May is Asian American Pacific Islanders Heritage Month. The follow are resources shared by the The Rev. Teresita “Tita” C. Valeriano (she,her, “siya” in Tagalog) who is the Program Director of Asian and Pacific islander Ministries – ELCA.
Letter from ELCA Vice President Imran Siddiqui
Greetings and blessings to you! In the United States, May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
In 1978, a bill was passed in the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Jimmy Carter designating the first 10 days of the month as “Pacific/Asian American Heritage Week.” In 1992, this week of recognition was expanded to include the entire month in 1992 and was called “Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.” In 2009, the celebration was redesignated as “Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.”
Regardless of how you may refer to this celebration, I thank God for all the amazing Asian and Pacific Islander (API) leaders we have in the ELCA. They are serving in our congregations, our synods, and our churchwide organization. I am especially grateful for those who lead our API ethnic ministries and the Association for Asians and Pacific Islanders. API people also contribute to the life, culture, and achievements of our country. I am deeply honored and humbled to be the first ELCA Vice President of Asian descent.
My parents came to the United States from Pakistan in the 1970s in search of a better life. Like so many other people of API descent, they found themselves in a new country with an alien culture and unfamiliar customs. Their story is not unusual among API people in our country or our Church. The ELCA counts 22,000 Asians and Pacific Islanders as members. Of these, 65-70% percent are worshiping in non-Asian or Pacific Islander specific communities. Our API members can sometimes struggle with a sense of not belonging or have feelings of isolation even though they are members of a church community. There is pressure to fit in to the dominant culture of worship and of “how to be church.” In addition, our country has seen a recent surge of anti-Asian and Pacific Islander violence, which has caused increased anxiety and fear.
So, this month I invite all congregations, synods, and the ELCA churchwide organization to condemn violence against the API community, to listen to the stories of API people in our congregations, to recognize, encourage and engage them in leadership roles, and to support API ethnic ministries in the ELCA.
God bless all of you during this Asian American and Pacific Islander Month,
Imran Siddiqui
Vice President – Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Association of Asians and Pacific Islanders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (AAPI-ELCA) invites you commemorate and celebrate in your respective congregations, synods and neighborhoods. Here are a few ideas:
- Check out your local neighborhood’s events and resources: city, county or statewide.
- Share these recent API resources from the AAPI-ELCA:
Behold the Stream, editors Edmond Yee and Lily Wu
What images come to mind when you hear “Asian American/Pacific Islander” or “AAPI”? Being quiet, hardworking, and family-oriented are some of the most typical traits we’ve heard. Now, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in May is a chance for God’s people to delve deeper and consider how to respond to realities AAPIs face — such as when our loyalty as Americans is questioned; when we are confronted by microaggressions and hate crimes; and when our work is valued more than our humanity. Meanwhile our lives and contributions are woven into the fabric of U.S. life — such as Zoom technology being invented by a Chinese American businessman!
Asian Americans make up 7.2% of the U.S. population, or 22.2 million persons, mostly in urban areas. In the ELCA, 22,000 members are of Asian descent, mostly in English-speaking congregations. And Asian-specific ministries have been faithfully active for many years. Who’s who in Asian Lutheran ministry, how are communities being served, and how has our history in the U.S. pointed us toward the future?
We and our context come to life through the pictorial book Behold the Stream: A History of Asian Lutheran Witness (256 pages, published 2020). Be inspired by photos and vignettes of local ministry outreach. “Meet” many of our leaders through our portrait photos and 100-word biographies. And gain knowledge through two theological essays, “Perspectives on Reading the Bible in Asian Contexts and Cultures,” and “Migration as Metaphor for the Christian Faith.” by Lily Wu
An Asian exposition of Luther’s Catechism is a rare and unique piece of literature in the world of Lutheran theology. As such this volume will be of immense assistance to those who teach and helpful to those who learn about Luther’s thought. The questions for discussion are gently provocative, leading participants into a path of deeper spiritual understanding of life and faith within their own contexts. by Dr. Edmond Yee
Translation of this book into various API languages will be shared in the future.
Other links
- AAPI-ELCA facebook group page.
- 11th Asian Lutheran International Conference (ALIC) highlights on YouTube. ALIC is a trans-pacific API Lutherans network that meets bi-annually and emerged out of the AAPI-ELCA. The 12th ALIC will be in January 2025.
- ELCA Worship Resource for Day of Lament on Violence and Racism Against Asians
- ELCA Resource and Repository of Educational Tools for combating Anti-Asian Racism
- PBS Collection for AAPI Heritage Month
