Embracing Diverse Identities: Celebrating the Intersection of API Heritage Month and the LGBTQ+ Community

By Lauren Means • Photos Courtesy API Nashville Facebook

API Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the contributions and achievements of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in the United States. During this month, the rich and diverse cultures of the API community are honored. The challenges faced and overcome in the pursuit of equality and justice are also recognized during this time. API Heritage Month is an opportunity to raise awareness and promote a deeper understanding of the API experience and its impact on American society. Connect spoke with Terry Vo, President of API Middle Tennessee about the API community in Tennessee and its intersection with the LGBTQ+ community.

What are the mission and goals of API Middle Tennessee? 

API Middle Tennessee is an Asian and Pacific Islander-serving organization working towards racial justice by building API community, lifting API voices, and celebrating identities. By connecting and advocating for our community, we’re making Tennessee a place where we can thrive.

What are some of the most pressing issues facing the API community today, and how does your organization address them?  

Asian and Pacific Islanders in Tennessee — and more generally in the American South — face a greater degree of isolation and marginalization than API communities in coastal areas like California, Washington, and New York.  Smaller populations and shorter histories mean that our people are often rendered invisible. 

We take this head-on with our advocacy work that lifts up our community issues and through our civic engagement work. We’re also lifting up API narratives through our API Book Drive. In partnership with the Greater Nashville Chinese Association and the Nashville Chinese School, we’re raising money and collecting books so that API students can see themselves in the books they read at school.

What are some of the issues/unique issues facing LGBTQ+ individuals within the API community?  

The API identity encompasses a broad range of identities, cultures, and histories. Hence, it is difficult to make sweeping generalizations, but many LGBTQ+ APIs report that cultural emphasis on sacrifice and family poses additional hurdles to coming out (HRC, 2018). API LGBTQ+ youth are at greater risk for harassment and discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, race/ethnicity, and immigration status. A recent report from the Trevor Project found that nearly 40% of all API LGBTQ+ youth have seriously considered suicide. 

What resources, if any, are available to LGBTQ+ individuals within the API community?  

National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance
Asian American Psychology Association’s list of resources

How does your organization work to address cultural stigma and prejudice towards LGBTQ+ individuals within the API community?  

We are one of the few open and affirming API organizations in the South. We will continue to advocate for and lift up our LGBTQ+ siblings.

Last year during API Heritage Month celebrations included the API Book Drive, API Night with Nashville SC, Heritage Month Writers’ Rounds with Shoes Off Nashville, and the APIHM Arts Festival. Will any of these events return this year? What can we expect and plan for? 

Every year, we add more and more to our API Heritage Month Celebrations, so plan on all these and more!  You’ll be able to find the full list of our events on our website later this month!

How can people get involved in the More Than a Menu project — the campaign highlighting API-owned restaurants, pop-ups and cultural events in Middle Tennessee and beyond?

The More Than a Menu campaign is ongoing and our directory provides the most comprehensive API food directory in the community. We will be hosting a series of dinners and hope that you all will join us. Stay tuned for the link to buy tickets.

Anything else you would like to add? 

Get involved with our organization! You can follow us on social media such as Instagram at @apimidtn. Sign up for our newsletter and visit our website. Join us for our monthly happy hours which happen on the third Thursday of every month. Donate to our organization or the book drive. Partner with us. With the allyship of the LGBTQIA+ community, the API community here in Tennessee will thrive.