{"id":3502,"date":"2022-05-27T10:54:34","date_gmt":"2022-05-27T17:54:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.piercecountywa.gov\/executive\/?p=3502"},"modified":"2023-06-26T13:26:51","modified_gmt":"2023-06-26T20:26:51","slug":"a-rich-tapestry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.piercecountywa.gov\/executive\/2022\/05\/27\/a-rich-tapestry\/","title":{"rendered":"A rich tapestry"},"content":{"rendered":"

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We have a beautiful gem in our backyard \u2013 the Asia Pacific Cultural Center<\/a> <\/span>\u2013 founded by Patsy Surh O\u2019Connell and led by the incomparable Lua Pritchard. Known as APCC, the center celebrates 47 cultures and countries all under the banner of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage \u2013 which reflects the rich tapestry of our community. I look forward to their annual New Year\u2019s celebration which highlights a particular country. It\u2019s an opportunity to reflect on our strong connections to both the local communities and trans-Pacific partners. The food, dancing and music, and colorful dress are incredible!<\/p>\n

The month of May recognizes Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) countries and culture. Having spent time in many of these countries, one month is hardly enough to celebrate so many beautiful places, rich heritages, and distinct cultures!<\/p>\n

I hope you had a chance to sit in on the \u201cLunch and Learn\u201d session hosted by Human Resources this week as three of our colleagues shared their perspectives on their AANHPI heritage.\u00a0 I especially enjoyed listening to Lillian Allred, a member of my Executive Team, discuss what she calls her \u201cunicorn\u201d background reflecting her uncommon Korean and Japanese ancestry. She definitely is one-of-a-kind, and we are fortunate to have her input and contributions on our team.<\/p>\n

I was really moved to hear Sangkros Lok from our Parks Department talk about his friends who felt pressured to change their beautiful Cambodian names to something more \u201cAmerican\u201d in an attempt to blend in and assimilate. There are few things more core to your identity than your name. He also mentioned how he would sometimes eat lunch in his car since he didn\u2019t want to be judged for his \u201csmelly\u201d Cambodian food. Learning to say a colleague\u2019s (or customer\u2019s) name, as they pronounce it, is a sign of respect.\u00a0 And I always am eager to try new foods!<\/p>\n

Prima Turczynski from District Court was also a panelist at the \u201cLunch and Learn.\u201d She spoke about the beauty of the Philippines and the loving, giving culture of her mother\u2019s homeland.<\/p>\n

If you missed it, you can watch a replay of this session here<\/a><\/span>. I watched last month\u2019s \u201cLunch and Learn\u201d with three amazing Black women leaders in the County \u2013 and their sharing gave me some important insights!\u00a0 The next \u201cLunch and Learn\u201d session will focus on employees from the LGBTQ+ community.<\/p>\n

Navi Phay with the Crystal Judson Family Justice Center has quite a story to tell. Her family came to the U.S. from Cambodia by way of Thailand during the terror of the Khmer Rouge. Their escape to a welcoming country is sadly familiar as our region has welcomed Afghan and Ukrainian refugees to the Pacific Northwest in recent months.<\/p>\n

You can learn more about Navi and how she brings her culture and understanding of the trauma of fleeing danger to her work with domestic violence survivors in this video:<\/p>\n