2025 Heritage Month

May 1, 2025
In 1977, the first resolution was introduced to establish an Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Week. Now, 47 years after the nation set aside time in May to celebrate the shared heritages of its Asian and Pacific Islander populace, we at the Council welcome the 2025 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (#AANHPI) Heritage Month. This year, in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War and the communities that settled in Minnesota as a result, we’ll be highlighting stories of people from the four communities most affected by that chapter of history. Stay tuned to hear from members of Minnesota’s Cambodian, Hmong, Lao, and Vietnamese communities. In telling these stories, we commit to remembering and celebrating our shared and unique experiences. #AANHPIHeritageMonth

May 7, 2025
In honor of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this May, we spoke to Sophal Nhep, a Cambodian veteran of the Vietnam War. “The war had a profound impact on my family. Like many Cambodians, we experienced displacement, hardship, and loss due to the conflict. My family had to leave behind everything and start over in a new country, which was both challenging and life-changing. Now, here in Minnesota, I see the impact of the war in our thriving Cambodian and Southeast Asian communities. Many of us carry stories of resilience, and we work hard to preserve our culture while building new lives here.”

When asked about what the 50th anniversary of the end of the war means to him, Sophal said “This is time for reflection—both on the losses we endured and the resilience of those who survived. It reminds me of the sacrifices made and the importance of remembering our history, so future generations understand what happened.” #AANHPIHeritageMonth

May 14, 2025
In honor of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this May, we spoke to Lisa Thao, a student at the University of Minnesota, about the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. Lisa, born in Minneapolis, has seen first-hand the trauma that the war has ingrained in her community. “My family never brought it up until we were much older. The war caused a lot of secrets to be made and hidden. Bottling up one’s feelings was a big coping mechanism in order to not pass the trauma and burden down, but through the act of not telling, it created more stress and heartache than mending the wounds.” When it comes to her local community, Lisa worries that some of the nuance and history of the war is fading as older generations pass. “The struggles that our grandparents and parents faced, some of the newer generation don’t bother to learn. But just because it didn’t happen to you doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t show kindness, and empathy towards it. I try my best to educate myself and hear from storytelling what happened.” #AANHPIHeritageMonth

May 21, 2025

In honor of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this May, we spoke to Tri Tang, president of the nonprofit Vietnamese Community of Minnesota. Born in Vietnam before the end of the Vietnam war, his early years were spent without his father, who was imprisoned in a communist re-education camp before fleeing to the United States by boat. Tri and the rest of his family arrived in the U.S. in 1994. Since then, he has earned a mathematics degree, spent a decade working in the banking industry, and established his own insurance agency.

As the world commemorates the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, Tri reflects on how the war impacted him and his community. “We feel profound sadness as we reflect on our veterans, now in their 70s to 90s, with some struggling with weakness and memory loss. Having grown up in a communist country now living in the United States, I deeply appreciate the value of freedom. The phrase ‘Freedom is not free’ resonates deeply with me and with the Vietnamese American community.” #AANHPIHeritageMonth

May 28, 2025

To honor the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, this Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month we’re highlighting members of our Cambodian, Hmong, Lao, and Vietnamese Minnesotan communities—four of the Southeast Asian communities most impacted by the conflict.

Soukkay Keomysy was born twice: Once in Laos, where four of his first five years were spent in a refugee camp. And again when he and his family landed in the United States. As he looks back at the 50 years that have taken place since the Vietnam War ended, the wound of losing his country has healed—perhaps because, as leader of the East Bethel Lao temple, he has found a positive approach to the life-altering event. “You have to make the best of what you have. For my family, leaving Laos was a positive thing.” When asked what wisdom he would share with others, his response was “I just do what comes naturally to me, such as having compassion for people. Compassion means being kind, being giving, and sharing one’s wealth as a way to help others.” #AANHPIHeritageMonth

May 31, 2025—In closing
Today draws to an end Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (#AANHPIHeritageMonth). While we have narrowed our focus this month on the Southeast Asian communities most affected by the conclusion of the Vietnam War 50 years ago in 1975, this is in truth just one chapter of our remarkable and variegated tapestry. Here at the Council, we spend 12 months of the year tuned into the lived realities of our Asian Pacific Minnesotan communities. Every day of the year, we work on behalf of the 360,000 Minnesotans of Asian Pacific heritage, who reside in each of our state’s 87 counties. As we work to celebrate our heritage year-round, we uplift our communities in the form of legislative advocacy and education, cultural celebrations, original research, and far more. Thank you for being part of our vibrant and growing community today and every day.