon.

The flag is meant to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month which is celebrated in May.

The month celebrates those from 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).

Specifically, it celebrates the achievements and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States.

The reason the May honors Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States is to commemorate the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the United States on May 7, 1842 as well as the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869.

On March 19, University President David Glassman sent an email to students as a statement that Eastern stands against racial hatred, specifically towards Asian American and Pacific Islander populations. In his email he acknowledges Asian Americans “have become irrational targets of bigotry and hatred, driven largely by the ignorance and misguided rhetoric surrounding the global COVID pandemic.”

In the email he said Eastern “prides itself on our inclusiveness. We work daily to ensure students representing every culture and background are offered the best and safest experiences possible. A critical component of that on-campus culture demands our deepest commitments to civility and compassion, and in guaranteeing those commitments are extended to every member of our diverse community. Each of us has a role in creating that culture on campus today, and in advancing those values in our own communities tomorrow.”

He also shared links to information on combatting COVID-19 racism.

Glassman ended the email with “It’s clear that despite the progress we have made as individuals and as a country, the struggle for racial and social equality in America continues. We must leverage current events as decisive, teachable moments for everyone in our EIU community, and remind ourselves daily of the categorical responsibilities we share in advancing the common good.”

 

Corryn Brock can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].