Updated Post, April 30, 2022 / Individuals are reaching out in the Naperville community during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month to share a fundraising opportunity.
The month of May celebrates the contributions and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans to the history, culture and achievements of the US, highlighting and supporting those within the AAPI community to increase awareness around inequalities, create solutions and inspire hope within the community.
Wenlei Mao started a fundraiser and is seeking community support to organize a book donation to Naperville School District 203 and 204 elementary schools to celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage.
According to the news release, promotions for 2022 will highlight “Asian American athletes and their stories.”
Posted May 25, 2012 / May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, a celebration of Asian and Pacific Islanders, their culture and achievements in the United States, contributions that date back to the 1850s.
In 1990, President George H. W. Bush selected the entire month of May as an appropriate time to celebrate all the milestones of Asian immigrants with community festivals and educational activities for students.
In Naperville, more than 300 people gathered to celebrate the Asian Heritage Month, to pay a tribute to Jagjit Singh, a world renowned Gazal singer and to support the Metropolitan Asian Family Services for its semi-annual fund raiser earlier in May at the center located at 1032 E. Ogden Ave.
Naperville Mayor George Pradel and other public officials from throughout Chicagoland were attracted to festivities that showcased dancing, a lamp ceremony and many other traditions.
The dignitaries in attendance— Dr. Gopal Lamalani, MD. Village President, Oakbrook; and Mr. Rodney Craig, Mayor, Hanover Park— joined Mayor Pradel to “applaude Mr. and Mrs.Kumar, Dr. Firdaus Jafri, President, MAFS and the staff members for an excellent job and being consistent with MAFS’s mission to serve seniors in Chicago Cook, DuPage, Lake and McHenry counties,” added Himali Bharucha.
During the 2012 event, memories were revived and tributes were given to Bollywood’s legendary singer Jagjit Singh who died in Oct. 2011 after suffering from a brain hemorrhage.
The theme of the night was to continue to serve seniors and to add quality and dignity to their lives in these hard economic times.
During his remarks, Pradel said he was proud to have 22 percent of the Naperville population as Asian people, noted Bharucha.
Since it was founded in Des Plaines in1992, Metropolitan Asian Family Services, a nonprofit organization, has expanded its services to seven senior centers strategically located in Chicago, Niles/Des Plaines, Roselle/Schaumburg, Carol Stream, Naperville, Algonquin and Vernon Hills. The senior centers are accessible to the targeted population serving 91 cities and neighborhoods throughout Cook, Suburban Cook, Lake, DuPage, McHenry, Kane, Kendall and Will counties.
The nonprofit organization has a mission “to provide comprehensive and integrated services to immigrant population of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lankan and East European communities facing linguistic and cultural barriers.”
MAFS/UMAS is a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic organization committed to educate, counsel and assist and empower immigrants to become productive members of American Society.
Photos courtesy Himali Bharucha.
