aapi heritage

NBCLX contributor Michelle Park has avoided the New York subways since March 2020, following a surge in viral hate crimes targeting Asian Americans. Michelle speaks with civil rights attorney and author Qian Julie Wang, and Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg. Plus, hear from Michelle Tran, founder of Soar Over Hate, a group that provides protective devices like pepper spray and...

The next time you’re stuck in a Wednesday that feels like a Friday, think of your friends in the Pacific islands — they know the feeling. They’ve learned to adapt to the “time warps” the International Date Line and time zones can cause — like when it’s 3 different calendar days at once.

European explorer Ferdinand Magellan arrived in an unfamiliar ocean in 1520, naming it the Pacific. But Polynesian civilizations had discovered the ocean centuries earlier — and named it differently.

Hawaiians, Tongans, Tahitians and many other island cultures had solved the mysteries of this ocean long before it was ever called “Pacific.”

LX Host Jobeth Devera hosted a virtual roundtable for AAPI Heritage Month to discuss culture, identity and action. Panelists included restauranteur Kevin Seo, co-founder of Bored & Hungry; actress Asia Jackson, founder of SKNFLUENCR; Steven Matly, CEO of staffing firm SM Diversity; and Marlino Bitanga, head of operations for MYX.

Hale Motu’apuaka was recently crowned the 2022 World Fireknife Dance Champion. The competition takes place at the Polynesian Cultural Center every year in Hawaii. He joins Jobeth Devera on LX News Now to explain the history and culture behind the competition.

“These are the kids who can’t afford to go to private school,” director Debbie Lum said. “It is a way for someone who didn’t have access to have a way up in society.”

When Pedro Flores came to the U.S. in 1915, the Filipino businessman saw an opportunity to turn the yo-yo, a simple toy that has existed in some form for centuries, into a best seller. But first, he added a key innovation that allowed the yo-yo to “sleep.” Get to know Flores and his place in AAPI heritage.

Here are 100 of the ways legislators, teens, artists, schools, athletes and many others nationwide have stepped up to fight hate and increased attacks.

Olivia Rodrigo, Kamala Harris and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson are all proud to be AAPI. It’s the fastest growing racial group in the U.S. and AAPI people have been pivotal in the nation’s history.

Many Asian Americans have fielded the question their entire lives, along with the common follow-up, “No, where are you really from?”