Why Belmont Celebrates AAPI Heritage?
Belmont, MA is known as the “Town of Homes.” Now this close-knit community of about 26,000 residents embraces a diverse population, including about 4,500 (17.2%) Asian Belmontonians. We are a group of volunteers coming from Belmont’s Asian residents. In April 2021, in the face of the rise of anti-Asian hate incidents nationwide, we organized a series of activities across Belmont to honor the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Heritage Month, as we yearn to reaffirm communal solidarity and make our voices heard.
Our 2021 events include donating 200 AAPI books to Belmont Public Schools, displaying AAPI-themed posters at all Belmont schools, and fundraising by distributing specially designed bookmarks that showcase a curated list of 119 AAPI books for different age groups. Our successful fundraising enabled us to establish the Belmont Celebrates AAPI Heritage Fund in May of 2021 for supporting similar activities in Belmont in the future.
Our mission is to organize and promote activities that celebrate the AAPI Heritage Month each May in Belmont. Our events are joyful get-togethers to celebrate what we value in life - from AAPI cultural heritages to family, friends, athleticism, innovation, and so much more. Through our events, we aim to celebrate the history, contributions, and achievements of AAPI people, as well as to advance the safety, inclusion, and sense of belonging of the AAPI community in Belmont. Moreover, our events will help promote mutual understanding across diverse cultures and develop the next generation of global citizens. We envision that Belmont Celebrates AAPI Heritage will soon become a beloved Belmont tradition to bring together Belmont’s AAPI communities and all who call Belmont home. We welcome you to join us!
