Board honors Asian American and Pacific Islanders Advisory Council for its service to Asian-Pacific Americans in the community
During its May 1 meeting, the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners presented a proclamation declaring May 2024 as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. Joey Omila, Mariben Anderson, and Hung Mai of the Asian American and Pacific Islanders Advisory Council accepted the recognition.
Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month was first established by the United States Congress in 1978 to honor the contributions of Asian-Pacific Americans to the sciences, arts, industry, government, and commerce. It originally encompassed the first 10 days of May. But in 1992, Congress extended the observance to include the entire month. Hillsborough County's large population of Asian-Pacific Americans originate from Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, North and South Korea, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
After accepting the proclamation, Anderson thanked the Board and said that it was an honor for her community to be recognized for their accomplishments and impact in Hillsborough County.
"We are a much richer, multicultural county because of all the people of all races that live in our community," she said.
The Board also presented the Ellsworth G. Simmons Good Government Award to Doretha Wynn Edgecomb, former Hillsborough County Public Schools educator. Additionally, it presented a proclamation declaring May 1, 2024, as the Eighteenth Annual Delta Day.
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