My name is Alex Vo (all pronouns), the AAPI Community Engagement Coordinator at The Center. May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month and in celebration, I’m excited to share resources for our AANHPI community, including our Ending the HIV Epidemic Committee that is now open to new members.
May was originally designated as AANHPI Heritage Month to commemorate the first known Japanese immigration to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the first transcontinental railroad by Chinese immigrant laborers on May 10, 1869.
Today, the commemoration of AANHPI Heritage Month still holds significant relevance. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we witnessed a rise in AANHPI discrimination and xenophobia, and now the AANHPI community is one of many facing increased threats from the Trump administration’s anti-immigration policies. According to the Stop AAPI Hate report, the arrests of AANHPI immigrants by ICE increased nearly fourfold from 2024 to 2025 (1,998 arrests in 2024 compared to 7,580 arrests in 2025). Today, ICE detention centers are grim reminders of the internment camps authorized by the U.S. government from 1942-1946, where Japanese Americans were forcibly incarcerated without charges or trials.
These historical parallels highlight how systems of exclusion and detention have persisted across generations, underscoring our need to observe AANHPI Heritage Month and support AANHPI communities. By understanding the mistakes of the past, we can identify strategies for how to protect our communities today.
At The Center, we are committed to creating spaces and events for belonging, connection, and education, including for those living at the intersection of AANHPI and LGBTQ+ identities. A few months ago, we hosted a screening of Next of Kin, a short film about a Filipina actor living with HIV and her gay son, featuring a Q&A with director Timothy Guion Smith about destigmatizing HIV within LGBTQ+ and AANHPI communities. We also hosted a Lunar New Year event with QAPIMEDA (Queer Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern and Desi American) Coalition to create an affirming space for LGBTQ+ AANHPI folks and allies to come together and celebrate.
In addition to these community events, every Monday from 5-6pm we host Golden Lotus at The Center, a discussion group for AANHPI folks living with HIV. We also host an AANHPI Ending the HIV Epidemic Committee, which plans events and resources supporting AANHPI folks, especially those living with HIV, and I am excited to share that we are now accepting new members to the committee! We meet every first Monday of the month at 1pm at The Center. If you are interested in joining the committee, please e-mail me at avo@thecentersd.org.
Looking ahead, we are expanding our efforts to include an AANHPI self-care series later this year, so stay tuned for more details!
From the Māhū of Hawaii and Tahiti to the hijras in South Asian culture, AANHPI LGBTQ+ people have always been here. At The Center, we are proud to celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month, creating more spaces where AANHPI LGBTQ+ folks can connect, find joy, and thrive.
In community,
Alex Vo (all pronouns)
AAPI Community Engagement Coordinator
AANHPI Heritage Month: Community Events
