Fayetteville-Manlius High School will be hosting its first Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month assembly on May 15th, 2023! This assembly will be organized and presented by FM’s brand-new AAPI Heritage Club, co-founded earlier this year by seniors Hannah Park, Allison Wong, and Sarah Rinzan. The club is looking forward to celebrating AAPI culture and heritage, while also working to educate the school community about its AAPI population. 

With fun events throughout the year, such as cooking classes, a badminton tournament, and more, FM students will be able to fully immerse themselves in AAPI culture. Founder Hannah Park said, “I’m personally the most excited about the assembly. It’s something that I’ve always dreamed of, ever since freshman year, to have an assembly that was dedicated for us, Asian Americans.” 

The modern world has been widely influenced by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, from food to inventions to pop culture. Park stated, “In my freetime, I love to dance to K-pop songs and sing along to Korean music, which I feel would be so much fun to showcase, along with so many other Asian cultures that we have right here at our school.”

The Asian American and Pacific Islander umbrella is so diverse and multifaceted, and thanks to the efforts of the members of AAPI Heritage Club, students at FM will be able to appreciate and learn more about an identity that is so important to many of their peers. Meetings of AAPI Heritage Club will be monthly, and anyone interested in learning more about AAPI culture is encouraged to come. For more information, follow the Instagram page (@fm_aapi) or send an email to [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected].